Wellesley connection shines at Middlebury

Wellesley is well represented on the Middlebury College football program.

Town residents Dan Haluska and David Ellis, a graduate of the St. Mark's School in Southborough, were defensive standouts this fall for the Panthers, who finished 5-3 and third in the New England Small College Athletic Conference after a 38-24 victory over Tufts last weekend.

Haluska, a junior defensive back, was third on the team with 51 tackles, and also added three interceptions (one for a TD) against Trinity to tie a school single-game record. Ellis, a senior defensive end, had 17 tackles and two sacks.

"Dan was a key player in our defense who came into his own this year," said Middlebury head coach Bob Ritter. "He's athletic and intelligent. And David was our best defensive lineman. He gave offensive linemen fits with his quickness."

Haluska and Ellis were part of a Wellesley contingent at the Vermont college that also included sophomore defensive back Connor Green (11 tackles, 3 pass breakups), who missed time because of injury, and promising freshman wide receiver Alex Englert, who attended Belmont Hill School.

Philip Hastings, a junior wide receiver from Wayland, and Silas Wong, a freshman defensive back from Needham, also saw playing time for Middlebury, whose three losses were by a total of 13 points.

Odds and ends

Mount Ida College of Newton (4-5), which has won two straight under first-year head coach Michael Landers, wraps up its season Saturday at Morrisville (N.Y.) State. Freshman tailback Johrone Bunch tied a school single-game record with four rushing touchdowns in last weekend's 35-28 win over SUNY-Maritime. . . . Dean College of Franklin, ranked 12th nationally in its division, finished the regular season 10-0 and won the Northeast Conference title for the second straight year after a 38-28 win over Lackawanna College. The Bulldogs have an outside shot at a National Junior College Athletic Association bowl invitation. . . . Sophomore defensive lineman Joe Young of Shrewsbury, a graduate of St. John's High, has appeared in all eight games for Yale, recording eight tackles.