/seasons/2013/contrib/20131116zr7t18

Mariners Start Strong but Fall to Curry

More news about: Maine Maritime

CASTINE, Maine -- Maine Maritime opened up with a 22-7 lead in the second quarter, before Curry scored five unanswered touchowns to spark a 54-38 win in a New England Football Conference game Saturday. The Colonels finished the season at 4-3 NEFC, 4-5 overall and the Mariners ended the 2013 campaign at 1-6, 1-8.

Maine Maritime honored seniors Gavin Cote, Drew Daveluy, Chase Hutchinson, Abe Kilborn, Ryan O'Neal, Paul Stambach, Shane Sullivan, Frank True and Billy Wetherbee, all of whom played in their final collegiate game.

Wetherbee finished the day with a game-high 206 yards on 30 carries with a touchdown for the Mariners. The senior surpassed Matt Rende '12 for seventh on the school's all-time career rushing yards list. Wetherbee finished his career with 2,634 yards.

Joshua Doolan turned in 126 yards and Michael Fahey added 74 for Maine Maritime.

Curry quarterback Kevin Fruwirth was 21 of 33 for 328 yards and six touchdowns. He completed passed to five different receivers led bu Jordan Shairs eight grabs for 96 yards. Jake Cawlina caught six passes for 71 yards and Tyran Harrigan had 112 yards on three catches.

Maine Maritime scored on the third play of the game when Doolan raced 61 yards to give the Mariners a 6-0 lead. Curry answered on the ensuing drive by marching 59 yards, in seven plays, and took a 7-6 lead when Fruwirth found Anthony Nastasi on a 10-yard scoring pass.

The Mariners regained the lead when Fahey hit paydirt on a 25-yard run with 6:08 left in the first quarter. Wetherbee punched in the two-point run to put Maine Maritime ahead 14-7. 

Fahey's three-yard run early in the second quarter put the Mariners ahead 22-7. The three-play, 39-yard drive, followed a Thomas Kinton fumble recovery for Maine Maritime.

Curry answered with a 5-play, 55-yard, drive that was capped by Fruwirth's 26-yard pass to Shairs. The score put the Colonels within a score, 22-14, with 9:53 left before halftime.

The Mariners tried to answer on the ensuing possession by marching 83 yards to the Curry one. On third-and-goal, Fahey lost control of the ball while trying to dive over the line and the Colonels fell on it in the endzone.  One play later, Fruwirth found Harrigan for an 80-yard touchdown to get within one, 22-21, with 5:11 left before halftime.

Curry went into the break ahead, 28-22, after a 12-yard Shairs run with 1:36 left in the second.

Fruwirth found Harrigan for 20 yards and Shairs for 15 on a pair of touchdown passes to open the second half. Following Shairs' grab, the PAT was blocked by Michael Burgess and Hutchinson scooped up the ball and raced 90 yards to make it 40-24.

Trae Weathers hit paydirt on a 14-yard run and Fruwirth found Phil Bigelow on a three-yard pass to give Curry a 54-24 lead with 9:20 left in the game.

Maine Maritime scored on the ensuing drive when Wetherbee broke lose for a 69-yard scoring run. The Mariners recovered the ensuing onside kick and O'Neal scored on a 12-yard run for the game's final touchdown.

True paced the Mariners defense with a game-high 12 tackles, including 1.5 for a loss. Jonathan Ware and Jonathan Fader each recorded six tackles for Maine Maritime and Kinton, Hutchinson and Andy Martel each picked off Fruwith.

Jeff Jaffey paced the Colonels defense with 11 tackles, including two tackles for loses. Kevin Janvier picked up two sacks and Sam Calley registered one. Kyle McKay had two interceptions for Curry.

Dec. 15: All times Eastern
Final
Cortland 38, at North Central (Ill.) 37
@ Salem, Virginia
Video Box Score Recap Photos
Dec. 9: All times Eastern
Final
North Central (Ill.) 34, at Wartburg 27
Box Score Recap
Final
Cortland 49, at Randolph-Macon 14
Box Score Recap Recap Recap Photos
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