FRANKLIN, Mass. – On Saturday the Maritime football team registered its eighth win of the season as the Privateers picked up a 17-14 win over the Dean Bulldogs on Dale Lippert Field.
With the win, the Privateers tie their second highest win total in a regular season as the 2011 Maritime squad finished the regular season with an 8-2 mark.
Overall the team had 310 yards of total offense, while the defense held Dean to just 181 yards on offense and also held the Bulldog offense to just one conversion on third and fourth downs as Dean was 1-for-15 in third or fourth down situations.
Sophomore Liam Bailey (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) led the defensive unit with 11 tackles on the day, while also recording the team's lone interception on defense in the fourth quarter. Senior Wesley Joseph(Brooklyn, N.Y./Midwood) had a key play with an 18-yard strip-sack, as he also had four total tackles. Juniors Steven Fehr (Patterson, N.Y./Carmel) and Payton Campbell (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Knolls) also had sacks on the game, while Fehr and classmate Matthew Mavrovich (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Mt. Sinai) each had fumble recoveries.
Senior Chris Olberding (Dix Hills, N.Y./Walt Whitman) led the offense with 138 yards on 28 carries, while junior quarterback Thomas Wright (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh) had the team's lone rushing touchdown while totaling 19 yards on 10 carries. Wright also completed eight passes for 94 yards while connecting on a passing touchdown to senior Matt Ward (Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Sachem North) with time expiring in the first half.
The only scoring in the second half came off of the left foot of senior Matthew Murphy (Seaford, N.Y./Seaford), who broke the 14-14 tie with the go-ahead field goal from 20 yards in the third quarter. Murphy was also 2-for-2 on extra point chances, while averaging 36 yards on his four punts and averaging 63 yards on his three kickoffs.
Senior Nick Conte (Franklin Square, N.Y./Carey) had two kickoff returns for 27 yards, while junior Brandonn Drumgole (Mt. Sinai, N.Y./Mt. Sinai) added one return for 43 yards on the afternoon.
Maritime fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter as the Bulldogs got on the board with a 60-yard touchdown reception, and returned the ensuing Maritime punt 73 yards for their second touchdown of the opening period.
Following the second Dean touchdown, Maritime got the ball back on the kickoff that was returned 43 yards by Drumgole and woke the Privateers after falling behind early.
Olberding and senior Devin Kenny (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) began carrying the ball against the Dean defense as play eventually moved into the second quarter. Wright was able to trim the lead in half as he dashed into the end zone for one yard after an eight-play 43-yard drive to make the score 14-7.
Dean got the ball back following Maritime's touchdown, and got the ball to the Maritime one yard line looking to increase its lead. However the Bulldogs botched the ball, allowing Mavrovich to scoop up the loose ball and give possession back to the Privateers.
Maritime was unable to convert on its next possession, while Dean followed with a punt to give the Privateers the ball again.
The Privateers got the ball back with 1:39 left in the opening half needing to go 75 yards to tie the game. On third down Wright found junior wide receiver Andrew Geni (Bronx, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) for a 29-yard connection to get the ball into Bulldog territory. With time expiring in the half Wright found Ward on a 25-yard touchdown reception as Maritime evened the game at 14 heading into halftime.
Dean's first possession of the second half was a punt, and their second possession resulted in a fumble recovery by Fehr to give the ball back to Maritime deep in Dean territory.
Maritime was unable to convert on three rushing attempts and sent our Murphy, who kicked what proved to be the game-winning 20-yard field goal with 7:53 left in the third quarter.
The Privateers got the ball back with 2:19 left in the third quarter and put together one of their longest drives of the season with 19 plays and 76 yards as Maritime took nine minutes off of the clock. The biggest play of the drive came on fourth down as Wright converted to extend the series, before it stalled out on fourth and goal on the Dean seven-yard line.
Bailey short-circuited the next Dean possession with an interception at the Dean 26 to give Maritime possession once again. The stout Bulldog defense held Maritime from breaking the goal line again as Maritime turned the ball over on downs for the second straight possession inside the Dean 10-yard line.
Dean got the ball back with 2:58 to go in the game and picked up two first downs but were unable to get out of their own end of the field as three of its passes were incomplete while a fourth passing attempt was broken up by junior Karl Riek (Sweetwater, N.J./Cedar Creek).
The Privateers kneeled on the ball twice with 1:15 to go in the game as Maritime held on for the 17-14 win.
Maritime (8-1, 5-1 ECFC) will return home for its final game of the 2017 regular season, when the team hosts Gallaudet for a 1 p.m. start on Reinhart Field.
Dean (3-6, 1-5 ECFC) will head on the road for its final game of 2017 as the Bulldogs will visit Anna Maria for a 12 p.m. start in Paxton, Mass.
Football Holds on for 17-14 Victory over Dean
/seasons/2017/boxscores/20171104_rt8n.xml
2017
SUNY-Maritime
17
Dean
14
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUNY-Maritime (8-1) | 0 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| Dean (3-6) | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
Nov 04, 2017