Wareham's Bennett chasing down receiving record at Mass. Maritime

October 2, 2014

By Brendan Kurie, South Coast Today

In 2009, at the end of E.J. Bennett's senior season at Wareham, coach Dan Nault was asked to sum him up as a football player: "He's elusive. He's probably one of the fastest kids we have. His explosiveness is mind-boggling. People are always trying to catch him."

In 2014, with Bennett on the brink of breaking Massachusetts Maritime Academy's career receiving record, coach Jeremy Cameron answered the same question: "He's extremely agile and elusive. You can throw him a screen pass or a little bubble pass and he can make big plays out of nothing."

Some things never change. But a lot more do.

In 2009, Bennett was a defensive back and running back for the Vikings, totaling 1,000 yards — 700 on the ground — 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. For the second straight year, he had been named to The Standard-Times defensive Super Team.

Mass Maritime was recruiting Bennett, but it wasn't until Cameron saw him play basketball for the Vikings that he realized there was unserved potential on the offensive side of the ball.

"He wasn't necessarily making plays at receiver (in high school)," Cameron said. "But you knew he was a special athlete. Then we saw him play basketball."

There's a saying that the rest is history, and it applies here. Bennett, now a senior, enters Saturday's game against Fitchburg State just 60 receiving yards shy of Keith Caruso's career mark of 2,041, set just a year ago. With Bennett averaging just over 84 yards a game — he had 81 last week in a 48-24 loss to Worcester State — he's just a game or two away from editing the record book.

"So far it's been working out great," Bennett said of his decision to become a Buccaneer and his freshman-year switch to wide receiver. "I had no idea I'd be in the position I'm in now, which is awesome. Not many people can say they've set records."

Bennett was hoping to reach the mark last Saturday on Homecoming against Worcester State, when Caruso, who was Bennett's teammate and friend the past three years, was at the game. But the moment wasn't meant to be.

"I was thinking it would be nice to break the record while he was there," Bennett said. "I'm almost at a loss of words. It's great to be considered with Keith. I look up to Keith as an awesome athlete and someone to look up to on the field."

"It's pretty remarkable that this place has been around for a long time and those guys are going to each break the record and they played together for three years," Cameron said.

If, or more likely, when, Bennett breaks Caruso's mark, it will be just his latest entry in the school's annals. Bennett already owns Buccaneers' records for receptions in a season (60), receiving yards in a season (849), receptions in a game (17) and receiving yards in a game (274).

"He's gotten better every year that he's been here," Cameron said. "He really works at route running, reading defenses, things of that nature. He learns from mistakes that he makes. He's highly, highly competitive. He works as hard in practice as he does in games."

Beyond the record books, Bennett does hope to get Mass. Maritime back in the win column when the 1-2 Buccaneers face 3-1 Fitchburg State on Saturday at Elliot Field in Fitchburg.

"I just want to have a winning season," he said. "So far it's been rough. We've beat ourselves. I wouldn't say any team is better than us."

Individually, Bennett — who off the field gives his coach gray hairs with his thrill-seeking ways, like dirt biking or riding up to practice on a motorcycle — dreams of being named an All-American.

"We have seven games left and we expect big things from him," Cameron said. "I'm certain he'll be in position again to get some postseason accolades. Then it will be finishing up his degree."

Bennett spent two years in the Facilities Engineering program, and is now finishing two years in the Marine Safety Environmental Protection program for his bachelor of science. He hopes to find a career in environmental engineering, and can imagine himself working on a ship or on land at a power plant.

"He's just a great kid and we're really, really fortunate to work with him," Cameron said. "I know he'll be successful."