Buccaneers Lose Conference Match-up with Westfield in Offensive Battle

Buccaneers Lose Conference Match-up with Westfield in Offensive Battle

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass – Quarterback Ty Ebdon (Gales Ferry, Conn) had his best game of the season on Saturday afternoon, completing 16 of 27 pass attempts for 231 yards and three touchdowns, including a 62-yard pass and catch to wide receiver, Will Bennett (Sandwich, Mass). Unfortunately, the big offensive day for the Bucs was matched, and then some, by the Owls and at the end of the game, Westfield improved to 2-2 in the MASCAC with a 38-24 win over Maritime.

For Maritime, Ebdon threw for a career high 231 yards and three touchdowns. Bennett led all receivers for the second time this season with 103 yards on five catches, including the aforementioned 62-yard catch and run. Bennett added a spectacular, one-handed touchdown catch. Just a yard behind Bennett, leading receiver Paul Sances (Middleboro, Mass) racked up 102 yards and a touchdown on eight catches on the day. On the ground, Benjamin Sheehan (Wilbraham, Mass) led the Bucs with 49 yards on 19 carries. Defensively, defensive lineman, Kyle Johnston (Raynham, Mass) led Maritime with eight total tackled, including a sack and a tackle for loss. Johnston also forced a fumble that was recovered by Cobey Williamson (Easton, Mass). Williamson had two tackles and a pass breakup in the defensive backfield. On special team, kicker/punter George Lampros (Bridgewater, Mass) made his lone field goal, a 33 yarder while converting all three of his extra point attempts. Lampros also punted five times for 171 total yards, a 34.2 yard average. His longest punt went for 38 yards and he pinned the Owls inside their 20 yard line twice.

Westfield State were just as impressive offensively as they outgained the Buccaneers 400 to 311 in terms of total offensive yards. 203 of those 400 yards came out of the backfield as Travon Holder carried the ball 26 times for 203 yards and three scores. Holder also led the team in receiving yards with one catch for 23 yards. Quarterback Jake Cssidy only threw the ball 13 times in the game, completing five of the throws for 60 yards with a long of 23 yards, the completion to Holder. Cassidy did do some damage on the ground, rushing for 63 yards and a score. The 63 yards was still not good enough for second on the team in terms of rushing as RJ Darby ran for 74 yards on 14 carries. Defensively, Tyler Robbins led the Owls with nine total tackles, adding a sack, three tackles for lock and a fumble recovery. The Owls had four sacks in all, 11 tackles for loss and one interception.

Westfield jumped out to an early 21-0 lead over the Buccaneers, beginning the game with a 14 play, 79 yard drive that ate up seven and a half minutes of first quarter clock following a Maritime punt after a three and out. On Maritime's second drive, Ebdon had to leave the game after a second down play in which he lost his helmet on the field. In came back up Curtis Cann (Easton, Mass) who, on his first play from scrimmage, rolled out looking for Sances. Unfortunatley for Cann, Westfield's Zach Howard came out of nowhere to jump the route and make a one-handed interception of the freshman quarterback. The Owls took over at the Maritime 14 yard line and wasted no time getting in to the end zone as Holder scored his second touchdown of the first quarter. The teams traded possessions before Westfield took over with 26 seconds left on the first quarter clock after a Sheehan fumble, recovered by Tyler Robbins. Backup running back, Darby, carried the ball twice, for a total of 34 yards and a touchdown, which marked the end of the first quarter, 21-0, in favor of the Owls.

On the Buccaneers first drive of the second, Maritime took over at their 36 yard line and marched down field, capping the drive off with a six-yard, Ebdon to Sances, touchdown pass to cut the Owls lead to 21-7. The team's would once again, trade possessions, neither team able to do much on offense. That is until the Bucs took over with just over two minute remaining in the half. They began the drive at their own 20 then, Ebdn connected with Bennett for 62 yards to the Westfield 18 yard line. Unable to get in to the end zone, Coach Cameron called on Lampros to come in for the 33-yard field goal, which he nailed, to make the score 21-10, which ended up being the score at the half time break.

With an 11-point lead, Westfield began the second half with the ball and scored on their first possession of the half, driving 80 yards in just over four minutes. The drive was capped off by a Cassidy keeper for 20 yards in to the end zone to extend the Owl lead to 18 points, 28-10. Maritime would answer immediately on their next drive. Following a 34-yard kick return by Bennett, the Bucs drove 51 yards, scoring on an Ebdon to Bennet 26-yard pass, which was thrown to Bennett's back shoulder, forcing him to make a one handed catch over the back of the defensive back. With the score 28-17, the teams went back and forth, ending the third by the same score, Owls possessing the ball to begin the final period of play.

The Owls began a drive at their own 15 with a minute remaining in the third, to begin the fourth they drove down field, finishing off an 85-yard drive on a Holder score from 35 yards for his third touchdown of the afternoon. Once again, Maritime would take the ball down on the subsequent drive and answer Westfield with a score of their own as Ebdon threw his third touchdown pass of the day to sophomore Wyatt Schleicher (Peru, Mass) to bring the Westfield advantage back down to 11. The Owls would score on their next drive, this time just a three-pointer from 24 yards to complete the scoring for the game. Maritime attempted to drive down and make a comeback but were unable to do so and the Owls went home with a 38-24 conference victory at Clean Harbors Stadium.

Next up, the Buccaneers will host Western Connecticut State next Saturday, October 13th, at 1pm at Clean Harbors Stadium.