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Game #3 Preview - Bears Open Bogan Play on Homecoming |
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 Jarrod Owens has thrown three touchdowns and ran for another in the first two games of the season.
SEPT. 24TH, CADET MEMORIAL FIELD, 1:30 P.M.
HOMECOMING WEEKEND
ON THE AIR: The live telecast can be found at www.ustream.tv/channel/coast-guard-sports.
THE SERIES: Coast Guard leads 11-2.
LAST YEAR: Junior Matt White rushed for a career-high 132 yards, while classmate Nathan Sherr added 86 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead Massachusetts Maritime to a 23-16 victory over Coast Guard.
The win enabled the Buccaneers to snap an eight-game win streak in the all-time series between the two schools.
Sherr’s 11 yard touchdown run just 4:08 into the contest was set up on an interception by freshman Stefan Gustafson that gave the Buccaneers possession at the Bear 22-yard line, but Coast Guard came back to grab a 7-6 lead with just over five minutes to play in the opening stanza with its first offensive touchdown of the season, a one-yard plunge by senior quarterback Jesse Karr that was set-up by a 61-yard punt return by sophomore Eric Gerken.
The visitors forced another punt and took over at their own 14 yard line with 3:11 remaining the first quarter when senior Peter Avitabile recovered a Karr fumble in the end zone to give Massachusetts Maritime the lead for good at 12-7, and Sherr’s second scoring scamper of the half of nine yards, coupled with a two-point conversion pass from freshman quarterback Mike Stanton to sophomore Barry Reopell, extended the Buc edge to 20-7 at the break.
Coast Guard used a 40-yard field goal by junior Jacob Shackleford with just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter to close to 20-10, and the Bears crept to within four at 20-16 just 2:28 into the final stanza when sophomore quarterback Jon Resch hooked up with senior Matt Tolliver on an 11-yard touchdown pass.
Freshman Brandon Rodrigues extended Massachusetts Maritime’s lead to seven with a career-high 33 yard field goal that came with 5:28 remaining in the contest, and the Buccaneers took over on downs with 2:49 to play after the Bears had advanced to the hosts’ 36-yard line to run out the clock and ice the triumph.
White and Sherr combined for 54 carries and 218 of Massachusetts Maritime’s 291 rushing yards on the afternoon, as the Buccaneers held a 327-264 edge in total offense for the day.
Karr completed 13-for-25 passes for 95 yards to go with his rushing touchdown in the setback for Coast Guard, while Resch completed 8-of-14 attempts for 86 yards and a score in relief for the Bears.
Sophomore Pat Meggers had five receptions for the visitors, who threw for 211 yards on the afternoon but committed four turnovers, all in the first half, that resulted in 20 Buccaneer points.
Shackleford, making his first career start as the punter, booted an 80-yard third quarter punt, just one yard shy of the school record.
LAST WEEK: Sophomore Phil Bigelow carried 21 times for 158 yards and two touchdowns while senior quarterback Anthony Carnevale came off the bench and threw three touchdown passes leading Curry to a 44-21 win over Coast Guard in a non-divisional game between the two New England Football Conference (NEFC) schools.
Coast Guard junior wide receiver Eric Gerken set a single-game school record with 15 receptions in the loss. The old record was 12 held by three players, most recently Rob Bixler vs. Plymouth State in 2002. Gerken finished with a career-high 149 receiving yards in the game.
Mass. Maritime improved to 2-0 as sophomore quarterback Mike Stanton threw for 192 yards and connected with junior wide receiver Jonathan Emond for three touchdowns to lead Massachusetts Maritime to a 51-13 home win over MIT.
Sophomore Stefan Gustafson started the host Buccaneers’ Homecoming contest with a flourish, as he returned the opening kickoff 79 yards for a touchdown just 11 seconds into the game for a 7-0 lead and the Bucs cruised to the win.
GERKEN BREAKS RECORD IN HOME OPENER: Junior wide receiver Eric Gerken had a single-game school record 15 receptions for a career-high 149 yards on Saturday. He broke the record of 12 held by John Rendon (vs. Wesleyan, 1986), Tom Walling (vs. Norwich, 1998) and Rob Bixler (vs. Plymouth State, 2002). For his performance he was named to the NEFC Weekly Honor Roll.
COAST GUARD PICKED 7TH IN BOGAN DIVISION IN NEFC PRE-SEASON POLL: Coast Guard which finished 2-7 overall and 1-6 in the New England Football Conference (NEFC) Bogan Division last season was picked to finish seventh of the eight teams in the pre-season Coaches’ Poll. The Bears received 24 points ahead of only Fitchburg State which had a total of ten points.
Defending New England Football Conference champion Endicott College is the choice of the NEFC coaches to defend its title as the team has been selected by nine of the 16 conference coaches to claim the 2011 crown.
