Bucs receive overcomes cancer battle, then wins position battle

September 15, 2015

By Tom Haley, D3football.com (Around The Region - Northeast)

Cody Stahmer won what was probably the fiercest battle in the Massachusetts Maritime preseason camp.

That's pretty small stuff compared to winning the battle for his life. Stahmer was diagnosed with cancer.

"He left. He didn't tell anyone," Mass. Maritime coach Jeremy Cameron said.

"When he came back a couple of years ago after his treatments, he had lost an appreciable amount of weight," quarterback Brad Skeffington said. And his cardio ... "He couldn't run."

He was running in Friday night's opener. And Skeffington was throwing. Their connection helped lift the Bucs to a 48-13 victory over a SUNY-Maritime team that had opened impressively itself the previous week, beating Maine Maritime 30-0.

Skeffington threw five touchdown passes with no interceptions. He had 254 passing yards and also rushed for 77 yards.

"He was just lights out the best player on the field," Cameron said.

Skeffington began at Salve Regina as a freshman and played a few games at quarterback for them. Since, he has played about every place else for Mass. Maritime. The Bucs had a great four-year run with record-setting Mike Standton and after he left, Skeffington still did not win the job.

Now, he is back at quarterback for his senior season, the position he starred at in high school when he threw for more than 1,300 yards his senior season while passing for 18 tuochdowns and rushing for 15.

He worked hard in spring ball and over the summer to get reacquainted with his old position. He had to be in Boston at 8:00 a.m. for his internship so he got to Athletic Evolution, a fitness center, by 5:00 a.m. each morning to work out. He did plenty of film study and when he got back home from Boston he threw as much as possible.

Stahmer was his hot receiver in the opener with four catches for 80 yards and two touchdowns.

Not bad for someone who did not have the starting job until the final day of preseason practice.

"We didn't know who was going to be the starter until after Wednesday's practice," Cameron said. "We said whoever had the best practice that day would be the starter. He had the best practice he ever had."

They say that you play like you practice. Stahmer had a highlight-reel grab.

"It was an unbelievable catch," Cameron said.

The Bucs were not highly regarded in preseason polls, but Skeffington said he felt good about his team in camp.

"We had great chemistry. Everything just felt right from day one," he said.

"They played a great game," Cameron said. "The offense and defense both were outstanding. We had no turnovers and we capitalized on their turnovers."

"The offense and defense fed off each other," Skeffington said.