MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME FOOTBALL
The Seventh Annual Kelley Cup
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Bowditch Field, Framingham, Mass.
FINAL: FRAMINGHAM STATE 58, MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 12
FRAMINGHAM, Mass. -- Sophomore quarterback Matt Silva (Dracut, Mass.) completed 15-of-24 pass attempts for 308 yards and four touchdowns, while senior Melikke Van Alstyne (Salem, Mass.) rushed for 228 yards and pair of scores to lead Framingham State to a 58-12 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference football victory over Massachusetts Maritime Saturday afternoon at Bowditch Field.
The host Rams (7-1, 6-0 MASCAC), who claimed at least a share of the inaugural MASCAC title with the triumph, jumped out to a 13-0 advantage just 4:19 into the contest on a pair of touchdown runs of three and two yards by junior Nick Colson (Franklin, Mass.), and Van Alstyne's 13-yard scamper with 4:16 to play in the opening frame capped a six-play, 91-yard drive and a 20-0 Framingham State lead. Senior Stefan Gustafson's (Plymouth, Mass.) two-yard plunge on the ensuing possession enabled the visiting Buccaneers (4-4, 2-4 MASCAC) to climb back to within 13, but Silva extended that margin to 27-6 after connecting with sophomore Travis Hayes (Framingham, Mass.) on a 10-yard strike with 49 seconds to play in the quarter.
After Massachusetts Maritime got back to within two scores just 36 seconds later on a 47-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Mike Stanton (Quincy, Mass.) to fellow senior David Wilson (Weare, N.H.), Silva helped the Rams ice their triumph with three scoring strikes in less than 11 minutes, as he found Hayes on a 54-yard connection just nine seconds into the second stanza before hooking up with junior George Jordan (Worcester, Mass.) on a 19-yard touchdown with 6:45 remaining in the half. Silva's final scoring pass of the day, a 28-yard connection with junior Jared Gauthier (Dracut, Mass.), came less than three minutes later, and a 38-yard field goal by senior Will Menter (Haverhill, Mass.) staked the hosts to a 51-12 advantage at the break. Van Alstyne's second visit to the end zone on the day from 16 yards out midway through the third quarter capped a 10-play, 82-yard drive as well as Framingham State's scoring.
The Rams amassed 658 yards of total offense and gained 8.2 yards per play on the day, including 331 through the air and 327 on the ground. Gauthier, Jordan and sophomore Tevin Jones (Springfield, Mass.) combined for 13 receptions and 246 yards for the winners, who entered the game as the conference's top-ranked defensive unit and held the league's top-ranked offense to just 249 yards, including 67 through the air.
Gustafson finished with 98 yards on 15 carries in the setback for Massachusetts Maritime, as Stanton was held to a season-low five completions and 67 yards but did extend his school career touchdown passes mark to 46 with his strike to Wilson. Senior Keith Caruso (Hingham, Mass.) broke the Buccaneer career receiving yards mark with three catches on the day, as he now has 1,740 yards to top Tim Quinn's previous record of 1,733 set from 1981-83.
Senior Pat McGrath (Everett, Mass.) paced Framingham State defensively with nine total tackles, while fellow senior Michael Altavesta (Tewksbury, Mass.) added six solo stops for the Rams, which also received interceptions from senior Sam Hill (Lynn, Mass.) and junior Brian Montambault (Edgartown, Mass.). Junior Kyle Espindola (Dartmouth, Mass.) registered a career-best 10 total tackles in the setback for Massachusetts Maritime, which also received seven total stops (five solo) from senior Sheldon Roper (Sharpsburg, Ga.). Junior Kevin Stanton (Abington, Mass.) added his team-leading fourth pick of the season for the Buccaneers, who also received an interception from fellow junior Reynard Ortiz (Lowell, Mass.).
The game marked the seventh "Kelley Cup" clash between the two squads, named in honor of Framingham State Head Coach Tom Kelley, his assistant and younger son Patrick as well as his older son Mike, a Massachusetts Maritime assistant coach. The Rams have won the last six meetings in the series and nine of the last 10 match-ups overall.
Massachusetts Maritime hosts Plymouth State in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference outing next Saturday afternoon at Clean Harbors Stadium that kicks off at Noon, while Framingham State heads to Bridgewater, Mass. for a MASCAC match-up with Bridgewater State that also kicks off at Noon.