MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME FOOTBALL

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Alumni Field, Westfield, Mass.

FINAL:              WESTFIELD STATE 41, MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 34

WESTFIELD, Mass. --  Freshman Travon Holder (Hartford, Conn.) scored three second half touchdowns, including the game-winner from 37 yards out with 2:06 remaining, to lead Westfield State to a 41-34 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference football victory over Massachusetts Maritime Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field.

The host Owls (2-4, 1-3 MASCAC) overcame a 20-10 halftime deficit with a pair of touchdowns in the opening 4:56 of the second half, as senior Ryan Sweeney’s (Pocasset, Mass.) nine-yard scamper pulled Westfield State to within three before Holder’s 19-yard run just over three minutes later staked the Owls to a 24-20 advantage.  The visiting Buccaneers (2-4, 1-3 MASCAC) regained a 27-24 edge on the ensuing possession, as a 72-yard kickoff return by junior Jonathan Furtado (Swansea, Mass.) helped set up senior quarterback Brad Skeffington’s (Salem, Mass.) second scoring run of the contest from four yards out with 7:54 remaining in the third stanza, but sophomore Tiere Simpson (Baltimore, Md.) evened matters at 27 on Westfield State’s ensuing possession with his second field goal of the contest from 27 yards out.  After the hosts forced a turnover on downs at their own 15-yard line early in the final frame, Holder’s two-yard plunge that was set-up on an 83-yard pass from senior quarterback Erik Washburn (Lisbon, Conn.) to fellow senior Colin Smith (Groton, Conn.) gave the Owls a 34-27 lead with 13:15 remaining.

Massachusetts Maritime responded with a 12-play, 81-yard drive to knot the score for the final time on the day at 34 on sophomore Kenny Pierce’s (Beverly, Mass.) second touchdown of the contest from 23 yards out with 8:10 to play, and the Buccaneers had a chance to take the lead with just over three minutes to go that was thwarted when Westfield State sophomore John Ollari (Millers Falls, Mass.) intercepted a pass at the visitors’ 48 and returned it 11 yards to set up Holder’s deciding score.  Skeffington drove Massachusetts Maritime down to the Owl 7-yard line in the closing seconds of action, but an 11-yard sack by freshman Marcos Diaz (Fitchburg, Mass.) on third down set up a long fourth down conversion pass attempt that was knocked away to seal the hosts’ triumph.

Pierce’s two-yard plunge capped a game-opening 17-play, 72 yard drive that gave the Buccaneers an early 6-0 lead, but Washburn responded with a one-yard scoring run of his own to give Westfield State a 7-6 advantage.  Skeffington then connected with junior Shane Haggerty (Cohasset, Mass.) on a 34-yard touchdown pass on the ensuing possession to stake Massachusetts Maritime to a 13-7 edge, and after Simpson’s 32-yard field goal three seconds into the second quarter enabled the Owls to close back to within three, Skeffington directed the visitors on another long scoring drive of 15 plays and 79 yards that he capped with a two-yard plunge and a 20-10 Buccaneer advantage at the break, setting up the hosts’ second half comeback.

Washburn completed 14-of-23 passing attempts for 223 yards in the win for Westfield State, which received a combined 154 rushing yards from Holder and junior Bryan Waruhiu (Dracut, Mass.) as part of 403 yards of total offense for the Owls.  Skeffington amassed 300 yards of total offense in the setback for Massachusetts Maritime, including a career-high 148 rushing yards on 36 carries to go with 152 more yards through the air on 16-of-32 passing attempts.  Pierce cracked the 100-yard plateau for the third time this season with 122 rushing yards on 22 carries for the Buccaneers, who also received seven receptions for 75 yards from Haggerty as part of 474 yards of total offense on 102 plays from scrimmage.

Senior Drew Brigner (Preston, Conn.) registered 20 total tackles (seven solo) to pace Westfield State defensively, while Ollari made 18 total stops (10 solo) go to with his interception for the Owls.  Junior Marshall McCarthy (Duxbury, Mass.) recorded nine total tackles (five solo) and a sack for Massachusetts Maritime, which also received six stops and a fumble recovery from sophomore Bobby Gross (Tampa, Fla.).

Massachusetts Maritime hosts UMass Dartmouth in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference outing next Saturday afternoon at Clean Harbors Stadium that kicks off at Noon, while Westfield State heads to Bridgewater, Mass. next Saturday afternoon to take on Bridgewater State in a MASCAC clash that kicks off at 4:00 p.m.