Football Drops First Loss Of The Season To Mass Maritime
Buzzards Bay, MA --- Despite a season-best 203 rushing yards from senior Marcus Price, Worcester State was defeated, 23-19, this afternoon in NEFC Bogan Division action. Price would move into second-place on the all-time rushing list while junior Bryan Narcisse finished with three tackles for a loss and a pair of sacks.
Buzzards Bay, MA --- Senior Matt White's (Westwood, MA) nine-yard touchdown run with 40 seconds remaining capped a wild finish and led Massachusetts Maritime to a 23-19 New England Football Conference Bogan Division victory over previously undefeated Worcester State Saturday afternoon at Clean Harbors Stadium.
The host Buccaneers (3-2, 1-2 NEFC Bogan) trailed 19-16 with 2:48 remaining in the contest after junior Tekena Omoegbekuse's (Worcester, MA) two-yard touchdown run had given the visiting Lancers (5-1, 2-1 NEFC) the lead.
Senior Clifford Oratokhai's (Worcester, MA) interception of Massachusetts Maritime sophomore quarterback Mike Stanton's (Quincy, MA) pass had given Worcester State the ball at the Buccaneer 36-yard line with 1:38 to play, but Lancer senior running back Marcus Price (Worcester, MA) was stripped by senior Walter Butler (Bourne, MA) on the ensuing play, enabling junior Kevin Griffin (Worcester, MA) to recover and give the hosts the ball back with 1:34 remaining.
Stanton converted a 4th-and-two play from his own 44 yard line with just over a minute remaining off a flea flicker from White, as he hit freshman Jonathan Wright (Newburyport, MA) with a 26-yard completion down to the Lancer 30, and after a seven-yard completion to sophomore Keith Caruso (Hingham, MA) that was followed by a personal foul, White scrambled in from a wildcat formation for the go-ahead score.
Worcester State advanced the ball to midfield in the closing seconds of action, but junior Sean Carver's (Summerfield, FL) sack of Lancer senior quarterback Tony Tokarz (Holden, MA) with eight seconds remaining sealed the hosts' triumph.
Senior Jake Bickley (Wilbraham, MA) had given Massachusetts Maritime an early 3-0 advantage on the opening possession of the afternoon as his 31-yard field goal capped a 13-play, 57-yard drive that consumed the first 7:15 of the contest. Worcester State evened matters with 9:38 remaining in the half on sophomore Derek Muccini's (Upton, MA) 29-yard field goal, but junior Eddy Ramos (Sunny Isles, FL) gave the Buccaneers a 9-3 edge at the break when he intercepted a Tokarz pass at his own 45-yard line and scampered in from 55 yards out for a touchdown.
The visitors used a 21-yard punt return by junior Richie Dube (Shrewsbury, MA) to set up shop early in the third stanza at the hosts' 36-yard line, and Price scored from 35 yards out on the second play from scrimmage to even the score at 9-9, as Butler blocked the ensuing point-after attempt that would have given the Lancers the lead. Sophomore Stefan Gustafson's (Plymouth, MA) 35-yard kickoff return gave the Buccaneers the ball at the Worcester State 43-yard line on the ensuing possession, and two plays later Stanton found Wright on a 22-yard scoring strike (his first collegiate score) and a 16-9 Massachusetts Maritime lead with 4:49 remaining in the third quarter.
Tokarz drove the Lancers to 1st-and-goal at the Buccaneer six-yard line on the next possession, but the visitors settled for Muccini's 30-yard field goal after Butler stopped the quarterback on third down for a two-yard loss and a 16-12 hosts' lead heading into the final frame. Following an exchange of punts, Tokarz led Worcester State on a 10-play, 85-yard drive that resulted in Omoegbekuse's go-ahead score, setting up the frantic finish for Massachusetts Maritime.
Stanton completed 21-of-32 pass attempts for 233 yards to go with his score for the Buccaneers, as the hosts amassed just 58 rushing yards on the afternoon, including 41 by junior Barry Reopell (South Dennis, MA) as part of 291 yards of total offense. Caruso tied the school record for receptions in a game with 12 catches for 66 yards for the hosts, who also received four receptions for 80 yards from junior Jonathan Emond (Green Harbor, MA).
Price rushed for 202 yards on 31 carries to go with his touchdown in the setback for Worcester State, as Tokarz completed just 9-of-25 passes for 99 yards and was sacked three times on the day. Sophomore AJ Scerra (Marlboro, MA) hauled in four catches for 35 yards on the afternoon for the Lancers.
Price would pass his running backs coach John Smith for second place on WSU's All-Time Rushing list as he now has 2,636 yards in his two-plus seasons as a Lancer. On the season Price has gone over the century mark six times and he has 160 rushes for 937 yards and nine scores.
Butler paced Massachusetts Maritime defensively with 11 total tackles, including eight solo stops and three for losses of 10 yards, as he forced the fumble to set up the winning score, blocked his third kick of the season and recorded three quarterback hurries in the triumph. Junior Evan Sheridan (Chelmsford, MA) added nine total tackles (seven solo) and a sack for the Buccaneers, who also received seven total stops (five solo) each from senior Mike Bois (Lakeville, MA) and junior Nick Mazurkiewicz (Attleboro, MA) as well as a pair of break-ups to go with his interception return for a touchdown by Ramos.
Sophomore Chris Hanson (Uxbridge, MA) led Worcester State defensively with seven solo stops in the setback, while Oratokhai added five solo tackles to go with his interception. Sophomore Bryan Narcisse (Medway, MA) collected a pair of sacks for the Lancers, who also received five solo stops from senior Cameron Jones (Stow, MA).
Massachusetts Maritime travels to Fitchburg, MA next Saturday afternoon to take on Fitchburg State in a New England Football Conference Bogan Division match-up that kicks off at 1:30 PM while Worcester State hosts Bridgewater State in a New England Football Conference Bogan Division clash next Saturday afternoon in Worcester, Mass. beginning at 4:30 PM.
Major Portions Of Release Courtesy of Mass Maritime Sports Information