Football Snaps Three Game Slide with 19-17 Win At Mass. Maritime
BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. -- Sophomore Shawn Miller's (Tyngsboro, Mass.) 10-yard touchdown run with just over 10 minutes remaining lifted Framingham State to a 19-17 New England Football Conference Bogan Division victory over Massachusetts Maritime Saturday afternoon at Commander Ellis Field.
Miller capped a seven-play, 84-yard drive with his decisive scamper that enabled the visiting Rams (4-5, 2-4 NEFC Bogan) to come back from a pair of deficits on the day. Junior Alex Butler (Bourne, Mass.) gave the host Buccaneers (0-9, 0-6 NEFC Bogan) a 7-0 advantage with an eight-yard touchdown run that capped an opening 12-play, 83-yard drive for the hosts, but junior David Leach (Chelmsford, Mass.) evened matters for Framingham State in the closing seconds of the first stanza when he hauled in a seven-yard scoring strike from senior quarterback Bruce Rich (Chelmsford, Mass.). Freshman Matt White's (Westwood, Mass.) four-yard touchdown run just 2:52 into the second quarter staked Massachusetts Maritime to a 14-7 edge at the break, but Leach visited the end zone for the second time on a 13-yard run just 59 seconds after intermission to pull the Rams to within one, as the extra point was blocked. Sophomore Jake Bickley (Wilbraham, Mass.) extended the Buccaneer lead to four (17-13) with a 27-yard field goal late in the third quarter, setting up Miller' deciding score. The hosts advanced to their own 44-yard line in the final minutes but turned the ball over on downs with 1:58 remaining.
Rich completed 20-of-30 passes for 170 yards and his score to Leach, who in rushing for 37 yards today became the first 1,000 yard rusher in the 36 year history of Framingham State football. Junior Anthony Kewley (Rutland, Mass.) added 77 receiving yards as part of 203 all-purpose yards on the day for the Rams, who were paced defensively by sophomore Adam Emery's (Dorchester, Mass.) eight total tackles.
Alex Butler rushed for a career-high 217 yards on 31 carries to go with his touchdown in the setback for Massachusetts Maritime, as he amassed 229 all-purpose yards on the day overall. Junior Jim Erlwein (Livingston Manor, N.Y.) recorded a game-high 13 total tackles (11 solo) for the Buccaneers, who also received 11 tackles (eight solo) from freshman Walter Butler (Bourne, Mass.) and a pair of pass break-ups by junior Mike Dangoia (Bridgewater, Mass.). Framingham State held a two-yard edge (293-291) in total offense on the afternoon, as all but nine of the Bucs' yards came on the ground.
Massachusetts Maritime closes out the 2008 season next Saturday afternoon by heading to Bridgewater, Mass. to take on Bridgewater State in the 35th Annual Cranberry Bowl game at Swenson Field that kicks off at Noon, while Framingham State closes out its 2008 campaign by heading to New London, Conn. to take on Coast Guard in a NEFC Bogan Division match-up that kicks off at 1:00 p.m.
Story courtesy of Massachusetts Maritime Sports Information Office.