Football Upended by Bridgewater’s Hot Start

WORCESTER, Mass. – The visiting Bridgewater State football team scored four touchdowns in the opening quarter on their way to handing Worcester State a 49-13 defeat in Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) action on Saturday afternoon at John F. Coughlin Memorial Field.

The Lancers (1-4, 1-2 MASCAC) found the end zone twice in the final quarter, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Bears, who had scored 49 unanswered points as they improved to 4-0 in the MASCAC and 4-2 overall.

Sophomore quarterback Mike Loveless (Nashua, N.H.) rushed for one touchdown and found Ke'Vaughn Davis (Utica, N.Y.) for another. Loveless and senior QB Aaron-Moses Williams (Springfield, Mass.) each passed for 116 yards for Worcester State, while Davis caught 9 catches for 112 yards and the touchdown. It's the third game this season in which Davis has gone over 100 receiving yards.

The Bears scored four touchdowns in the opening quarter, two of them set up by turnovers forced by the Bridgewater defense.

Junior running back Adam Couch (Winchendon, Mass.) rushed 19 times for 190 yards and three touchdowns in the victory for Bridgewater, and he scored twice during that first quarter. Couch found the back of the end zone on back to back possessions, the second one after an interception at midfield by Bridgewater's Isaiah Bascon (Nahant, Mass.).

Bridgewater took a 7-0 lead with just three minutes gone on a 76 yard pass down the middle from James Cahoon (Buzzards Bay, Mass.) to Kyle Torres (Waltham, Mass.). Torres, who caught three passes for 109 yards, split the defense and outran the defensive backs to the end zone.

Bascon's interception set up the second score of the day for Couch, who ripped off a 38-yard rush before punching it in from five yards out to make it 21-0 with 5:11 to play in the quarter.

The Bears defense made it 28-0 when Brendan Albert (Canton, Mass.) pounced on the ball after a bad snap was fumbled by Worcester State. Albert returned it 26 yards for the score, with Thomas Fay (Raynham, Mass.) adding the fourth of his seven successful extra point tries.

Cahoon finished the game 9-16 passing for 192 yards and two scores, with the second TD pass, an 11 yard strike to tight end Jalen Kopecky (Pawtucket, R.I.) accounting for all the scoring in the second quarter.

Bridgewater State was incredibly efficient on the ground, rushing 38 times for 291 yards, an average of 7.6 yards per attempt. Adding to Couch's effort, Kion Gilzene-Tucker rushed 7 times for 62 yards.

Couch found the end zone in the third to cap a five-play, 79-yard drive that took just 2:05 to open the second half. Sophomore Greg Demetri (North Reading, Mass.) scored from two yards out in the fourth quarter to complete the scoring for the visitors.

Worcester's rushing attack was led by senior Amir Mells (Boston, Mass.), who carried 22 times for 79 yards, while Williams carried 13 times for 44 yards.

Deion Ose-Sarpong (Holden, Mass.) caught four passes for 40 yards, while Christian Hines (Worcester, Mass.) added two catches for 41 yards.

Albert, in addition to the fumble recovery for the touchdown, had 1.5 sacks, one pass breakup, and a team-high 13 tackles for Bridgewater State. Kodi Saotome (Warren, R.I.) had ten tackles, including one for a loss, while Nolan Arrascue (Yarmouthport, MA) had a huge sack for a loss of eight yards.

Noah Peterson (Millbury, Mass.) led the Worcester State defense with 8 tackles, and Nolan Smith (Attleboro, Mass.) had a key fumble recovery for the Lancers.

Worcester State heads to Mass. Maritime next weekend for a 12 pm game against the Buccaneers.

Bridgewater State returns home for their Homecoming Game against Westfield State, which is set for October 23^rd after a bye week.