Hamilton College's Kamau Hopewell '25 ran for a career-high 107 yards and two touchdowns in the Continentals' 24-10 NESCAC win against the Amherst College Mammoths at Hamilton's Steuben Field on Saturday afternoon.
 
Season Update
The Continentals evened their record at 1-1 with the victory in their home opener, while Amherst dropped to 0-2 and has scored just 16 points in two games.
 
How It Happened

• Hamilton scored 24 straight points after the Mammoths grabbed a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
• The Continentals' Matt Banbury '23 capped a 10-play, 75-yard drive with a touchdown pass to Lucas Perez-Segnini '25 with 2:06 left in the first.
• On second down at the Amherst 37, Banbury found Perez-Segnini on the left side. An Amherst defender went for the ball and missed everything, and Perez-Segnini ran down the sideline untouched into the end zone.
• Hamilton's defense forced a three-and-out on the Mammoths' next drive and Mark Howrigan '23 blocked the punt. Ian Esliker '23 picked up the loose ball and returned it to the Amherst 9.
• Hopewell ran eight yards down to the 1 and then punched it into the end zone on fourth down on the first play of the second quarter.
• The score remained 14-7 until late in the third quarter. The Mammoths only managed a short punt from their own end zone and the Continentals took over at the Amherst 22.
• On second-and-goal Banbury completed a pass to Josh Harmon '25, who ran towards the goal line, but the Mammoths knocked the ball out before he got there. Howrigan recovered for Hamilton at the 1 and, two plays later, Evan Reed '26 booted a 20-yard field goal with 1:30 remaining.
• Amherst's next drive stalled at its own 42 and the Mammoths tried a fake punt on fourth-and-four. Howrigan snuffed it out and stopped Amherst's Kevin Girardi for no gain.
• Hopewell rushed for 32 yards on six carries on the ensuing drive, and eventually scored from the 3 with 12:15 to go in the fourth quarter for a 24-7 advantage.
• The Continentals' opening drive ended with a turnover. Flynn McGilvray forced a fumble and Solomon Christopher recovered it at his own 25.
• The Mammoths went 75 yards in 13 plays on their first drive, which ended on a Tylon Crump 2-yard touchdown run with 6:34 left in the first quarter.
• Amherst's Conor Kennelly added a 29-yard field goal with 8:30 remaining in the fourth quarter for the final score. Hamilton had an interception wiped out by a defensive pass interference call four plays before the field goal.
• The Mammoths only managed one more possession after Kennelly's field goal made it 24-10 in the fourth quarter.

 
Notes

• Hopewell, who carried the ball 35 times, has already matched last year's total of three rushing touchdowns.
• Banbury was 13 of 21 for 172 yards passing.
• Perez-Segnini led the Continentals with four catches and 76 yards. He has scored a touchdown in both games this season.
• Tighe Hoey '25 averaged 36.2 yards on five punts, including a 55-yarder, and pinned two inside the Amherst 20.
• In addition to the field goal, Reed made all three of his extra points.
• George Johnson '23 led Hamilton with 12 tackles.
• Jake Dale '25 was credited with a career-high eight stops and Matt LoPresti '23 and Jake Holmes '24 set career bests with seven apiece.
• Christian Snell '23 made six solo tackles and broke up two passes.
• Mike Piazza was 18 of 34 passing for 134 yards and added 46 yards rushing for Amherst.
• Andy Shirzenski led the Mammoths' defense with six tackles and returned an interception five yards.
• The Continentals limited Amherst to 257 yards of total offense.
• Hamilton recorded its second straight win at home against the Mammoths.

 
Next Game
Hamilton hosts 1-1 Wesleyan University on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 1 p.m. The Continentals will dedicate their new Steuben Field scoreboard at halftime.