POSTGAME INTERVIEW WITH COACH DEWALL
BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott football team turned in a thrilling 27-21 (4OT) victory over Curry College in conference action on Saturday night at Hempstead Stadium.
Tied 21-21 in the fourth overtime session, Endicott junior wide receiver Jake Pelletier (Trumbull, Conn.) pushed the Gulls ahead 27-21 with a 14-yard touchdown catch in the right corner of the end zone. Freshman quarterback Michael Scherer (Middlefield, Conn.) lobbed a jump ball towards the pylon and Pelletier out leaped his defender to haul in the go-ahead score. The Gulls, who were forced to go for two points per overtime rules, were stopped at the goal line on a quarterback sneak.
Endicott then went on to stymie Curry on its next possession as the Colonels went four-and-out, only producing one play worth positive yardage. Senior cornerbackTyler Calitri (West Hartford, Conn.) highlighted the final stop by the defense with a pass breakup in the middle of the end zone on the final play of the game.
Curry held a 21-14 advantage in the early stages of the overtime session thanks to a two-yard TD run by Mike O'Hearn (Billerica, Mass.). Scherer answered for the Gulls on their next possession with a one-yard TD plunge to set the stage for the multiple overtime game.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Both teams were deadlocked at 14-14 at halftime as the two squads produced one touchdown apiece in the first and second quarters, respectively.
- Pelletier opened up the scoring at the 11:03 mark of the first with a 34-yard touchdown reception from sophomore quarterback Sam Ouellette (Rochester, N.H.). Ouellette and Pelletier have connected on four touchdowns this season.
- Pelletier leads the receivers group in touchdowns with six this season.
- Pelletier finished the day with a career-high 11 receptions/131 yards to go along with his two TD catches.
- Endicott junior wide receiver Chris Lipscomb (West Springfield, Mass.) gave the Gulls their second lead of the contest with a 12-yard TD grab at 2:22 of the second quarter.
- Lipscomb compiled four catches for 55 yards in addition to placing three of his four punts inside the 20-yard line.
- Ouellette threw for 191 yards (16 completions, 29 attempts, two interceptions) and two touchdowns.
- Sophomore fullback Lavante Wiggins (Dalton, Mass.) led the Gulls in rushing with 70 yards on 15 attempts.
- As a team, Endicott generated 353 yards of total offense (125 rushing, 228 passing).
- Endicott also went 8-for-18 on third down conversions, and won the time of possession matchup 42:20 to 32:40.
FOR THE FOES
- Jordan Shairs (Gloucester, Mass.) tied the game at 7-7 at the 8:45 mark of the first quarter with a four-yard touchdown run (drive: 5 plays, 49 yards, 2:07 elapsed).
- Shairs led all student-athletes with 138 yards rushing on 37 attempts (3.7 average).
- Dean Anderson (Melrose, Mass.) evened the score for the second of three times in the contest with 13-seconds remaining in the first half on an eight-yard TD reception from Riley Cote (Bedford, N.H.).
- Cote finished the game 12-for-23 passing with one touchdown, two interceptions, and 135 yards before giving way to O'Hearn at quarterback late in the matchup.
- As a team, Curry registered 312 yards of total offense (161 rushing, 151 passing).
- The Colonels went 6-for-21 on third down conversions, 3-for-5 on fourth down, and 3-for-7 in the red zone.
BE A POSITIVE INFLUENCE
- The Gulls blocked two field goals including one with 5:19 left in the fourth quarter with the game tied at 21-21, and another in overtime.
- Junior inside linebacker John Elnagger (Rowley, Mass.) was credited with the blocked field goal in the fourth quarter, while Connor McLaughlin (Canton, Mass.) had the block in overtime.
- Thomas Johnson (Pembroke, Mass.) paced all student-athletes in tackles with 13 total (five solo, eight assisted),
- Johnson, who also recorded two sacks (19 yards for loss), tied his career-high for tackles in the win.
- Allen Gibson (Seymour, Conn.) and John Fortes (North Reading, Mass.) tied for second on the team in tackles with eight apiece.
- Calitri finished the contest with two tackles (one solo, one assisted) and a career-high five pass breakups.
- Calitri's five pass breakups also tied the single-game program record, which he now shares with Bill Hickey and Orlando Johnson.
WHAT'S NEXT
Endicott (4-5, 4-2 NEFC) hosts Coast Guard next Saturday on Senior Day at Hempstead Stadium at 12 p.m. Curry (3-6, 2-4 NEFC) welcomes MIT to its campus next Saturday for a conference matchup at 1 p.m.