MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME FOOTBALL

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Elliot Field, Fitchburg, Mass.

FINAL:              MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 57, FITCHBURG STATE 37

                                                                        1          2          3          4                      Total

Massachusetts Maritime (3-5, 2-3 NEFC)             21         23         7          6          -             57

Fitchburg State (4-4, 2-3 NEFC)                          7          20         10         0          -             37

SCORING SUMMARY

MMA:   Jonathan Emond 32 yd pass from Matt Spinazzola (Jake Bickley kick)       10:51 1^st

FIT:       Carlos De La Rosa 50 yd pass from Jordan Cannava (Evan Georgopoulos kick)            9:31 1^st

MMA:   Deonte Fielder 3 yd run (Bickley kick)                                                      4:13 1^st

MMA:   Alex Butler 25 yd blocked punt return (Bickley kick)                                2:48 1^st

MMA:   Tyler Mansfield 3 yd run (Bickley kick)                                                     10:50 2^nd

FIT:       Cannava 1 yd run (kick blocked)                                                           8:35 2^nd

MMA:   Jim Erlwein PAT return                                                                             8:35 2^nd

FIT:       Jeremy Kimber 39 yd pass from Cannava (Georgopoulos kick)             8:06 2^nd

MMA:   Douglas Dyke 54 yd run (Bickley kick)                                                     5:49 2^nd

FIT:       De La Rosa 50 yd pass from Cannava (Georgopoulos kick)                  3:33 2^nd

MMA:   Emond 22 yd pass from Spinazzola (Bickley kick)                                    0:38 2^nd

FIT:       Derrick Jean 2 yd run (Georgopoulos kick)                                             10:05 3^rd

FIT:       Georgopoulos 28 yd FG                                                                          2:36 3^rd

MMA:   Evan Sheridan 85 yd kickoff return (Bickley kick)                                      2:25 3^rd

MMA:   Emond 31 yd pass from Spinazzola (kick blocked)                                   3:56 4^th

Attendance:       545

FITCHBURG, Mass. --  Freshman quarterback Matt Spinazzola (Melbourne, Fla.) completed 14-of-18 passes for 193 yards and three touchdowns as Massachusetts Maritime fell a yard shy of amassing 500 yards of total offense while adding scores on a blocked punt return, a blocked point after attempt and a kickoff return in posting a 57-37 New England Football Conference Bogan Division victory over Fitchburg State Saturday afternoon at Elliot Field.

The visiting Buccaneers (3-5, 2-3 NEFC Bogan) set a school record for most points scored in a game in eclipsing the previous mark of 50 set ironically against the host Falcons (4-4, 2-3 NEFC Bogan) on October 14, 1995 as well as new marks for points in the first quarter (21) and in a half (44 in the opening 30 minutes of action).  The 94 total points scored by the two squads also made it the highest combined scoring contest in Massachusetts Maritime history.

Freshman Jonathan Emond (Green Harbor, Mass.), who hauled in 10 of Spinazzola's passes for a career-high 178 yards, caught the first of his three touchdown hook-ups less than five minutes into the contest on a 32-yarder, but Fitchburg State evened matters on the ensuing possession when junior quarterback Jordan Cannava (Woburn, Mass.) connected with fellow junior Carlos De La Rosa (Holyoke, Mass.) on a 50-yard touchdown pass to tie the score at 7-7.  Freshman Deonte Fielder (Haines City, Fla.) gave the Buccaneers the lead for good with 4:13 remaining in the opening stanza by capping a 12-play, 60 yard drive with a three yard scoring scamper (his fourth of the season), and the visitors extended that margin to 21-7 on the ensuing possession when senior Alex Butler (Bourne, Mass.) blocked a punt and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown, his first career defensive score.

