By Dick Quinn, SID

Thursday before the season-opener at Hamilton senior captain Brian Stevens '90 was asked how he saw the 1989 season shaping up. "We're going to go undefeated, untied and be the best Williams team ever," said Stevens. Head Coach Dick Farley quickly added, "Those are his words not mine."

"Brian Stevens was not a gifted football player," said Eph assistant Renzie Lamb. "But Brian Stevens was a leader and our kids believed in him."

A tough Hamilton squad was finally subdued by the heroics of All-American defensive end Ted Rogers '91. Who can forget the headline in the Williams Record -- "Rogers 8, Hamilton 6," that summed up Rogers' heroics of scoring on a blocked punt and recording a safety?

The next threat to perfection was Trinity in game three. With less than two minutes remaining Trinity led 21-14, but the Ephs scored to make it 21-20. The two-point conversion attempt failed and the Ephs trailed 21-20 with just over a minute to go. Ted Rogers then recovered the onsides kick with 57 seconds to play. With no timeouts remaining, QB Dan Dwyer '92 hit TE Matt Moynahan over the middle with a 30-yard TD pass and the Ephs led 26-21. Again the Ephs failed on the two-point conversion try.

A razzle-dazzle return by the Bantams on the kickoff put the ball at midfield with four seconds left. Rogers then sacked the QB on the final play to cap an 11-tackle, one blocked punt, and one TD performance. After three games Rogers led the Ephs in scoring as a DE with 14 points!!!

The Ephs ran off four more wins with relative ease to set the stage for a shot at perfection in the 104th playing of the "Biggest Little Game in America" on Weston Field vs. Amherst. The 4-3 Lord Jeffs were determined to deny the Ephs their first perfect season.

Wednesday before the Amherst game at the Williams College Sideline Quarterback Club luncheon Renzie Lamb told one and all that Amherst was not very tough. "They're not going to try and run on us," said Lamb. "We wish they would, but we're a lot tougher than they are." Somehow Lamb's quote captured in the NY Times made its way to the Amherst bulletin board. Imagine the surprise Lamb and the Eph faithful received when after just five minutes Amherst led 14-0, with one of the TDs a 30-yard run up the middle by Craig Goguen.

The Ephs cut the Amherst lead in half when QB Chris Hevesy '91 ran the QB draw to perfection and a nine-yard TD and Brian Taptich '92 nailed the PAT.

Trailing 14-7 the Ephs took possession of the ball on their own 37-yard line to open the second half. Nine plays later Lars Hem '91 ran two yards to score and Taptich's second PAT tied the game at 14.

A Bill Crowley '91 punt was downed at the Amherst nine-yard line shortly thereafter. On the first play, Cliff Wright '91 ("the Crisper") jumped on an Amherst fumble and the Ephs were in business. The Amherst defense stiffened and the Ephs were forced to go for a FG.

Somehow Chris Hevesy managed to right a bouncing snap and spot the ball for Brian Taptich's first collegiate FG attempt. "If I had known that the game was on the line I probably would have missed it," said Taptich. "Being early in the third quarter I wasn't too worried -- I just knew we were going to win." Hevesy noted an omen on the Taptich kick. "I felt good seeing the sun shine for the first time all day as Tap's kick went through the uprights," said Hevesy.

Brian Taptich launches the game-winning FG

Amherst's first play after receiving the Eph kickoff was a stunner. A short pass over the middle to WR Wes Adams found two Eph LBs colliding and Adams off to the end zone past the Eph bench, accompanied by a blocker. Eph senior safety, All-American, Rich Williams came all the way across the field to give chase. "It seemed like Adams was in slow motion, said Williams. "I was worried his blocker was going to come out on me, but the blocker kept waiting and waiting and when I could not wait any longer I just dove into them both and knocked Adams out of bounds inside the five."

What could be more fitting than a guy named Williams making "the greatest tackle" in Williams football history? Dick Farley once described Rich Williams' lack of speed by saying, "In a race with a pregnant woman Rich would be third."

Amherst made no progress in their three downs so they went for a FG on fourth down. The kick was wide and the Ephs held the lead at 17-14.

The Lord Jeffs did mount one last gasp and actually drove to the Eph 12-yard line with just over a minute to play. "It was such a frustrating game," said Taptich. "We knew we were a lot better than them, but we spotted them 14 points and with a minute left we were up only three." A pass intended for Wes Adams in the back of the end zone drew a flag, but the penalty was waved off when the official ruled that the ball was uncatchable. Second down for Amherst from the Williams 12-yard line. Junior DE Ken Dilanian, always a talker in the Eph huddle, screamed "This is it. We've got to do something. Teddy [Rogers] you've got to make something happen." Little did Dilanian know that at that same moment the late Jim Reagan of the Springfield Union News stood up in the press box and said, "They call Rogers 'Mr. Big Play' -- this would be the time for it."

"In the huddle I could not believe how loud the crowd was," said Rogers. "I don't think I realized how many people were there [New England Div. III record crowd of 13,671] before that." It's a wonder that Rogers was even on the field as he had spent the night before (his 20th birthday) in the Health Center with a 103+ temperature and nurses telling him he would not be able to play.

Rogers was half-asleep on Saturday morning when he heard his door creak open. He turned expecting to see a nurse entering. Instead he saw Dick Farley peeking in at him. Farley said nothing but Rogers noticed a look of compassion on Farley's face as he turned to leave. "Coach Farley's act of compassion to come see me meant a great deal to me...I knew then I was going to play," said Rogers.

On the snap Rogers stepped around a block and took a swipe at the Amherst QB. "I was lucky to hit his arm and make him drop the ball and when I saw Ken Dilanian fall on it, I kind of lost it." The normally non-expressive Rogers leaped in the air, screamed with delight and swung his arms wildly knowing the Ephs only had to run out the 57 seconds on the clock to finish with a perfect record.

"When Kenny jumped on that fumble I experienced a flood of euphoria that I can still feel today," said Brian Taptich. "What a great feeling!"

"I don't think I saw Teddy strip the ball," said Dilanian. "I just saw the football bounce on the ground and lay there for a split second, untouched. I will remember that moment for the rest of my life. Every cell in my body wanted to dive on that ball. And when I covered it up, it was like every weight I ever lifted, every sprint I ever ran, every piece of grass I choked on after the third crab gasser was worth it. More than worth it. Geez, now I've got to go watch the tape!"

To 'officially' end the perfect season the team still had to do 'The Walk' up Spring Street to St. Pierre's Barber Shop. "It was bittersweet making 'The Walk'," said Stevens. "I was so happy to have the perfect record, but I was sad too at knowing I would never be in this position with these guys again."

Brian Stevens is a Suffolk County Police Officer today, after spending five years at MCI. Dan Dwyer is a lawyer in Glastonbury, CT, Bill Crowley is a lawyer in Washington, DC and Cliff Wright is joining Senator Arlen Specter's staff as a counsel after graduating from Temple Law in June. Chris Hevesy is an Account Manager for Southern New England telephone Company, Brian Taptich is a Co-Founder of Alarm Clock Communications, and Ted Rogers is the Manager of Business Affairs for America OnLine. Lars Hem is an Associate with Stonebridge Associates in Boston and Matt Moynahan is the Senior VP for Reciprocal Publishing in Buffalo. Rich Williams is a Regional Sales Manager for Employease, Inc. and Ken Dilanian is the Capital Bureau Chief for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Dick Farley is still Dick Farley. Who knew in 1989 that Farley would ring up three more perfect seasons in the 1990s heading into this, the last season of the 20th century?