November 4th, 2019 2:00am
Taking Care of Business
New Haven used the bye week to rest up and come out ready to go in defeating Franklin Pierce 63-0 last Saturday afternoon. The Chargers improve to 5-3, 4-2 NE10 while the Ravens fall to 1-8, 0-7 NE10.
It was all New Haven in the opening half. They scored six times in the first 30 minutes and made no doubt about who was going to win the game.
Shamar Logan and Chris Liggio did their usual damage on the ground as the duo combined for 123 yards and two scores. Logan added a receiving score as well. Ju’An Williams scored twice on receiving touchdowns and returned a punt for a score in the third.
The New Haven defense dominated as they limited Franklin Pierce to just 254 yards on the afternoon with most of them coming in the second half when the game was all but decided. They also returned a fumble for a score to get themselves in the scoring category.
New Haven travels to Assumption this weekend with first place on the line.
Rebound
Pace used a balanced attack during their Senior Day to defeat American International 35-25 last Saturday. The Setters are now 5-3, 4-2 NE10 and remain in the mix for the league title.
The duo of Carlton Aiken and Darius Jones were once again unstoppable. They combined for three scores in their five hookups on the day and 90 yards through the air. When Aiken rested his arm, Jhalen Bien-Aime took over.
The senior had a huge game in his final home appearance as he ran for 152 yards and two trips into the end zone. He has been a difference-maker for the Setters during his career and a big reason why Pace is winning more games in the past several years. He already held the program record for rushing yards and now adds his name as the all-time rushing touchdown leader.
The Pace defense was strong as Isaiah Williams picked off two passes in the first half that led to scoring drives from his offense. Dustin Huseinovic was again solid from his linebacking position as he was credited with 10 tackles in the victory.
Pace will travel to Stonehill this weekend in a game of 2nd place teams.
Rebound, Part 2
Stonehill had two heartbreaking losses over the past couple of weekends but didn’t want to make it three in a row. The Skyhawks jumped out to an early lead and easily defeated Southern Connecticut 41-20.
Justin Felder was the man for Stonehill. He set a school record for rushing yards in a game with 314. He broke off several long runs and continues his stellar performance in the 2019 season. He averaged an unbelievable 13.1 yards per rush, so you know he was on his game.
Anton Stoneking directed the offense nicely as when he was not handing the ball to Felder, he was finding open receivers and moving the chains. He finished with 206 yards and two scores on the afternoon. The Stonehill offense amassed 533 yards in the win.
The Skyhawks’ defense also held Owl quarterback Jackson Ostrowsky in check as the freshman was having a pretty decent season before he faced Stonehill. A late 90-yard touchdown pass made the numbers look a little better than they actually were.
Stonehill will host Pace next weekend in a huge game.
Graduation
Southern Connecticut will be happy when Stonehill receiver Andrew Jamiel graduates this spring. The senior receiver has been a nemesis for the Owls.
Over the past four years, Jamiel has caught at least eight passes per game against Southern Connecticut. In total, he has 46 receptions for 464 yards and three scores against the Owls.
Nearly 16% of his career receptions have come against Southern Connecticut. He has been a terror for the Owls secondary to cover but that can also be said for the rest of the league.
He is just seven receptions short of 300 for his career and will be just the second NE10 player to achieve that accomplishment. He is also the active Division II reception leader and quickly moving up the all-time ranks.
He is already one of the best Stonehill receivers in program history but quietly is becoming one of the best from the NE10 and on a national level.
Homecoming Success
Bentley has not seen much of their campus on Saturdays as this past weekend was just their third home game of the season. But when they are at home, things seem to work out for the Falcons.
They made plays on both sides of the ball and defeated St. Anselm 41-35 in front of their homecoming fans. Bentley is now 4-4, 4-2 NE10 this year and is still in the mix for the league title.
The Falcons dominated the stats but still needed to make a fourth-down stop on defense and then grind out a couple of first downs to seal the victory. The offense was credited with 509 yards to just 270 from the Hawks.
Stephen Sturm continued to make big plays when called up. He threw for 346 yards and three scores. But three picks gave St. Anselm life when Bentley was just about to run away with the game.
His favorite receiver was Drew Mahoney. They hooked dup 11 times for 131 yards and two scores. Sturm also found Austin Ryan for an 84-yard touchdown play.
For Mahoney, he now has over 200 receptions and 2,000 yards for his career and is just the fourth Bentley receiver to have achieved those marks.
The defense also got on the board with Marc Doran stepping in front of an Eric Fairweather pass and going 20 yards to the house.
Speaking of Fairweather, the senior once again did everything possible to get his team the road victory. He rushed for three scores and threw another one through the air.
A blocked field goal by the Hawks in the fourth quarter cut the Bentley lead to six with just under eight minutes to play but St. Anselm was not able to get close to the end zone again.
Bentley will make their first trip to Franklin Pierce this weekend.
Two Weeks to Go
This past weekend didn’t have the drama of the previous weekend, but it sets up a huge weekend of football in the NE10. The home teams did their jobs and set up a couple of big games to determine who is going to be crowned league champion.
New Haven travels to Assumption with first place on the line. This matchup always seems to have a championship feel when the two teams get together. The Greyhounds are one of the few teams to have a winning record against the Chargers over the years.
Pace will make the trek to Stonehill in a game that will keep the winner in the running for a league title as long as New Haven wins on the road. The Skyhawks and Setters are both 4-2 in NE10 play and you probably didn’t circle this game at the beginning of the season as one to watch.
It looks like tiebreakers might come into play but the simplest scenario for the league title is an Assumption win. If they win, Pace is the only team that has defeated them in league play. But the Greyhounds would then have to fall in the final weekend and for Pace to win out.
Before we get there, let’s enjoy the upcoming weekend of football and hope that the games are competitive and come down to the final series. It has been a solid year of football in the league.