BRUNSWICK (AP) – Aaron Stepka rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown to give Colby a 7-6 comeback win over Bowdoin on Saturday afternoon and clinch the annual Colby-Bates-Bowdoin championship for the White Mules.

Bowdoin (0-8) led 6-0 entering the fourth quarter on a 5-yard touchdown run by Rick Leclerc with 17 seconds left in the half. The extra point kick failed.

Colby (5-3) scored early in the fourth quarter, with the extra point proving the game winner.

For the game, Justin Smith was 19 of 26 passing for 212 yards for Colby. which clinched a tie for third in NESCAC.

Rob Patchett led Bowdoin with 115 yards rushing.

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earns a share of third place in the final New England

Small College Athletic Conference standings.

First-year quarterback Justin Smith (Rockland, Mass.) passed for 212 yards

on 19 attempts, including a key 50-yard completion to junior Stephen

Markesich (Weymouth, Mass.). Markesich ended the game with five catches

for 100 yards. Wayne Harrington (Rockland, Mass.) and Jeremy Jamieson

(Stoneham, Mass.) both had interceptions for the Mules.

After a scoreless first period, Bowdoin’s Shaun Kezer (Mansfield, Mass.)

intercepted a pass by Smith at the Colby 45 yard-line and returned it to

the 21, giving Bowdoin great field position. The drive stalled at the

White Mule 12, and Polar Bear kicker Dan Hayes’ (Fort Worth, Texas) 23-yard

field goal attempt was blocked to keep the game scoreless.

Colby proceeded to move the ball down the field, entering Polar Bear

territory before a Colby fumble gave possession back to Bowdoin. The

ensuing drive was capped by a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Rick Leclerc

(Manchester, N.H.) for a touchdown, giving Bowdoin a 6-0 lead. However,

Hayes missed the extra point wide.

The missed point-after-touchdown would come back to haunt the Polar Bears,

as Colby started to win the battle for field position in the second

half. Late in the third quarter, on a third-and-two play from their own

33, Smith faked a hand-off to Stepka and found Markesich wide open

downfield for a 50-yard catch. Another completion from Smith to Markesich

put Colby on the Bowdoin eight yard-line. Stepka took over from there,

rushing twice, with the second play going off-tackle to the corner of the

endzone for the score. The PAT was good, giving Colby a 7-6 lead that

would stand up for the rest of the game.

Bowdoin punted on their next drive, but a good kick by punter Dave Donahue

was downed on the Colby one, putting the Mules in tough position. But

Stepka proved up to the task, rushing for 23 yards on the first play after

the punt, and giving Colby some breathing room. The Mules defense shut

down Bowdoin’s offense in the fourth quarter, and Mules gave Stepka a

healthy dose of carries (40, in all) to run out the clock.