Box Score SPRINGFIELD, Mass.--Freshman Sam Olsson and senior Ryan Nolte tackled Nate Lewis on a 9-yard pass play at the WNE 1 as time expired to preserve Western New England's 33-28 win over defending New England Football Conference champion Endicott on Saturday at Golden Bear Stadium. With the win, WNE snaps a two-game losing streak on just eight points combined and improves to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the NEFC while returning home for the first time since Oct. 11. The Gulls drop to 5-4 on the season and 4-2 in the conference.
Senior Kevin Cook rushed for a game-high 133 yards on 28 carries and a 15-yard touchdown, classmate Andrew Walz caught six passes – including two for scores – and 96 yards, and senior quarterback Tyler Ward went 13-for-18 with three TDs and 180 yards for the host Golden Bears.
Endicott was led by quarterback Drew Frenette who passed for 421 yards on 36 completions in 52 attempts and three touchdowns and Nate Lewis had game bests of 16 receptions and 198 yards.
Defensively, senior Kyle Jones had a game-high-tying 11 tackles (5 solo), including a pair of sacks for 18 yards, and an interception. Senior Joshua Scarry had 10 stops (5 solo) and Olsson also finished with 10 and 5. Nolte chipped in eight total tackles and had an interception for 19 yards.
Craig Anderson led four Gulls in double-digit tackles with 11, followed by Andrew Holfinger with 10 (4 solo, 3 TFL/20 yards, 2 sacks/18) and Bryan Mey (1 TFL/5, PBU) and Connor McLaughlin with 10 each.
The Endicott defense stopped WNE on a 4th-and-1 at the Gulls 37 after Nolte had returned an interception to the 45, giving the Gulls' offense the ball back with 3 minutes and 12 seconds remaining and trailing by five points. Endicott's last gasp didn't start well thanks to a 5-yard illegal shift penalty and sophomore Robert Sihlanick 16-yard sack put the Gulls back on their own 16. Facing a 3rd-and 31, Frenette connected with Lewis over the middle for 24 yards to the 40 to make a fourth-down conversion more manageable. Frenette completed an 8-yard pass to Spencer Walsh to his 48 to keep the drive alive. After another 8-yard reception by Walsh and two catches for 33 yards by Lewis, the Gulls were 1st-and-goal at the WNE 10 with less than a minute to play. On the next play, Chris Lipscomb dropped a pass in the far left-corner of the end zone with several seconds left on the clock. Then on 2nd-and-goal, the game's final play came when Lewis was caught just shy of the goal line to send the Golden Bears sideline and fan base in a frenzy.
The Golden Bears jumped out to a 12-0 lead in the first 4:53 of the contest. The team took the opening possession into the end zone in eight plays covering 68 yards in just 1:45, capped by a 17-yard touchdown run up the middle by senior Michael Ozzella. Cook ran three times for 19 yards and a Walz 21-yard reception set up the score. After a three-and-out on Endicott's first possession, WNE marched right down the field again to strike again in nine plays, 67 yards and 2:39 time of possession. Ward hit Walz for a 13-yard touchdown pass.
Endicott got on the scoreboard at 4:17 of the opening stanza when Lipscomb (5 catches, 67 yards) matched Walz with a 13-yard TD reception of his own from Frenette. Lipscomb keyed the 13-play, 87-yard drive in 5:00 with a 30-yard catch to the WNE 15. Western New England led 12-7 at the end of the first quarter.
The teams traded touchdowns and extra-points to end the half. The Golden Bears went up 19-7 midway through the second quarter as senior Tucker Schumitz caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Ward to cap a short scoring drive of five plays and 47 yards that began with good field position. Two Endicott offensive holding penalties and a sack by Jones caused Kyle Regan to punt from his own 17 and the attempt was downed at the Gulls' 47. Frenette then proceeded to engineer a 74-yard drive in 14 plays and taking 5:19 that finished with Lavante Wiggins rushing two yards into the end zone.
Leading 19-14 at halftime, WNE also opened the scoring in the third quarter after the Gulls missed a 37-yard field goal attempt to the right that stalled a drive at the WNE 20. The Golden Bears took over from there, namely on Ward's arm. The signal caller who is in his first season as a starter completed passes of 17 yards to Walz, 19 to senior Craig Durkin and then 18 to sophomore Terrence N`Dabian. Walz caught his second touchdown pass of the afternoon from 22 yards out with 5:21 left in the third, capping an 80-yard drive in eight plays and 2:27 time of possession.
The Gulls closed the gap to 26-21 at the 12:04 mark of the fourth quarter on a Frenette pass complete to Joe Manni for 3 yards into the end zone. A Dimitri Skinsac (4 catches, 86 yards) reception for 58 yards to the WNE 12 set up the touchdown.
But WNE earned an insurance score on its very next possession, set up by a hefty 43-yard kickoff return by sophomore Nick Connell to the Gulls 33. Cook finished off a six-play, 2:22 drive with a 15-yard TD rush off left tackle with 9:42 to go. Patterson's PAT gave the Golden Bears their fourth 12-point advantage of the contest at 33-21.
Endicott responded immediately with a Jake Pelletier TD reception for 8 yards from Frenette and Regan PAT kick, pulling within five points with 6:50 remaining. Lewis caught a 34-yard pass to the WNE 21 to set up the score.
The teams combined for 934 yards of total offense. Western New England outgained the Gulls 224-79 on the ground, while Endicott favored the air at 451 to 180.
Next up, Western New England will host NEFC opponent Nichols (1 p.m.) on Senior Day while Endicott will play at Salve Regina (Noon) in the regular season finales for both teams.
Notes: Western New England defeats Endicott for the first time since its NEFC championship season of 2011...the Golden Bears are 5-5 against Endicott in the Keith Emery coaching era, with six of the games decided by single digits...with six catches, 96 yards and two TDs, Walz now has all-time school ranks of sixth with 113 receptions, second with 1,846 career yards and tied for first with 18 touchdowns...the Golden Bears are on a five-game home win streak since last season.
Game-Saving Tackle Preserves Thrilling 33-28 Victory over Defending NEFC Champions
/seasons/2014/boxscores/20141108_j21z.xml
2014
Endicott
28
Western New England
33
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endicott (5-4) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
| Western New England (7-2) | 12 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 33 |
Nov 08, 2014