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Game # 8 Preview - Bears Face Tough Test at Maine Maritime |
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 This reception by Cale Cooper was the difference in the Bears win over Worcester State last week (photo by Paul Duddy)
NOV. 1ST, CASTINE, MAINE, NOON
ON THE AIR: There is no broadcast this week due to facility issues at Maine Maritime.
THE SERIES: Coast Guard leads 4-1.
LAST YEAR: Senior running back Lance Lynch went over the 2,000 yard rushing mark for his career, completed a huge 55-yard pass on a halfback option in the fourth quarter, and scored the game winning touchdown, an 11-yard run with 5:40 left in the fourth quarter as Coast Guard overcame a 17-point first half deficit, a ten-point deficit in the fourth quarter, to beat Maine Maritime 38-34 and win its second straight New England Football Conference (NEFC) Bogan Division championship.
Junior linebacker Brian Field intercepted Maine Maritime quarterback Tyler Angell (6 of 16, 106 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT/19 carries, 74 yards, 2 TD) with 1:03 left to preserve the win. Field had a career-high 16 tackles to go with a fumble recovery and the interception.
Senior quarterback Christian George (8 of 19, 78 yards, 2 INT) had a career-high four rushing touchdowns as he carried 22 times for 107 yards including a one-yard run which pulled the Bears to within three at 34-31 with 9:02 left in the game.
Coast Guard (7-1, 6-0) won its sixth straight this season, its ninth straight regular season home game while winning its 13th consecutive NEFC Bogan Division game, having never lost a division game since joining the league last season.
Maine Maritime dominated play in the first half holding Coast Guard to 111 total yards, 59 rushing while totaling 225 themselves, 140 on the ground. Senior running back Brandon Goodrich (34 carries, 131 yards) had 21 carries for 95 yards in the first half as the Mariners led 20-10.
Maine Maritime outgained Coast Guard 381-316. The Mariners had 71 rushes for 275 yards while Coast Guard rushed 46 times for 167 yards.
LAST WEEK: Maine Maritime had 582 yards of total offense, 503 of those on the ground as the Mariners beat Framingham State 51-0 to remain in a three-way tie for for first place in the NEFC Bogan Division.
Senior quarterback Niles Pierson threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to junior Cale Cooper with 5:30 left as Coast Guard scored 17 unanswered points in the second half to erase a 14-0 halftime deficit and beat Worcester State 17-14.
ANOTHER CLOSE CALL GOES TO THE BEARS: Since joining the New England Football Conference, the Bears have had more than their share of close calls. In fact, eight of their 17 wins in Bogan Division play have been decided by four points or less and the Bears have won all eight of those contests. Coast Guard won three games in Bogan Division play by four points or less in both the 2006 and 2007 season and now have a pair of three point wins this season.
SPEAKING OF CLOSE CALLS: Coast Guard has beaten Maine Maritime in close games in each of the last two seasons. The Bears won 3-0 at Maine Maritime in a rainstorm in 2006 and then had the come-from-behind 38-34 win in New London last season.
LOOKING TO LEAVE THEIR MARK: With two games left in the season, the Bogan Division championship is out of reach, but there is still plenty for this team to play for. The Bears have won 19 games over the past three seasons and only twice in Coast Guard football history has a team registered 20 wins or more in three seasons. The Bears won 21 games from 1995-1997 and the team won 20 games from 1987-1989.
AND MORE TO PLAY FOR: The Bears are trying to become just the third team in Coast Guard history to register three straight winning seasons. The Bears had three straight winning seasons from 1951-1953 and also from 1987-1989.
THEY WERE THE BEST IN BACK-TO-BACK SEASONS: Coast Guard was 16-2 the last two seasons during the regular season for an .888 winning percentage which is the best in the 84 year history of football at the Academy. The prior best two-year regular season record was posted in 1996 and 1997 when the Bears were 17-3 for an .850 winning percentage.
