Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
WESTFIELD, Mass. – Kemani Jones (Milton/Milton, Mass.) rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns to lead Worcester State to a 35-22 win over Westfield State in MASCAC football at Alumni Field on Saturday afternoon,
Worcester jumped out to a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter.
Westfield chipped away at the lead to get back into the game.
First the Owls converted a safety when Marcus Pettigrew (Auburn/auburn, Mass.) and Jonathan Lytle (Sheehan/Wallingford, Conn.) combined to stop Worcester's Stephen Payen (East Ridge/Clermont, Fla.) in the end zone with 6:54 left in the second quarter. The Owls cut the lead to 14-9 with 1:32 left in the half on a 15-yard touchdown toss from Steve Guercio (Gardner/Gardner. Mass.) to Bobby Boire (Milbury/Milbury, Mass.) on a diving catch in the left corner of the end zone.
Westfield took the lead, 15-14 on the first drive of the second half with Owls tailback Mike Mercadante (Minnechaug/Wilbraham, Mass.) busting a 54-yard up the right side for a touchdown, but the Owls two-point try was foiled, by a illegal procedure penalty, then failed on a second try from the eight yard line.
The Lancers seixed the lead for good after being given a short field when Mike Goulden (Dighton-Rehoboth/Rehoboth, Mass.) intercepted Guercio deep in Owls territory and returned it to the 18 yard line. Several plays later, quarterback Pat Viencek (Pioneer/Bernardston, Mass.) found Jack Sprague (Hudson/Maynard, Mass.) on a crossing pattern in the front of the end zone for the touchdown and 22-15 lead after a successful two-point try.
Jones took over on the Lancers next possession, rolling 28 yards for a touchdown and evading five or six would-be Owls tacklers en route to the end zone. The kick attempt failed after a fumbled snap for a 28-15 lead.
Jones capped the scoring oin the fourth quarter with a 14-yard run on a draw play to give the Lancers a 35-15 lead.
Westfield managed a late score, with Mercadante plunging in from a yard out to give the final 35-22 score.
Jones won the battle of the two leading rushers in the league; he finished with 163 yards to Mercadante's 160.
Viencek finished with 20-35 passing for 212 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Jones was also the lancers leading receiver with six catches for 63 yards.
Guercio completed 22 of 41 passes for 246 yards and one TD and three interceptions. Boire finished with a career-best 151 yards receiving on 13 catches.
Linebacker Sean Hanley (Wilmington/Wilmington, Mass.) led Worcester with 14 tackles and three sacks. The Lancers combined for six sacks on the day.
Senior linebacker Troy Cutter (Lunenberg/Lunenberg, Mass.) led the Owls with 10 tackles.
Worcester improves to 7-2 overall and 5-2 in the MASCAC. Westfield falls to 5-4 overall and 4-3 in the league.