Endicott earned the top spot in the Boyd Division being projected as the top team in the division by six of the eight coaches in the division. The Bogan Division coaches are looking at a rematch of the 2010 championship game as Maine Maritime Academy was a runaway choice for the top spot on the Bogan side. Five of the eight Bogan Division mentors selected the Mariners first in the poll.
Framingham State and Bridgewater State were locked in a tight race for second in the Bogan Division being separated by a single point, while Western New England is selected as runner-up in the Boyd.
Curry, projected as the fourth place finisher in the Boyd Division, none the less received the second most votes as the potential conference champion with three. Framingham and Worcester State also each received a nod as a potential conference champion.
NEFC BOGAN DIVISION PRE-SEASON POLL
1-Maine Maritime (58)
2-Framingham State (47)
3-Bridgewater State (46)
4-Mass. Maritime (37)
5-Westfield State (35)
6-Worcester State (31)
7-Coast Guard (24)
8-Fitchburg State (10)
A LOOK BACK ON THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST NCAA PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: In 1996, the Coast Guard Bears won the Freedom Football Conference (FFC) and made the program’s first appearance in the NCAA playoffs. The team started 1-2, but won seven straight games to end the regular season and win the FFC and earn the NCAA berth where the Bears lost 17-16 to heavily favored East Region power, College of New Jersey. Each week, we will look back at a game or games in that magical season.
In week three of that season, Springfield jumped out to a 17-0 lead and held on for a 34-24 home win over Coast Guard. The Pride rushed for 395 yards. James Jones got the Bears on the board with a one-yard run with 50 seconds left in the half. Springfield regained the momentum when Ivan Latimore returned the second half kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown and a 24-7 lead. Coast Guard dropped to 1-2 on the season.
SCOUTING COAST GUARD: The Bears look to get their first win of the season as NEFC Bogan Division play begins on Homecoming Weekend.
Coast Guard has struggled on defense in the first two weeks of the season allowing the most total yards per game (535.5), the most rushing yards per game (278) and the most passing yards per game (257.5). The Bears have allowed 39.5 points per game on the year with a 35-28 loss to Merchant Marine and a 44-21 loss to Curry open the season.
Junior strong safety Dante Adams leads the team with 16 tackles, 11 solo while junior linebacker Curt Barrett is second with 14 tackles while leading team with 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Junior Drew Russo has the only interception for Coast Guard this season.
The Bears offense is averaging 24.5 points and 312 yards per game. The Coast Guard passing attack is fourth in the NEFC with 209.5 yards per game while the Bears have rushed for 102.5 yards per game.
Senior quarterback Jarrod Owens has played well in each of the first two games. He is 27 of 43 for 266 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions while junior Jon Resch has also been solid coming off the bench in each game completing 13 of 22 passes for 153 yards. Owens is also second on the team with 23 carries for 67 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore Tyler Hames leads the Bears on the ground with 25 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown. Hames is also seventh in the NEFC in kickoff returns with a 17.0 average (six returns for 102 yards).
Junior Eric Gerken, who set the single-game school record with 15 receptions last week, leads the NEFC with 11 receptions and 117 receiving yards per game. He has 22 catches for 234 yards and two touchdowns. He is also a very dangerous special teams weapon for the Bears as he leads the team and is third in the NEFC with a 19.6 yard average on punt returns (4 for 77 yards).
SCOUTING MASS. MARITIME: The Buccaneers have won three straight, dating back to a win in the regular season finale last season, for the first time since 2000 which is also the last time they opened the season with back-to-back wins.
The Bucs are averaging 35 points per game, third best in the NEFC while totaling 311 yards per game, one less than Coast guard. Mass. Maritime is very balanced averaging 157 rushing yards and 154 passing yards per game.
Sophomore quarterback Mike Stanton is 23 of 41 for 293 yards with three touchdowns and a pair of interceptions on the year. His favorite target is junior wide receiver Jonathan Edmond, who has eight receptions for 143 yards and all three receiving touchdowns. Sophomore wide receiver Keith Caruso has six catches for 61 yards on the season.
The Bucs ground game is led by senior running back Matt White. He has carried 45 times for 213 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Sophomore Stefan Gustafson has made a splash on special teams in each of the first two games this season. He returned a kickoff 79 yards for a touchdown last week after returning a punt 54 yards for a touchdown, for the winning score, in the season opener.
The Mass. Maritime defense is allowing just 13.5 points per game, third best in the NEFC. The Bucs are allowing 281.5 yards per game, 172 passing and just 109.5 rushing, also third best in the conference.
Senior linebacker Mike Bois leads the team with 17 tackles, 13 solo while senior linebacker Walter Butler is second on the team with 14 tackles and a team-high 5.5 for loss.
Mass. Maritime has seven interceptions in the first two games of the season with junior free safety Evan Sheridan and senior defensive lineman James Hutchinson leading the way with two picks each.
NEXT WEEK: Coast Guard travels to Fitchburg State on Saturday, Oct. 1st with kickoff set for 1:30.
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