MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME FOOTBALL

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Clean Harbors Stadium, Buzzards Bay, Mass.

FINAL:              COAST GUARD 29, MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 22

                                                                        1          2          3          4                      Total

Coast Guard (2-2, 2-0 NEFC)                           0          14         7          8          -             29

Massachusetts Maritime (2-3, 1-1 NEFC)         0          10         6          6          -             22

SCORING SUMMARY

CGA:    Pat Meggers 35 yd pass from Jesse Karr (Jacob Shackleford kick)            7:02 2^nd

MMA:   Jonathan Emond 58 yd pass from Matt Spinazzola (Jake Bickley kick)       6:46 2^nd

CGA:    Casey Paris 15 yd pass from Karr (Shackleford kick)                                2:10 2^nd

MMA:   Bickley 28 yd FG                                                                                        0:00 2^nd

CGA:    Sam England 63 yd pass from Karr (Shackleford kick)                              7:08 3^rd

MMA:   Deonte Fielder 12 yd run (pass failed)                                                      2:48 3^rd

MMA:   Emond 19 yd pass from Spinazzola (rush failed)                                       14:36 4^th

CGA:    Meggers 7 yd run (Steve Arguelles rush)                                                  6:14 4^th

Attendance:       933

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. --  Freshman Pat Meggers' (Manchester, Conn.) seven-yard touchdown run with 6:14 remaining lifted Coast Guard to a 29-22 New England Football Conference Bogan Division victory over Massachusetts Maritime Saturday afternoon at Clean Harbors Stadium.

Meggers' second visit to the end zone came after the game was halted for 35 minutes by a lightning delay and the visiting Bears (2-2, 2-0 NEFC Bogan) trailing 22-21 with 13:36 remaining, as the host Buccaneers (2-3, 1-1 NEFC Bogan) had rallied from a 21-10 third quarter deficit to take the one-point lead on the strength of a 12-yard touchdown run by freshman Deonte Fielder (Haines City, Fla.) late in the stanza and the second scoring connection of the day from freshman quarterback Matt Spinazzola (Melbourne, Fla.) to fellow freshman Jonathan Emond (Green Harbor, Mass.) from 19 yards out in the early stages of the fourth frame.  Massachusetts Maritime had recovered a Coast Guard fumble at its own 26-yard line when the lightning delay stuck, and the hosts weren't able to capitalize on a pair of possessions, setting up Meggers' second career touchdown and a key two-point conversion rush by senior Steve Arguelles (Yuma, Ariz.) for the deciding points.

Meggers had given the Bears a 7-0 edge with 7:02 remaining in the first half when he hauled in a 35-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Jesse Karr (Milan, Mich.), but the Buccaneers answered back on the ensuing play when Spinazzola and Emond hooked up on a 58-yard touchdown to even matters at 7-7.  Karr connected with freshman Casey Paris (Point, Tex.) for his second scoring strike of the day on a 15-yard reception to give Coast Guard a 14-7 advantage, but junior Jake Bickley's (Wilbraham, Mass.) 28-yard field goal as time expired sliced Massachusetts Maritime's deficit to 14-10 at the break.  The Buccaneers drove to the Bear 5-yard line to start the third quarter but turned the ball over on downs, and Karr found senior Sam England (Grand Prairie, Tex.) on a 63-yard touchdown pass midway through the frame to extend the visitors' lead to 21-10, setting up the hosts' comeback and Meggers' late heroics.  Massachusetts Maritime had one last chance to even matters in the final 1:01 of play, but junior Chris Costello's (Weymouth, Mass.) interception on the Bear 45 sealed the Coast Guard triumph.

Karr completed 10-of-24 passes for 168 yards to go with his career-hjgh three touchdown passes in the win for Coast Guard (its 11^th in 12 all-time series meetings between the two schools), as England hauled in six receptions for 102 yards and Arguelles rushed for 71 yards on 17 carries while freshman Eric Gerkin (Tampa, Fla.) set up a pair of Bear scores with 126 all-purpose yards on the day, including 71 yards on punt returns alone.  Spinazzola finished the day completing 10-of-17 passes for 171 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the setback for Massachusetts Maritime, as Emond hauled in a career-high nine receptions for 152 yards and the two scores.  Fielder rushed for 81 yards on 19 carries to go with his touchdown for the Buccaneers, who received a combined 123 rushing yards from quarterbacks Spinazzola and fellow freshman Tyler Mansfield (Falmouth, Mass.).

Senior Ryan Milligan (Shamong, N.J.) and junior Ben Barrett (Bremen, Ga.) each recorded 11 solo stops and 12 total tackles in the win for Coast Guard, which also received 10 total tackles (nine solo) and a sack from senior Doug Piper (Baltimore, Md.).  Senior Jim Erlwein (Livingston Manor, N.Y.) paced Massachusetts Maritime defensively with 11 total tackles (seven solo), while junior Peter Avitiabile (Bourne, Mass.) added seven tackles, including six solo stops.  Sophomore Richard Thomson (Yarmouthport, Mass.) set up Emond's go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter when he blocked a punt at the Bear 17-yard line, while senior Howard Hayes (Westport, Conn.) added four tackles and a pair of pass break-ups for the Buccaneers.

Massachusetts Maritime travels to Westfield, Mass. next Friday evening for a New England Football Conference Bogan Division match-up with Westfield State that kicks off at 7:00 p.m., while Coast Guard hosts Fitchburg State in a New England Football Conference Bogan Division clash next Saturday afternoon in New London, Conn. that begins at 1:30 p.m.