MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME FOOTBALL
Fifth Annual Chowder Bowl
Friday, September 7, 2012
Reinhart Field, Throggs Neck, N.Y.
FINAL: SUNY-MARITIME 20, MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 14
1 2 3 4 Total
Massachusetts Maritime (0-1) 7 7 0 0 - 14
SUNY-Maritime (1-0) 7 0 0 13 - 20
SCORING SUMMARY
SNY: Gary Bigham 6 yd run (Diogo Dietrich kick) 8:50 1st
MAM: Barry Reopell 3 yd run (Brandon Rodrigues kick) 6:41 1st
MAM: Brad Skeffington 6 yd run (Rodrigues kick) 13:35 2nd
SNY: Bigham 1 yd run (Dietrich kick) 11:10 4th
SNY: Erik Heedles 19 yd pass from Tyler Trodden (kick blocked) 0:20 4th
Attendance: 2,000
THROGGS NECK, N.Y. -- Senior Erik Heedles (Staten Island, N.Y.) hauled in a 19-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Tyler Trodden (Putnam Valley, N.Y.) with 20 seconds remaining as SUNY-Maritime rallied from a seven-point fourth quarter deficit to notch a 20-14 non-league college football victory over Massachusetts Maritime in the Fifth Annual Chowder Bowl Friday evening at Reinhart Field.
After junior Gary Bigham's (Jacksonville, Fla.) one-yard scoring plunge just 3:50 into the final frame enabled the host Privateers (1-0) to even matters at 14-14, the visiting Buccaneers (0-1) embarked on a 21-play, 64-yard drive that consumed nearly nine minutes off the clock. Massachusetts Maritime drove to the SUNY_Maritime one-yard line with just over two minutes remaining, but Privateer sophomore Duke Alvora (Harrison, N.Y.) forced a fumble on Buccaneer sophomore quarterback Brad Skeffington's (Salem, Mass.) plunge at the goal line, and the hosts recovered at their own five-yard line with 2:09 to play. Trodden drove his squad to the visitors' 44-yard line with just under a minute to play before hooking up with senior Fritz Jean (Palm Coast, Fla.) on a 19-yard connection, and he then found Heedles two plays later on the deciding score that gave the Privateers their fifth straight triumph in the series.
Bigham staked SUNY-Maritime to an early 7-0 lead with 8:50 to play in the opening stanza, as his six-yard touchdown run capped a nine-play, 45-yard drive after the hosts forced a turnover on downs. The Buccaneers evened matters on the ensuing possession, as a 53-yard completion from junior quarterback Mike Stanton (Quincy, Mass.) to sophomore Jonathan Wright (Newburyport, Mass.) set up a three-yard plunge by senior Barry Reopell (South Dennis, Mass.) that came just 2:09 after the hosts' score.
Massachusetts Maritime took a 14-7 lead just 1:25 into the second quarter when Skeffington scampered in from six yards out to cap a 12-play, 80-yard drive that saw junior Stefan Gustafson (Plymouth, Mass.) rush for 45 yards on five carries, and the Buccaneers maintained that margin at the break when junior Michael Sylvia (Lincoln, Mass.) blocked a Privateer field goal attempt on the final play before intermission. Both teams drove deep into the other's territory on ensuing third quarter possessions that resulted in turnovers on downs, and Bigham's tying touchdown capped a seven-play, 79-yard drive, setting up the frenetic finish on both sides of the field.
Trodden amassed 205 yards of total offense on the night for SUNY-Maritime, including 147 yards on 11-of-18 attempts through the air to go with 58 rushing yards, while Bigham rushed for 42 yards on 14 carries. Jean and Heedles combined for eight receptions and 108 yards, as the hosts amassed 344 yards of total offense in their victory. Gustafson (92) and Reopell (68) combined for 160 rushing yards on 38 carries in the setback for Massachusetts Maritime, as Stanton was 15-of-23 for 173 yards through the air for the contest, including eight connections with junior Keith Caruso (Hingham, Mass.) for 57 yards, as the Buccaneers collected 334 yards of total offense.
Senior Keith Barnes (Westbury, N.Y.) paced SUNY-Maritime defensively with 16 solo tackles, while Alvora and senior Pat Lasher (Seaford, N.Y.) each added 11 total tackles (10 solo). Senior Eddy Ramos (Sunny Isles, Fla.) paced Massachusetts Maritime with 10 total tackles (seven solo), while senior Evan Sheridan (Chelmsford, Mass.) and sophomore Reynard Ortiz (Lowell, Mass.) each added six solo stops. Junior Chris Pisani (Wakefield, Mass.) registered an interception for the visitors, who converted just 3-of-15 third down attempts compared to 7-of-14 converted by the hosts.
Massachusetts Maritime heads to Dudley, Mass. next Friday evening to take on Nichols in a non-league outing that kicks off at 7:00 p.m., while SUNY-Maritime will take on cross-town rival Merchant Marine in the "Seafaring Scuffle" next Saturday, September 15th in Kings Point, N.Y. beginning at 2:30 p.m.