SCOUTING COAST GUARD: The Bears look to play spoiler this week and end Maine Maritime’s NEFC Bogan Division championship hopes and get back to .500 on the season.
Coast Guard is second to last in the NEFC in scoring offense (16.1) while averaging 294.4 yards of total offense, 119.6 passing and 174.9 rushing.
Junior running back Steve Arguelles returned last week after missing two games with an injury and rushed for a career-high 139 yards on 22 carries. He leads the team with 468 yards on 82 carries for a 5.7 yard average with two touchdowns.
Senior quarterback Niles Pierson is second on the team with 396 yards on 97 carries with a team-high six rushing touchdowns. Pierson is 79 of 148 for 668 yards with two touchdowns and seven interceptions while freshman Jarrod Owens is 20 of 46 for 169 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.
Junior wide receiver Sam England leads the team with 37 receptions for 357 yards and a touchdown while sophomore Matt Tolliver is second on the team with 19 receptions for 133 yards.
The Bears defense which is allowing 25 points and 366.1 yards per game (185 rushing, 181.1 passing) was outstanding in the second half in the win over Worcester State as they did not allow the Lancers to score while holding them to 117 second half yards.
Coast Guard will be without sophomore linebacker Kyle Ennis, who leads the team and is second in the NEFC with 10.4 tackles per game. Ennis was injured in the win over Worcester and will not play this week. He leads the team with 73 tackles, 52 solo and six for loss.
Senior linebacker Brian Yurovich, who had a huge game on Saturday with nine tackles and three sacks, is second with 66 tackles, 43 solo, and team-high’s 7.5 for loss and 4.5 sacks to go with his two interceptions. Junior cornerback Pat Bennett, who had a pair of interceptions in the win on Saturday, leads the team with five interceptions, which is second in the NEFC. Bennett is also a very dangerous kick returner, as he is second the NEFC with a 22.7 yard average on 15 returns.
Freshman kicker Jacob Shackleford is a perfect 5-for-5 on field goals this season, the only kicker in the NEFC, with more than two attempts, who has not missed. He has also punted 42 times for a 32.9 yard average. The Bears punt coverage has been solid all season, allowing just 89 yards on 15 returns, just 5.9 yards per return.
SCOUTING MAINE MARITIME: The Mariners, who have won five of their last six games, are in a three-way tie for first place with Bridgewater State and Fitchburg State in the NEFC Bogan Division, but they control their own destiny. If they win their final two games they will win the division and host the NEFC Championship Game on Nov. 15th.
Maine Maritime, which has lost three games by a total of six points, leads the NEFC with 36.9 points and 365.9 rushing yards per game with its potent triple-option attack.
Junior fullback Jim Bower leads the Mariners on the ground with 206 carries, 1,293 yards and 20 touchdowns, he has more touchdowns than the entire Coast Guard team (14).
Sophomore quarterback Tyler Angell is second on the team with 124 carries, 611 yards and six touchdowns.
Maine Maritime has run the ball 88 percent of the time this season. The Mariners have run 526 plays this season and passed just 63 times.
Angell is 20 of 61 for 531 yards with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. Junior wide receiver Alex Coulombe leads the team with 10 receptions for 326 yards and four touchdowns.
The Mariner defense is allowing 26.1 points and 344.9 yards per game, 163.4 rushing and 181.5 passing yards per game.
Sophomore linebacker Wade Mondoux leads the team with 72 tackles, 39 solo to go with 5.5 tackles for loss and a team-high three interceptions.
The Mariners weakness this season has been in the kicking game as the team has missed 17 extra points, they had three blocked in a 32-31 loss at Worcester State on Oct. 11th. Maine Maritime has yet to attempt a field goal all season.
NEXT WEEK: Coast Guard plays its final game of the season as the Bears host Framingham State on Saturday, Nov. 8th with kickoff set for 1 p.m. |
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