Home  Football Football - Bears Roll Past Westfield State 42-14
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Football - Bears Roll Past Westfield State 42-14 |
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 Sophomore Pat Bennett returned the second half kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown.
Coast Guard (2-1, 1-0) scored touchdowns on its first two possessions as senior quarterback Christian George (12 carries, 41 yards/9 of 14, 93 yards, 1 INT) capped a nine play, 43-yard drive with a one-yard run with 9:08 left in the first quarter and then following a punt, senior Lance Lynch (16 carries, 71 yards) scored on a three-yard run capping a eight play, 51-yard drive with 4:15 left in the opening quarter and senior David Lieberman added the extra point on both occasions as the Bears led 14-0.
The Bears pushed the lead to 21-0 as junior quarterback Niles Pierson (6 of 10, 68 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Sam England (six receptions, 80 yards) and following Lieberman’s PAT the Bears led 21-0 with 5:24 left in the first half.
The Coast Guard defense which had given up 69 points in the first two games, held the Owls scoreless in the first half. Late in the second quarter, Coast Guard junior Brian Yurovich had a big tackle for loss on 4th and 1 at the Coast Guard 25-yard line as he stuck running back Jason Proule for a four-yard loss giving the Bears the ball back with 3:20 left in the half.
Coast Guard fumbled the ball right back to the Owls at the Bear 43-yard line, but the Coast Guard defense came up big again as Westfield turned the ball over on downs following three straight incomplete passes with 2:05 left.
Coast Guard had 201 total yards at halftime while Westfield State had 162 yards at the break.
Bennett’s 84-yard kickoff return on the second half kickoff coupled with Prather’s 28-yard interception return for a touchdown on the first play of Westfield’s second possesion of the third quarter gave the Bears a 35-0 lead with 10:08 to go in the third quarter. It was the first career touchdown for both Bennett and Prather, who both start in the Bears’ secondary.
Westfield State (1-2, 0-1) would not go quietly as the Owls scored two touchdowns in less than three minutes as junior quarterback Dan Cohen (22 of 37, 195 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT) threw a pair of touchdown passes to sophomore David Benoit (7 receptions, 84 yards) from 35 and then two yards out cutting the lead to 35-14 with 4:34 left in the third quarter. The Owls drove 57 yards in just six plays for the first score and then junior linebacker Jay Fielding intercepted Pierson and returned it 38 yards to the Coast Guard 13-yard line to set up the second touchdown.
The Owls looked to pull to within 35-21 on the next possession, but sophomore cornerback Kevin Novick grabbed his first career interception in the endzone with 1:11 left in the third quarter.
Coast Guard closed the scoring on George’s second touchdown run of the game, a seven-yard dash with 8:15 left in the game.
The Bears had 350 yards of total offense, 201 on the ground while Westfield State finished with 296 total yards, 140 rushing. Senior wide receiver Scott McIntyre led the Owls with 11 catches for 85 yards.
Junior linebacker Brian Michka led Coast Guard with 13 tackles, eight solo, two for loss, one sack and a forced fumble while Bennett added nine tackles all solo. Bennett’s kick return for a touchdown was the first Coast Guard kickoff return for a touchdown since Justin Andrews 83-yard kick return vs. Mass. Maritime on Sept. 13, 2003.
Lieberman was a perfect six for six on extra point attempts and scored the 100th point of his career. He now has 102 career points.
Fielding led Westfield State with 10 tackles, seven solo to go with his interception. |
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