United States Coast Guard Academy - Department of Athletics - Football - Bears Win 6th Straight; Beat Worcester 17-10

NEW LONDON, CONN.--(10/21/06)--Junior quarterback Christian George carried 20 times for 172 yards and both Coast Guard touchdowns leading the Bears to their sixth straight win, a 17-10 victory over Worcester State in a New England Football Conference (NEFC) Bogan Division game. Coast Guard, which scored on its first three possessions, improves to 6-1 overall and 5-0 and alone atop the NEFC’s Bogan Division. The Bears can clinch the NEFC Bogan Division Championship with a win at Maine Maritime next week.

Coast Guard (6-1, 5-0) took the opening kickoff and capped a long 16-play, 80 yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run by George and following David Lieberman’s extra point, the Bears led 7-0 with 8:03 left in the opening quarter.

Worcester State’s first drive ended on an interception by freshman Keenan Prather at the Coast Guard 39-yard line. Coast Guard would go 38 yards in 12 plays before Lieberman kicked a 28-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead with 14:12 left in the first half.

Following a Worcester State punt, Coast Guard marched 77 yard in just seven plays with George scoring on a 25-yard run on third and five for a 17-0 lead with 7:57 left in the first half.

Worcester State (3-5, 2-3) was forced to punt again and the Bears looked to put the game away as they drove to the Lancer 5-yard line, but junior linebacker Tim Bartucca intercepted a George pass in the endzone with 1:40 left in the first half.

Coast Guard dominated the first 30 minutes rolling up 260 yards of total offense, 190 on the ground while holding Worcester State to 76 yards of total offense and just five rushing yards. George carried 15 times for 131 yards and threw for 70 yards in the first half.

Worcester State punted on its first possession of the third quarter and the Bears drove to the Lancer 25-yard line, but Bartucca again intercepted George to keep the Lancers in the game.

This time, Worcester State went 78 yards in just nine plays with sophomore quarterback Pat Good (18 of 37, 201 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT) throwing an 11-yard touchdown to senior wide receiver Matt DeRosa (7 catches, 95 yards) to cut the lead to 17-7 with 5:38 left in the the third quarter.

Following an exchange of punts, the Bears were forced to punt again for just the second time all game and the Lancers took over at their 45-yard line with 14:44 to go in the fourth quarter.

The Lancers were driving and the momentum seemed to swing toward Worcester State, but on a 1st and 10 from the Coast Guard 17-yard line, senior Jonathan Godfroy (12 carries, 67 yards) got to the 10-yard line and fumbled as senior Cosimo Cambi forced the fumble and sophomore Brian Field recovered for Coast Guard, taking the momentum back.

George (9 of 19, 88 yards, 3 INT) had to leave the game with an injury and sophomore Niles Pierson (2 for 2, 11 yards) took over at quarterback for Coast Guard.

The Worcester State defense stepped up and forced a Coast Guard punt, but on the Lancers second play following the punt, Coast Guard free safety Steve Arguelles, a freshman, intercepted his Division III leading, eighth pass of the season giving the ball back to Coast Guard.

The Bears were forced to punt again, but again the defense came up big as senior Russ Newkirk came up with Coast Guard’s third interception of the game with just 3:55 left.

Following another Coast Guard punt, Worcester State went 39 yards and Tom Gabriel kicked a 35-yard field goal with 18 seconds left.

The onsides kick was recovered by Coast Guard’s Jack Gill to seal the win for the Bears.

Junior Lance Lynch carried a game-high 21 times for 81 yards for Coast Guard.

Freshman Sam England (45 yards) and junior Erik Wyrick (32 yards) each had four receptions for Coast Guard.