BEVERLY, Mass. – Taking on a brand new opponent in Castleton State, the Endicott football team shattered their own program record for most points in a single game with a 66-14 victory over the Spartans in the Gulls home opener at Endicott Stadium on Saturday.
Endicott put up 45 points in the first half and broke the previous record of 58 total points, previously set on September 15th, 2011 against Fitchburg State, after senior running back Mike Wheeler's (Hanover, Mass.) third rushing touchdown of the game with 5:23 to go in the third quarter. The Gulls tacked on one more touchdown, a four-yard run by freshman Trevon Offley (Brockton, Mass.), to set the new record with 66 points late in the final quarter.
Wheeler turned in a standout performance with his first 100+ yard rushing game as a Gull. He finished the game with 154 yards on 19 rushes and three touchdowns. Wheeler's effort on the ground was part of a 323-yard output as a team, including 64 yards from senior Jared DiBiase (Cranston, R.I.) and 30+ yards each from Cody Sinnott (Rocky Point, N.Y.) and Offley.
Through the air, Endicott quarterback Drew Frenette (New Bedford, Mass.) connected with senior wide receiver Cameron Lett (Waltham, Mass.) three times in the end zone as part of a four-TD day for the sophomore signal caller. Frenette was an efficient 12-of-20 for 204 yards with junior tight end Greg Dellorco (Franklin, Mass.) and Lett collecting the most receiving yardage with 75 and 63, respectively. Senior wide receiver Mike Murphy (Chelmsford, Mass.) caught a 17-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter before leaving the game due to injury.
Defensively for the second week in-a-row, Endicott dominated the turnover margin with five interceptions, a forced fumble and recovery, and two stops on fourth down. Junior defensive back Jason Silva (Palatine, Ill.) recorded two picks, including a second quarter interception that was returned 70 yards to the end zone to put the Gulls on top 35-17. Silva's first interception occurred on Castleton State's first offensive play of the game, as he took advantage of pass that was tipped in the air off a Spartans receiver's hands which put Endicott in good field position at the Castleton State 37-yard line. The interception set up Frenette's 17-yard strike to Murphy to go up 7-0 in the first quarter.
Junior defensive backs Davas Wright (Fall River, Mass.) and Sean Griffith (Marshfield, Mass.) and sophomore linebacker Seth Montbleau (Dracut, Mass.) also recorded picks in the game. Senior defensive lineman Kevin Pressey (Fairfield, Maine) forced Endicott's other turnover, a forced fumble that was recovered by Peter Kallas (Beverly, Mass.).
After Frenette's opening drive touchdown, Castleton State grinded out a 10-play, 78-yard drive that evened the score at 7-7 when Spartans quarterback, and last week's ECFC Offensive Player of the Week, Shane Brozowski (Rensselaer, N.Y.) found tight end Denny Wilhelm (Glens Falls, N.Y.) on first-and-goal at the 10-yard line. Castleton State converted 4th-and-one at the Endicott 49-yard line before a Brozowski pass to Kyle Higgins (Pennington, N.J.) and a Gulls pass interference call set up the touchdown.
On the ensuing kickoff, Endicott coughed up the football to give possession back to Castleton State on their own 32-yard line. Brozowski completed 4-of-6 passes capped off by a five-yarder to junior Brandon Boyle (Springfield, Vt.) to put the visitors on top 14-7.
Endicott's next possession, which started on the 10-yard line after a holding call on the kickoff brought back a 55-yard return by Wheeler, lasted just 13 seconds as Wheeler darted through the Castleton State defense for 90 yards to tie the game at 14. The 90-yard dash was an Endicott record for the longest rush from scrimmage in a game.
Two touchdowns by Lett, Wheeler's second touchdown, Silva's interception return, and a 30-yard field goal by junior Dylan Rushe (Palos Verdes, Calif.) catapulted the Gulls to a 45-14 halftime advantage.
Castleton State's Brozowski finished with 191 yards through the air on 25-of-44 pass attempts. He had two touchdown tosses and five interceptions. On the ground, senior Tyler Carpenter (Fort Edward, N.Y.) had 41 yards on 10 attempts.
Defensively, Endicott junior Andrew Lawson (Framingham, Mass.) had a team-high seven tackles with one pass break up. Senior linebacker Craig Lussier (Dracut, Mass.) and junior lineman Alex Filomeno (West Hartford, Conn.) each had 1.5 sacks with juniors Marcell Cooper (Dorchester, Mass.) and Tim Murray (Longmeadow, Mass.) as well as senior Oscar Moore (Cambridge, Mass.) adding one apiece.
For the Spartans, linebackers Mick Wong (Hartford, Vt.) and Todd Carr (Ticonderoga, N.Y.) led all players with nine tackles with both Josh Osborne (Island Heights, N.J.) and Brett Denning (Clarksburg, Mass.) tallying eight each. Castleton State created two turnovers on forced fumbles by Mitch Bouton (Cooperstown, N.Y.) and Zach Howe (Bellows Falls, Vt.).
Endicott hits the road on Saturday, September 15th for a non-divisional match up with NEFC Bogan member Bridgewater State starting at 12:00 pm. Castleton State hosts RPI at 1:00 pm Saturday.