Buccaneers ready for Chowder Bowl opener

September 11, 2015

By John Garner Jr., Cape Cod Times

BUZZARDS BAY – After winning three of its final four games last season, the Massachusetts Maritime Academy football team hopes to continue its success when it hosts SUNY Maritime in the 8th annual Chowder Bowl Friday in a 6 p.m. kickoff at Clean Harbors Stadium on the Buzzards Bay campus.

The Bucs are coming off a 4-6 campaign in 2014, including including a 31-21 Cranberry Bowl finale win at Bridgewater State. MMA returns 11 starters and 51 lettermen in ‘15.

“We graduated a good group of seniors, but hope to continue momentum from the end of last season, “said MMA coach Jeremy Cameron.

Last season, MMA dropped a heart-breaking 31-30 contest at Throgs Neck, New York, and is 1-7 against SUNY Maritime dating back to 2007. The Privateers are coming off an impressive 30-0 win over Maine Maritime last Saturday.

The Bucs will be led this season by senior captains Brad Skeffington, David Yerxa, Grady McCarthy and Ash Ergle.

The versatile Skeffington, who played on both sides of the ball last season, gets the starting nod at quarterback after backing up John Trudel last season. Sophomore Chris Haggerty will back up Skeffington.

Joining Skeffington in the backfield will be Kenny Pierce, who rushed for a team-leading 534 yards (7.0 yards per rush) and four touchdowns in 2014. Big 215-pound Richie Phillips will be the short-yardage back.

The receiving corps is led by Shane Haggerty, who had 14 receptions last season. Other top wide-outs include Jonathan Furtado, Kevin Healy, Aidan Desrosiers and Wareham product Cody Stahmer.

Anchoring the Bucs’ offensive line are 6-3, 250-pound Andrew Bochman and 5-9, 239-pound fireplug Jeff Wallace, along with 6-3, 225-pound Adam Banks, 6-2, 245-pound Matt Basler, 6-0, 280-pound Ethan Rooney and 6-3, 265-pound Joe McCauley.

Perhaps the key to the defense is a veteran line led by the senior trio of Bourne native Jack Schmitt, Brendan Smith and Nicholas Mann. Smith had a team-leading 4½ sacks and 6½ tackles for losses in 2014.

The hard-hitting Ergle (20 tackles in ’14) leads a solid linebacker corps and is joined by Yerxa, who makes the full-time switch from offensive backfield to defense. They’re joined in the middle by Bobby Gross and one of the key backups is former Barnstable standout Henry O’Shaughnessy of Cotuit.

Mike Williams is the top returning tackler in the secondary after making 39 stops last season. He’ll be joined by McCarthy and Liam Corkery, Reed Waldenmaier and Matthew Anson.

Handling place-kicking duties will be Ryan Quinn, who booted two field goals and 22 extra points last fall. McCarthy averaged over 34 yards per punt in 2014, while Williams, Shane Haggerty, Alexander Ruddy and Waldenmaier will share kickoff and punt returns.

After Friday’s home opener, MMA will play four of its next five games on the road, including an Admiral’s Cup contest at Maine Maritime on Sept. 19.