Maine Maritime 17, Nichols 8
Dudley, Mass. – Vendetti Field
Saturday, November 14, 2015
All-Time Series & Streaks
The Mariners extended their winning streak over the Bison to four and improved to 20-17 all-time against Nichols.
Three Stars of the Game
1 – Maine Maritime sophomore James Ferrar (Cumberland, Maine) – rushed 32 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns (4,5); averaged 4.0 ypc
2 – Nichols sophomore Brett McEvoy (Wrentham, Mass.) – recorded a game-high 14 tackles (10 solo) and one tackle for loss; punted nine times for a 34.6 average
3 – Nichols sophomore Derrick Warren (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) – caught six passes for 161 yards and one touchdown, a 99-yard catch and run that broke the program record for longest scoring play
Quick Synopsis
The Mariners rushed for 202 yards on the afternoon and held the Bison to one score to earn their second win of the season. Ferrar led MMA with 128 yards while senior signal caller Michael Fahey (Union, Conn.) rushed 18 times for 68 yards. Nichols outgained Maine Maritime 254-202.
Key Stats of the Game
The Bison were a combined 5-of-22 on third-and-fourth downs (2-of-18 on third down; 1-of-4 on fourth down).
Turning Point
After the Bison cut their deficit to 10-8 late in the third on Warren's 99-yard touchdown reception, the Bison went three-and-out on their next possession. However, Maine Maritime could not handle the punt and turned it over the Bison on its own 48-yard line. Back-to-back holding penalties on Nichols forced them into a first-and-30 from its own 32 and, three plays later, senior QB Bryan Hummel (Dedham, Mass.) was intercepted and the ball was returned to the Nichols 21. Farrar capped a four-play, 21-yard drive with his second TD run of the afternoon and put the Mariners up two scores with 8:25 remaining.
Quick Hits
-Warren's 99-yard TD reception was the longest in program history, surpassing the previous mark of 92, which was a rushing TD by Jim Dushesneau against Bridgewater State in 1970. The longest passing play for a touchdown was 88 yards by junior Grant Klimek (Toms River, N.J.) against Western Connecticut State as a freshman.
-McEvoy finished the season with a team-leading 96 tackles (56 solo). He was also second on the team with two interceptions.
-Hummel finished 11-of-28 for 186 yards and one touchdown. Fahey, meanwhile, was 0-for-3 passing.
-Sophomore Zachary Faskianos (York, Maine) led the Mariners with eight tackles – including 2.5 TFL.
-Senior Justin Lovely (West Gardiner, Maine) intercepted Hummel in the fourth quarter.
-Nichols junior Jacob Foley (Canaan, Conn.) was credited with a forced fumble and sophomore Jared Stewart (Uxbridge, Mass.) a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter.
Quotes
"This team is like a family. If this team sticks together, they're going to be good in a few years. They just have to stick together. Being a student-athlete taught me how to better manage my time." – Nichols senior Andre Rickerson
"I'm always going to remember the friends and brothers I made here. We spent four years together. The fact is we all stayed together through the hard times and new things. It's crazy that we're as tight as we are. If one of us has a bad day, Connor Richard or Lucien Cance are there to get behind you and make you laugh. It's really a family. It's why we all wanted to stay through the coaching change." – Nichols senior Jake Mastrianna
"I remember making the choice to come to Nichols in high school. My high school team wasn't the greatest and we were rebuilding, and I came here to help with a rebuild as well. Coach Olmsted has made some great strides these last two seasons. All these guys need to do next year is hit the weight room and keep training. They can be contenders. I believe that. They're a good group of kids and I hope they see this process through, especially the freshmen." – Nichols senior Michael Zaharios
"Coach Mark Sullivan had the defense working extremely hard since Monday. They worked the half field and went over keys and reads. The student-athletes focused on what coach Sullivan was saying and you saw the result. That was a great defensive performance. Our offense struggled all game before the touchdown to Warren. We wanted pick up the extra point (on the two-point conversion) and put a little pressure on them. They muffed the punt and we recovered, but we couldn't find that last little gasp on offense. Our kids are young and they fought every game. The nucleus is there for something special moving forward." – Nichols head coach Dale Olmsted