Middlebury College's Cole Kennon threw for 431 yards and six touchdowns, and the Panthers defeated the Hamilton College Continentals 48-34 in the Old Rocking Chair Classic at Middlebury's Alumni Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
 
Season Update
Hamilton is in a five-way tie for sixth place in the NESCAC standings with a 2-6 record. The Panthers improved their conference record to 7-1.
 
How It Happened

• Middlebury led 21-0 less than four minutes into the second quarter and the Continentals didn't get closer than 14 points the rest of the way.
• LeeCharles McNeil got things started on a two-yard touchdown run with 7:32 left in the first quarter.
• Kennon completed a 42-yard pass to Donovan Wood for the Panthers' second touchdown with 58 seconds remaining in the first.
• Middlebury's next scoring drive started at the Hamilton 34 after a short punt and a 10-yard penalty on the Continentals. Patrick Jamin caught a 17-yard pass from Kennon for the touchdown 3:47 into the second quarter.
• Hamilton quarterback Matt Banbury '23 capped a 75-yard drive by bulling into the end zone from the one with 7:26 to go in the second. Evan Reed '26 added the extra point. A 14-yard pass to Colin Kelter '26 on fourth down-and-five to the one set up Banbury's touchdown.
• An 11-yard punt return by Adam Harrington gave the Panthers the ball at the Continentals 41 late in the second quarter. Wood caught his second touchdown pass – this time for 10 yards – with 37 seconds left in the half, and Middlebury took a 28-7 lead into the break.
• Hamilton started the second half with another 75-yard touchdown drive, and once again, Banbury ended it on a one-yard plunge with 10:37 remaining in the third quarter. The drive was kept alive by a 12-yard reception by Kelter on fourth-and-one to the Panthers 10.
• Kennon finished off Middlebury's next drive with a 17-yard touchdown toss to Cole Crider with 9:08 to go in the third.
• Banbury found Joseph Campanella '26 for a nine-yard touchdown pass with 1:42 left in the quarter, and the Panthers led 35-21 after three. A 32-yard catch by Lucas Perez-Segnini '25 was the big play of the drive.
• Middlebury clinched the victory with two Jamin touchdown catches four seconds apart early in the fourth quarter. The first was a seven-yard catch with 12:58 remaining. The second was a four-yard grab after the Continentals muffed the kickoff and Rocco Stola recovered.
• Hamilton responded with a touchdown on the ensuing possession. Ezra Lombardi '24 caught a seven-yard pass from Banbury for a score with 9:42 to go. Joe Cairns '25 kept the chains moving with a five-yard run on fourth-and-four at midfield.
• Perez-Segnini completed the scoring on a diving 10-yard catch just over the goal line from Banbury with 2:43 left. A few plays earlier, tight end Mark Howrigan '23 made a great catch in traffic for a 16-yard gain on fourth-and-14 to the Panthers 17.

 
Notes

• Banbury accounted for all five of the Continentals' touchdowns. He was 27 of 42 for a career-high 291 yards passing and three scores, and added 36 yards rushing with two more touchdowns. He has seven touchdowns through the air and four more on the ground this season.
• Perez-Segnini recorded career highs with eight catches and 103 yards receiving.
• Kelter registered season-best totals of seven receptions for 64 yards.
• Campanella scored his second touchdown and Lombardi found the end zone for the first time at Hamilton.
• Cole Rivell '24 led the Continentals with 10 tackles and is seventh in the NESCAC with 59.
• Alex Street '23 tallied his first two sacks this year and now has three for his Hamilton career.
• Chase White '25 added 1.5 sacks and has 2.5 this fall.
• Jacob Spafford '25 broke up three passes and Christian Snell '23 defended two.
• McNeil led Middlebury with 73 yards rushing.
• The Panthers had three players eclipse the century mark for yards receiving with Wood (131), Jamin (126) and Greg Livingston (118) all getting it done.
• Stola paced the Middlebury defense with nine tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception.
• Finn Muldoon also made nine stops, and Tomas Kenary collected two sacks.
• The Continentals notched season highs with 34 points, 29 first downs and 370 yards of total offense.
• Hamilton was just 3 of 15 on third down conversions, but 4-for-5 on fourth down.
• The Panthers ended up with 488 yards of offense.

 
Next Game
The Continentals host 2-6 Bates College on Saturday, Nov. 12 at noon. Hamilton will honor its seniors before the game, which is the season finale.