Coast Guard Cruised to a 34-7 Win Over Football
Framingham, MA - Coast Guard, which has won 16 of its last 17 regular season games, completed its second straight unbeaten season in the New England Football Conference (NEFC) Bogan Division, as they jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter and cruised to a 34-7 win over Framingham State in a driving rain storm in the regular season finale for both teams.
It did not take the Bears long to get on the scoreboard as on the third play from scrimmage, sophomore Keenan Prather returned an interception 24 yards for a touchdown and following David Lieberman's extra point, the Bears led 7-0 with 13:47 left in the first quarter.
Lieberman kicked a 29-yard field goal on the Bears second possession of the game capping a 16 play, 45-yard drive as Coast Guard took a 10-0 lead with 7:39 left in the first quarter.
Senior Lance Lynch (10 carries, 84 yards) had a 35-yard touchdown run capping a six play, 59-yard drive with 1:19 left in the first quarter as the Bears led 17-0. Lynch also had the key play in that drive, a 22-yard reception from junior quarterback Niles Pierson (10 of 18, 88 yards) on 3rd-and-15.
In the first quarter dominated by the Bears, the Coast Guard defense held the Rams to just one yard of total offense and no first downs while the Bears had 106 total yards in the quarter, 64 on the ground.
On the Bears first possession of the second quarter, Pierson capped an 11 play 49-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run extending the lead to 24-0 with 11:10 left in the first half.
Framingham State (2-7, 1-6) fumbled the ensuing kickoff and junior Scott Rupnow recovered at the 26. Lieberman made his school record tying 23rd career and season record tying 12th field goal, a 39-yarder, making it 27-0 with 9:56 remaining in the half.
The Rams got on the scoreboard in the closing minute of the first half as senior quarterback Eian Bain (8 of 20, 49 yards) threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to senior Luke Guarino (35 carries, 148 yards) on 4th-and-goal with 27 seconds left in the half. Senior Ashley Baker added the extra point making the score 27-7. Framingham State picked up its first two first downs of the first half during that drive which was setup by a bad snap on a Coast Guard punt giving the Rams the ball at the Bear 37-yard line.
Coast Guard (8-1, 7-0) had 147 yards of total offense, 78 rushing yards in the first half while holding Framingham State to 42 total yards, 27 rushing in the first 30 minutes. The Bears finished with 244 yards in the game, 156 rushing while the Rams had 214 total yards in the game, 142 rushing.
Framingham State looked to get back in the game late in the third quarter when the Rams drove 51 yards down to the Coast Guard 4-yard line, but the Bears defense came up big and got the ball back on downs after a 4th-and-goal pass was incomplete.
Coast Guard closed the scoring as junior Rob Woods capped an eight play, 56-yard drive with a 20 yard touchdown run, the first of his career, with 7:13 left in the game.
The Bears, who have won 14 straight NEFC Bogan Division games, are now 16-2 (.888) in the regular season over the past two years, which is the best two-year mark in the 84 year history of Coast Guard football. The 1996 and 1997 teams posted a 17-3 (.850) record during the regular season.
Bogan Division champion Coast Guard will play four-time defending NEFC champion and Boyd Division champion Curry next Saturday at noon in the NEFC Championship Game with the winner earning an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Playoffs. Curry beat Coast Guard 34-28 in the NEFC Championship game last season.
Story courtesy of Jason Southard, Coast Guard Academy Sports Information Director