Tom Beaton '10

Tom Beaton 10

Tom Beaton '10

There’s isn’t much that Tom Beaton hasn’t done for the Bates football team this season, whether it’s catching passes, throwing passes, carrying the ball or returning punts. On Saturday against Hamilton, it took perhaps Beaton’s best game as a Bobcat to defeat Hamilton College for the fifth straight time, in a 23-22 thriller at Garcelon Field.

The starting wide receiver and part-time quarterback caught 8 passes for two touchdowns, both career highs, and 73 yards. Four of his completions came on Bates’ final scoring drive late in the fourth quarter, which was capped by a brilliant 20-yard catch and run to the end zone that gave Bates a 21-20 lead with 1:15 to play. Beaton also caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Katon in the third quarter, and in the second quarter he completed a key 6-yard pass to Tyler Kuehl on 4th down in the second quarter to keep the Bobcats’ first scoring drive alive.

Beaton (West Newbury, Mass.) finished the season tied for the team lead in receptions with Sean Wirth with 28 and tied with Matt Gregg in touchdown catches, with three. He also completed 12 of 18 passes on the year to lead the team in passing efficiency, and he rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown to boot.