MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Looking to end the season on a high note, the Wesleyan football team put together a stellar defensive showing against the NESCAC's Offensive Player of the Year frontrunner, but were unable to generate enough offense as the Cardinals fell to the Trinity Bantams 14-7 on Saturday from Corwin Stadium at Andrus Field. Wesleyan (6-3) concludes the season in sole possession of third place in the league standings while the Bantams (8-1) finish 2021 as the league runner-up.

Despite the loss, Danny Banks '22 posted one of the greatest individual performances in recent memory for the Cardinals as the senior cornerback intercepted Trinity's star QB Spencer Fetter – who came in with 26 TD and 2 INT – three times on Saturday, matching a Wesleyan single-game program record. All three of Banks' interceptions came in the second half as the senior joins an exclusive list that includes just seven other Cardinals in Wesleyan's 138-year history of football to intercept three passes in a single-game.
 
An outstanding defensive showing for Wesleyan saw the Cardinals intercept Fetter four times as the junior came into the game with just two all season. Wesleyan also sacked Fetter twice as the Cardinals took away what is the league's top passing attack (Trinity came in averaging 290.1 passing yards per game). Jack Nally '24 accounted for the other, non-Banks INT on the day for Wesleyan.

A slow start to this one saw neither side generate much at all on offense in the first quarter, that was until Trinity marched inside the Cardinal red zone, only to have Fetter fumble on a 1^st-and-goal play from the 9-yard line. With the ball loose on the grass, Nick Helbig '23 was first to jump on the fumble and deny Trinity of any points on the first extended drive for either side on offense in the game.
 
Taking over with just over five minutes left in the first half, Wesleyan methodically worked their way down the field starting with QB David Estevez '22 finding WR Logan Tomlinson '23 on the near sideline for 15 yards to get the drive started. Charlie McPhee '22 picked up a crucial yard on a 3^rd-and-1 play at midfield then Wesleyan converted another 3^rd down with Estevez finding Dylan DellaValle '22 for 8 yards on a 3^rd-and-6 play. Even after a holding call pushed Wesleyan back to a 3^rd-and-16 situation, Estevez connected with Tomlinson for 20 yards this time as the Cardinals had the ball in the Trinity red zone for the first time in the game. With the clock winding down, Wesleyan had the ball 1^st-and-goal from the 1 yard line but after two failed attempts to cross the goal line, Wesleyan then saw a 20-yard field goal attempt miss wide left as the score remaining 0-0 at the half.

Trinity was first to break through as DeVante Reid took a reverse 22 yards up the Trinity sideline to push the Bantams deep into Wesleyan territory. On the very next play, William Kirby took a handoff and plowed through multiple Cardinal defenders on his way to a 21-yard score that made it 7-0 Bantams with 6:11 left in the third quarter.

Needing a response, Banks was there a few minutes later, intercepting Fetter on the first play of Trinity's next drive, setting Wesleyan's offense up in prime scoring position from the 30-yard line of the Bantams'. RB Charlie McPhee '22 carried for 10 combined yards on back-to-back carries before Estevez picked up 14 on a direct rush attempt from the shotgun snap. On a 2^nd-and-goal play, Estevez spotted TE Ezra Jenifer '22 open underneath and the senior did the rest, pushing his way into the end zone on the far side of the field to knot the score at 7-7.

Despite finally finding some footing on offense, the momentum was very short-lived as Trinity marched right down the field with big plays going to Jonathan Girard (27 yards) through the air before Kirby found an open hole and burst through, going 20 yards untouched to the end zone to make it 14-7 Bantams with 13:31 remaining.

Wesleyan nearly strung together an instant response as Estevez found WR Thomas Elkhoury '24 for a huge 34-yard connection down the seem as the Cardinals suddenly had the ball at the Trinity 25-yard line. That, however, was when the drive stalled out as Estevez was sacked by Kevin Clark on a 4^th-and-7 play, giving the ball back to the Bantams on downs.
 
Needing a score, Wesleyan was gifted another big play as Banks' third INT gave the Cardinals the ball back with 6:19 remaining but a three-and-out capped by a Cooper Mandel sack was the last great chance Wesleyan had with the ball to knot the score.

Estevez finished the day going 21-for-36 through the air for 178 yards with 1 TD and 0 INT. Trinity's defense sacked the Cardinal QB five times as pressure came from all angles against the dynamic Wesleyan signal caller. Elkhoury and Tomlinson each posted seven catches for the Cardinals with Elkhoury going for a team-leading 63 yards.

LB Harry LeGoullon '23 was dynamic on defense through for Wesleyan, recording a game and career-high 11 tackles (seven solo) to go along with 2.5 tackles-for-loss and one sack. Helbig added nine tackles (five solo) with 2 TFL and one sack to go along with his fumble recovery in the first half. LB Isaiah Miller '22 added eight tackles. Banks (6 INT) and Nally (4 INT) finish the 2021 campaign in first and second place, respectively, in the NESCAC leaderboard for interceptions.

Wesleyan honored its senior class of 2022 pregame as well as the class of 2021 during halftime. Also before the game, Wesleyan welcomed the Middletown Police Bagpipes Association to lead a group of local veterans out onto Andrus Field in the team's annual Salute to Service. Finally, Wesleyan also honored Bruce Corwin '62, the namesake for Corwin Stadium, pregame with a moment of silence as the distinguished Wesleyan alum passed away late last week.