Massachusetts Maritime's advantage grew to 28-7 on the first possession of the second quarter when freshman Tyler Mansfield (Falmouth, Mass.) capped a 12-play, 64 yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run (his second career score), but after Fitchburg State answered back on a one-yard run by Cannava with 8:35 to play in the half, freshman Kevin Griffin (Worcester, Mass.) blocked the ensuing PAT attempt which was recovered by senior Jim Erlwein (Livingston Manor, N.Y.), who returned it for a two-point defensive extra point and a 30-13 Buccaneer lead.  Cannava answered back just 29 seconds later when he connected with sophomore Jeremy Kimber (Fitchburg, Mass.) on a 39-yard touchdown pass for a 30-20 Bucs' edge, but the big plays continued on the visitors' next possession when junior Douglas Dyke (Plainville, Mass.) scored his fifth touchdown on the fall on a 54-yard run with 5:49 remaining before intermission.  Cannava again responded for the Falcons by connecting with De La Rosa on the duo's second 50-yard scoring bomb of the half, but Emond hauled in his second touchdown of the day from Spinazzola on a 22-yard reception with 38 seconds remaining in the half to cap a 43-point combined scoring quarter between the two teams and a 44-27 Massachusetts Maritime lead at the break.

Fitchburg State crept to within a touchdown at 44-37 on the strength on 10 unanswered points over the first 12:24 of play in the third quarter on a two-yard run by sophomore Derrick Jean (South Easton, Mass.) and a 28-yard field goal by senior Evan Georgopoulos (Melrose, Mass.), but the Buccaneers registered their final return score of the day following that kick when freshman Evan Sheridan (Chelmsford, Mass.) brought the ensuing kickoff back 85 yards for his first collegiate touchdown on the fourth longest kickoff return in school history.  Spinazzola and Emond accounted for their third touchdown of the day to close out the scoring for the visitors on a 31-yard pass with 3:56 remaining in the contest, as seven of Spinazzola's 11 touchdown passes this season have been hauled in by Emond.

Massachusetts Maritime finished the day with 499 yards of total offense (the fifth highest single-game total in school history) and a school-record 30 first downs, as Dyke rushed for a career-best 127 yards on 19 carries to go with his score and sophomore Matt White (Westwood, Mass.) added a career-high 124 yards on the ground.  Cannava completed 18-of-32 passes for 275 yards to go with his three touchdowns in the setback for Fitchburg State, as Jean rushed for 96 yards on 21 carries and a score while senior Devon Jennings (Boston, Mass.) hauled in eight receptions for 68 yards as part of 380 yards of total offense for the Falcons.

Sophomore Mike Bois (Lakeville, Mass.) registered nine total tackles (seven solo) in the triumph for the Buccaneers, who also received nine total stops (six solo) and a fumble recovery from senior Ryan Howley (New Fairfield, Conn.).  Junior Anthony Bizzotto (Leominster, Mass.) collected 18 total tackles (10 solo) while forcing and recovering a fumble for Fitchburg State, which also received 11 total stops from sophomore Will Gasson (Mansfield, Mass.).  The victory snapped a Massachusetts Maritime seven-game winless skein in the series with the Falcons that dated back eight years, as the last Buccaneer triumph in the series came on September 29, 2001 (26-20).

Massachusetts Maritime travels to Framingham, Mass. next Saturday afternoon to take on Framingham State in a New England Football Conference Bogan Division match-up at Maple Street Field that kicks off at 1:00 p.m., while Fitchburg State travels to Westfield, Mass. next Saturday afternoon to take on Westfield State in a New England Football Conference Bogan Division clash that kicks off at Noon.

BUCS BLOG:  Massachusetts Maritime's 30 first downs eclipsed the previous high water mark of 29 set back on September 13^th in a 49-27 win over MIT...Emond's 10 receptions mark the third highest single-game total in Buccaneer history...Howley registered his conference leading 14^th tackle for a loss in the triumph...The win was Massachusetts Maritime's first on the road since a 30-13 triumph at Framingham State on October 27, 2007.