WATERVILLE — Colby broke open a close game with a 27-point second half, pulling away from rival Bowdoin for a 30-14 victory to win the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin championship on Saturday.
It was the first CBB championship for the Mules since 2005. Colby beat Bates 21-6 on Oct. 27 and finishes the series between the three teams 2-0. Bowdoin beat Bates 31-14 on Nov. 3.
“New history,” Colby senior safety Don Vivian said. “We’re setting our own course at this point. It’s a great starting point for us. We’re really excited, as you can see.”
Senior running back Jake Schwern ran for 185 yards and three touchdowns on 34 carries for Colby (3-6). Schwern’s first TD, a 47-yard run down the Bowdoin sideline, came with 9:38 left in the third quarter. It gave the Mules a 10-0 lead, and set the offensive tone for Colby for the rest of the half. It also came on a broken play.
“It was supposed to go the other way. It kind of got a little messed up. The offensive line did a heck of a job blocking, and I just found a hole and just kept running,” Schwern said.
A 29-yard punt return by Jack Colleran set the Mules up at the Bowdoin 21. Three plays and a pass interference call on the Polar Bears later, quarterback Matt Hersch bootlegged to the left pylon for a touchdown as the Bowdoin defense converged on the middle to stop Schwern. The Mules led 17-0 with 6:01 left in the third quarter.
The offensive success came after a slow start. Colby punted on its first four possessions, and led 3-0 at the half after Walter Thilly banked a 29-yard field goal off the right upright and through with 3:29 left in the second quarter.
“Give (Bowdoin) credit. They came out and played really well defensively. They wanted to force us to throw the ball in some conditions that weren’t great,” Colby Coach Jack Cosgrove said. “They played seven-, eight-man fronts and gave us a hard time. I thought we did a great job talking at halftime about things we needed to do on offense.”
The Mules had success when they put Chris George in the backfield as a fullback, and also converted a Bowdoin turnover into a touchdown. When Matthew Williams fumbled a punt late in the third quarter, Colby’s Mike Whiting recovered it at the Bowdoin 1. On fourth and goal, Schwern dove into the end zone to give the Mules a 24-0 lead.
Schwern added a 16-yard touchdown run with 10:38 to play to give the Mules a 30-0 lead.
“I think in the second half it hit us, like, man we’ve only got one half left. We’ve got to bring it all out there,” Schwern said.
UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND 42, ALVERNIA 27: Brian Peters threw for three touchdowns in the first half and Nor’easters (2-7) scored 21 straight points in the third quarter to beat Golden Wolves (1-9) in Biddeford.
Peters connected with Haelin Roberts for a 20-yard TD late in the second quarter to tie the game at 21 heading into halftime.
Devon Charles ran for two touchdowns in the third and put UNE ahead for good at 28-21 with 13:11 left when he scored from 2 yards out.
Jack Mahoney punched one in from 3 yards out less than two minutes later, then Charles ran it in for a 13-yard score to make it 42-21 heading into the fourth.
HAMILTON 38, BATES 13: Joe Park ran for 187 yards and three touchdowns, and the Continentals (3-6) scored 26 straight points in the second half to beat the Bobcats (0-9) in Lewiston.
Kevin Clafin threw for two touchdowns for Bates, including a 41-yard scoring pass to Jackson Hayes with 1:09 left in the second quarter to give the Bobcats the halftime lead.
HUSSON 21, PLYMOUTH STATE 10: Cory Brandon scored from a yard out to give the Eagles (7-2) a 14-10 lead with 10:21 left in the third quarter and they held on to beat the Panthers (6-3) in Plymouth, New Hampshire.
Brandon helped extend the lead when he found Kyle Gaudet for a 16-yard TD with eight seconds left in the third to make it 21-10.
Miece Loureiro ran for 151 yards on 34 carries for the Eagles.
CATHOLIC 20, MAINE MARITIME 14: Chance LeGrand scored on a 13-yard run with 1:20 left as the Cardinals (1-9, 1-6 NEWMAC) beat the Mariners (0-9, 0-7) in Washington, D.C.
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