Football Stuns MMA 34-32
courtesy MMA sports information
Castine, Maine- Maine Maritime Academy rushed for 413 yards and never punted in the game but still fell short as the Becker College Hawks beat the Mariners at Ritchie Field 34-32. The game featured 791 total yards of offense but it was the Becker defense that held MMA to 12 second-half points and converted four MMA turnovers into 14 points of their own.
Junior running back Jim Bower (South Paris, ME) led the Mariner attack rushing for a career high 232 yards on 37 carries and scored three touchdowns. Sophomore Todd Murphy (Middlesex, VT) carried the ball six times for 91 yards and a score while freshman Nick Bourassa (Jay, ME) had five carries for 39 yards and a touchdown. Junior linebacker Travis Fergola (Mexico, ME) had 12 tackles for the Mariner defense while freshman linebacker Joel Chadbourne (Westbrook, ME) collected 10 tackles. Senior defensive tackle Cody Andrews (Holden, ME) and freshman linebacker Chris Brawn (Winslow, ME) each had seven tackles and a sack.
Becker was led offensively by quarterback Gabriel Prophet (Washington, DC) who threw for 156 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for another 19 yards and a score. Paul Casimir (Worcester, MA) rushed for 74 yards on 21 carries and scored a touchdown, while Jacques Faublas (Canton, MA) collected four catches for 74 yards and a touchdown.
Maine Maritime scored first in the game when Jim Bower broke off his longest play from scrimmage on the day, a 48 yards touchdown run along the right sideline to give MMA the 6-0 lead with only four minutes gone in the first quarter. Bower missed his first of two extra point attempts on the afternoon and MMA held a 6-0 advantage. The Hawks answered later in the quarter marching 60 yards on 10 plays and converting a third and goal when Gabriel Prophet found Sam Leahy (Warwick, RI) on a quick slant in the back of the end zone. Becker missed the extra point and the score was tied a 6-6. MMA scored again on their next possession when Todd Murphy ran a reverse 16-yards for the score and the 12-6 lead. Once again the two point conversion failed and MMA settled for just the six points.
Both teams exchanged scores in the second quarter when Jim Bower scampered in from three yards out and then Becker countered with a Gabriel Prophet TD run of his own from 19-yards out. The Mariners went into the half with a 20-13 lead.
MMA opened up the second half with a 35 yard Jim Murphy run but quarterback Tyler Angell (Leeds, ME) fumbled on the very next play and Becker linebacker Julian Turner (Boston, MA) recovered the ball. The Becker offense responded with a methodical 12-play, 79-yard drive and capped it off with a Jimmy Chery (Malden, MA) run that tied the game up at 20-20. MMA responded with a nine-play drive of their own and recaptured the lead on Bower's third score of the day. The Bower extra point was missed and MMA clung to 26-20 lead.
Becker took the ensuing kickoff 41 yards and immediately threatened to put another score on the board. The Hawks went 35 yards on nine plays and took their first lead of the day when Jacques Faubles ran a 2-yard slant and caught a perfect strike from Prophet to give Becker the 27-26 lead. Becker scored again after a 64-yard interception return from Raheim Bass (Hollywood, FL) put the Hawks at the MMA 40-yard line. Four plays later the Hawks increased their lead to 34-26 on a Paul Casimir touchdown run.
MMA got the ball back with 3:33 left on the clock and marched 80 yards, scoring with just 51 seconds remaining in the contest. The Nick Bourassa touchdown run got the Mariners within two points but the two-point conversion that would have tied the game was stopped by the Becker defense and the Mariners afternoon came to an end.
MMA outgained Becker 459 to 332 but the Mariners had four costly turnovers (2 fumbles and 2 interceptions) on the day while Becker was virtually mistake free. MMA linebacker Travis Fergola had 12 tackles on the day while Joel Chadbourne added 10 of his own. Sophomore linebacker Wade Mondoux (Berwick, ME) had nine tackles with one for a loss and senior Cody Andrews (Holden, ME) had seven tackles and a sack in the loss.
The Becker defense was led by defensive back Jake Bateman (New Bedford, MA) who had 13 tackles while Tino Lopes (Stoughton, MA) and Vincent Rucker (Fort Lauderdale, FL) had eight tackles apiece. James Nelson (Dorchester, MA) and Raheim Bass each had an interception while Lopes and Julian Turner each recovered a fumble.
MMA (0-2) will be back in action when they travel to Western New England College on Saturday September 20that 1pm. Becker (2-0) will be back on the gridiron when they travel to WPI on the 20that 1pm.
