THROGGS NECK, N.Y. (Oct. 1, 2011) – The Maritime football team used a strong ground game, scoring eight rushing touchdowns on 431 yards to defeat visiting Castleton State, 56-14, Saturday afternoon at Reinhart Field in the Privateers' ECFC-opener. Maritime improves to 3-1 on the season (1-0 ECFC), while the Spartans fall to 1-3 (0-1 ECFC).
Sophomore Thomas Davis (Westbury, N.Y./Westbury) led the Privateers with three TDs on just 12 yards rushing. Senior Jamie Spanopoulos (Franklin Square, N.Y./H. Frank Carey) registered a game-high 102 rushing yards and a second-quarter touchdown. Sophomore quarterback Tyler Trodden (Putnam Valley, N.Y./JFK Catholic) was 5-for-9 on completions for 76 yards and threw one interception and ranked third on the team in rushing with 67 yards. Junior Joe Dickey (Middletown, N.J./Middletown North) took over in the second half in his first action since Week Two at WestConn and was 1-for-1 in passing for 24 yards, while picking up 40 yards on the ground.
Maritime also got a score from sophomore Gary Bigham (Jacksonville, Fla./The Bolles), as well as the first TDs of the careers for sophomore Frank Laino (Rockaway, N.Y./Fort Hamilton), freshman Nicholas Barillaro (Washingtonville, N.Y./Washingtonville) and junior Joe Guerra (Bronx, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac).
The Privateers scored on their first four drives of the game. Davis capped off an eight-play 53-yard drive with a two-yard run on Maritime's first drive, which came after causing the Spartans to fumble on the opening drive. Junior Keith Barnes (Westbury, N.Y./Westbury) forced the fumble at the Privateer 47-yard line and senior Steve Roman (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) jumped on top of it. Davis would also score the next Privateer touchdown after a Castleton 3-and-out on the exact same play that he scored the first TD, a sweep to the right side. The Privateers led 14-0 at the end of the opening quarter.
Two more Spartan 3-and-outs led to Maritime touchdowns in the second quarter, as Laino and Spanopoulos found the house on 14- and 1-yard runs, respectively. There was a fifth-straight 3-and-out for Castleton, which gave the Privateers the ball with 1:08 to go on the clock, but Trodden's pass from Castleton's 23-yard line was picked off and after one incomplete Castleton pass, the half ended with Maritime ahead 28-0.
Davis scored the first touchdown of the second half on an 8-yard run that capped off a 9-play, 81-yard drive for the Privateers. Castleton then ran a hurry-up offense on the ensuing drive, which worked in its favor, as junior quarterback Shane Brozowski hooked up with classmate Zack Waitkus for a 7-yard passing touchdown to get the Spartans on the board. Maritime would respond with a 4-yard TD run by Bigham on the next drive, but again Castleton was able to barrel its way upfield and would score shortly after on a 23-yard pass from Brozowski to sophomore Brandon Boyle. The third quarter ended with Maritime ahead, 42-14.
In the fourth, Barillaro, who took over at fullback scored on a 2-yard run, followed by Guerra later in the quarter on an 8-yard run. The Privateers would get the ball back for the final drive after a fumble by the Spartans, caused by senior Sean Wiggers (Norwood, N.J./Northern Valley Old Tappan) and recovered by junior Michael Lorentzen (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip), and would run the clock out for the victory.
On defense, the Privateers were led by Barnes, who tallied seven tackles, one for a loss of one yard and one forced fumble. Senior Jason Burry (Attica, N.Y./Attica) had two tackles, both for combined losses of 10 yards. Junior Ricky McClain (Wantagh, N.Y./Saint Anthony's) recorded the Privateers lone sack of the day for a loss of eight yards in the second quarter.
Senior Madison Leary (Tavares, Fla./Tavares) was a perfect 8-for-8 in PAT kicks, while also averaging 53.8 yards on nine kickoffs.
For the Spartans, Brozowski was 14-for-31 on completions for 129 yards and two scores. Boyle had 28 receiving yards, while Waitkus ended the day with 16 receiving yards. On defense, junior Josh Osborne led all players with 12 tackles, while freshman Todd Carr was right behind him with 11.
Up next, the Privateers will travel to Leicester, Mass., next Saturday, Oct. 8, to take on the Hawks of Becker College. Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Hawks' Alumni Field.