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Williston Northampton Stuns Tabor Academy 23-14 Behind Nate Ellis

The UMass commit powers the Wildcats back from a 14-point deficit as Williston shuts out four-star Virginia Tech quarterback Peter Bourque and Tabor in the second half.
Tyler Rourke|
Tabor Academy quarterback Peter Bourque against Milton Academy during their game on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
Tabor Academy quarterback Peter Bourque against Milton Academy during their game on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

For much of the first half Saturday, Tabor Academy looked ready to open its season with an impressive victory.

Then Williston Northampton found an answer for the Sea Wolves' talented offense — and kept giving the football to Nate Ellis.

Ellis, a UMass commit, powered Williston back from an early 14-point deficit as the Wildcats stunned Tabor 23-14 in Marion, Massachusetts.

Tabor scored twice early and took a 14-0 lead behind Virginia Tech quarterback commit Peter Bourque. But Williston responded before halftime, shut out the Sea Wolves over the final two quarters and leaned heavily on Ellis to control the game.

The result gave Williston an impressive season-opening victory against a Tabor roster loaded with college prospects.

Tabor Builds an Early Lead

Tabor needed only about four minutes to score its first touchdown of the season.

Quinn Vanneste broke loose for a run of approximately 30 yards to finish an impressive opening drive and give the Sea Wolves an early advantage.

Tabor continued to move the ball on its next possession, with Anthony DiGiantommaso contributing out of the backfield as both a runner and blocker.

Bourque then helped extend the lead to 14-0, connecting with Kaiden Drinkwater for a one-handed touchdown catch on third-and-long.

Bourque, a four-star prospect committed to Virginia Tech, presented Williston with problems both through the air and as a runner early in the game.

Eventually, the Wildcats adjusted.

Nate Ellis Takes Over for Williston

Williston quarterback Patrick Cahill, who threw for more than 2,100 yards as a sophomore last season, helped ignite the Wildcats with a fourth-down conversion.

From there, Williston increasingly put the game in Ellis' hands.

Late in the first half, Ellis broke a run of more than 30 yards before being caught near the Tabor 5-yard line. He finished the possession with a touchdown and then converted the 2-point attempt, giving Williston life before halftime.

That was only the beginning.

Williston continued feeding Ellis after the break, even as Tabor's defense knew what was coming.

Ellis scored the Wildcats' first touchdown of the second half to help Williston take a 15-14 lead. After the Wildcats intercepted Bourque, Williston went back to its running game and put together a possession that drained significant time from the clock.

Then Ellis delivered the decisive play.

Facing fourth-and-1 late in the game, Ellis broke free for a 45-yard touchdown. Another successful 2-point conversion gave Williston a two-score advantage.

Tabor never recovered.

Tabor's Defense Keeps Sea Wolves Close

The final score shouldn't obscure the performance of a Tabor defense filled with high-level talent.

Grayden Reid, one of the nation's top defensive back prospects in the Class of 2028, was active throughout the game and repeatedly came up from the secondary to make tackles.

Boston College commits Liam Conlon and Mikey Landers also helped pressure Williston, while Landon O'Neil — the nation's No. 1 lacrosse prospect in the Class of 2028 who recently received a football offer from Michigan — contributed to the Sea Wolves' defensive effort.

For much of the night, that unit kept Tabor within striking distance.

But as the second half progressed, Ellis and the Williston offensive line began winning enough battles to sustain drives, move the chains and keep Bourque and the Tabor offense on the sideline.

Williston's Second-Half Adjustments Make the Difference

Williston's comeback wasn't entirely about its offense.

After Bourque hurt the Wildcats with his legs early, Williston adjusted its defensive approach and did a better job containing the Tabor quarterback.

The Wildcats mixed their coverages and limited Bourque's opportunities to escape when plays broke down, particularly in important third-down situations.

Tabor, which had scored twice in the opening half, didn't score again.

Lehigh commit Gavin Brady contributed to the turnaround with a second-half interception as Williston forced Bourque into two interceptions after halftime.

The combination changed the game.

Williston controlled the football with Ellis on offense while its defense took away many of the plays Bourque had produced early.

Tabor had the advantage in the opening stages.

Williston had the answers the rest of the way.

And by the end of the night, Ellis and the Wildcats had turned a 14-0 deficit into a 23-14 season-opening victory.

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Tyler Rourke
TYLER ROURKE

Tyler is a Digital Media and Journalism graduate of Endicott College. He has experience covering a variety of sports for multiple newspapers. including The Salem Times and Gloucester Daily Times. He began contributing to High School On SI in 2025.

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