Hamilton Football played against Colby this weekend and lost 16–13 at home. Hamilton entered the game 0–6 and Colby College 2–4, after a recent hot streak across two wins over the past three games. Hamilton held the lead for most of the second quarter but was unable to defend against a Colby comeback.

The first Hamilton drive was disastrous, as during the third play of the game, quarterback Luke Kurzum ’27 was picked off by Colby’s Nicholas Cox ’27, who ran it back 27 yards. The Hamilton defense, despite the rough field position, caused a three-and-out, making the Mules kick a 35-yard field goal. Kicker Christos Tzoumakas ’27 kicked the ball through the uprights to give Colby a 3–0 lead. Hamilton made no progress on their rushing attempts having to punt again.

Colby’s second drive was less fruitful, with a Kevin Lyons ’25 breakup on third down and a Colby fumble on their fourth down attempt leading to another Hamilton possession. The drive ended in another three-and-out, but it was highlighted by the incredible punt of Hamilton’s punter Tighe Hoey ’25.

Despite the subpar field position, Hamilton’s run defense went missing for the drive, allowing Colby to get into the red zone before great pass coverage by Joe Cairns ’25 and dropped passes forced Colby to kick again. While Tzoumakas made the kick, putting the Mules up 6–0, the Colby coaches were seemingly unhappy with the team’s performance thus far against the struggling Continental as they yelled at their players on the sidelines about missed opportunities. Hamilton got the ball back and ran a few plays before the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter started with an incredible punt by Hoey that pinned Colby to their own four yard line. Colby soon slowed down and had an ugly punt that gave Hamilton their best field position of the game thus far. A pair of catches by Chester Boynton ’27 got Hamilton to the five line where they were unable to connect into the endzone. Carmelo Velardo ’27 kicked the field goal for Hamilton, making the game 3–6. On the ensuing kickoff, Bryce Molnar ’25 forced a Colby fumble that was recovered by Jack Quinn ’28 at the Mules’ 31.

Hamilton capitalized on their golden opportunity with an efficient drive down the field. The result was a touchdown off a 15-yard QB run play by Kurzum. Along with the extra point, Hamilton took their first lead of the game with a score of 10–6. Colby returned with a small drive that ended with another bad punt before hitting the two minute warning. Hamilton continued their positive momentum with another great drive. A fast execution led to a field goal to end the half. The 26-yard attempt by Velardo increased the Continentals’ lead to seven.

At halftime, both teams had 9 first downs alongside both having 100% accuracy in points when reaching the redzone. Hamilton led 13–6 over Colby at half. This was the third time the Continentals held a lead at home in the second quarter.

Colby received the ball to start the third quarter. A few small gain plays allowed the Mules to advance enough up the field to attempt a field goal. Their 37 yarder cut Hamilton’s lead to 4. Back-to-back fruitless drives would give way to a long Hamilton drive. After a bad Hamilton penalty and a series of incomplete throws, including a fourth down conversion, Hamilton left one of its best opportunities to score without points. The next four drives were a battle of field position with no points scored for either side. Colby would then put together a substantive drive, filled with costly Hamilton penalties and poor pass coverage leading to a Colby touchdown. Hamilton had under a minute to tie the game. The drive would start off great, as they were able to move the ball down the field. But in a twist of fate, the game ended the same way it started: with Kurzum throwing an interception. Colby got their trash talk in, as many players were dragged off the field by teammates while still chirping Hamilton fans, with the game ending 13–16 Colby.

For Hamilton, Kurzum was 17-of-34 for 156 yards. The rushing touchdown was his third this year and the sixth of his career with the Continentals. Chester Boynton ’27 caught four passes and tied a Hamilton single-season record with 55 receptions. Velardo made two field goals for the second game in a row. He’s 4-for-4 on field goals and 9-for-9 on extra points this season.

Hamilton football plays next at Middlebury in The Old Rocking Chair Classic on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 12:30 p.m.