MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME FOOTBALL
44th Annual Admiral's Cup
Saturday, September 17, 2016
Clean Harbors Stadium, Buzzards Bay, Mass.
FINAL: MAINE MARITIME 42, MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 35
BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. -- Junior Jacob Doolan (Fairfield, Maine) rushed for 154 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown from nine yards out with 19 seconds remaining to lift Maine Maritime to a 42-35 victory over Massachusetts Maritime in the 44th Annual Admiral's Cup contest played Saturday afternoon at sold out Clean Harbors Stadium.
A game that saw the visiting Mariners (1-1) jump out to a 21-0 lead with 6:05 to play at the half turned into a 35-34 advantage for the host Buccaneers (1-1) just 1:44 into the fourth quarter, as Maine Maritime converted a trio of fourth downs during the 17-play, 87-yard game-winning drive, which Doolan capped with a successful two-point conversion rush. Junior quarterback Corey Creeger (Biddeford, Maine) got the visitors on the board just 4:27 into the contest on a 55-yard scoring strike to fellow junior Jordan Susi (South Portland, Maine), and the duo hooked up once again on a 32-yard touchdown pass in the early stages in the second stanza. Creeger's three-yard plunge midway through the frame gave the Mariners their three-score cushion, but Massachusetts Maritime climbed back to within seven on a pair of touchdowns in the final 2:49 of the half, as junior quarterback Chris Haggerty (Cohasset, Mass.) found sophomore Paul Sances (Middleboro, Mass.) on a 25-yard strike before connecting with his brother, senior Shane Haggerty (Cohasset, Mass.), on a flea-flicker from 29 yards out on the final play before intermission.
Junior Richie Phillips (Onset, Mass.) capped an eight-play, 52-yard drive to open the half that enabled the Buccaneers to close to within one after a missed extra point, but Creeger guided Maine Maritime on an ensuing eight-play, 55-yard drive that he capped with his second touchdown of the day (from a yard out) midway through the third quarter to extend the Mariner lead to eight (28-20). Phillips responded just 2:48 later with his second score of the day from three yards out, and a two-point conversion pass from Chris Haggerty to Shane Haggerty evened matters at 28-28. After an exchange of punts, Creeger drove the visitors 58 yards in just four plays before plunging in from three yards out for his third rushing touchdown of the contest and a 34-28 Maine Maritime lead with 15 seconds to play in the third quarter, but Chris Haggerty again answered less than two minutes later with a five-yard run early in the final frame to give Massachusetts Maritime its final edge of the afternoon and set up Doolan's late game-winning heroics.
Creeger amassed 208 yards of total offense and accounted for five total touchdowns in the triumph for Maine Maritime, which has now won two straight in the Admiral's Cup series for the first time since 2009-10. Five of his six completed passes (on 10 attempts for 144 yards) were hauled in by Susi (129 receiving yards), while Doolan averaged 7.3 yards on 21 carries to go with his score. Junior James Ferrar (Cumberland, Maine) added 130 yards on 20 carries for the Mariners, who amassed 497 yards overall in outrushing the hosts by a 353-82 margin.
Chris Haggerty completed 28-of-41 pass attempts for 340 yards to go with his two touchdowns in the setback for Massachusetts Maritime, which amassed 422 yards of total offense on the day. Shane Haggerty hauled in nine catches for 114 yards and score for the Buccaneers, who also received 73 yards on 22 carries from Phillips and a combined 10 receptions for 131 yards from Sances and junior Derek Stegman (Dover, N.H.). The teams followed up last year's highest scoring Admiral's Cup in series history (47-41) by combining for 77 points and 919 yards of total offense.
Senior Christopher Ford (Pembroke, N.H.) paced Maine Maritime defensively with 10 total tackles, including six solo stops and four for losses of 14 yards, while junior Zachary Faskianos (York, Maine) also recorded 10 tackles for the Mariners, who also received an interception from freshman Trenton Bouchard (Winslow, Maine). Senior Marshall McCarthy (Duxbury, Mass.) registered a game and career-high 18 total tackles (11 solo) in the setback for Massachusetts Maritime, which also receives five stops, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery from freshman Jacob Tavares (New Bedford, Mass.). Despite the setback, the Buccaneers still hold a 25-19 edge over the Mariners in the all-time Admiral's Cup series that dates back to 1973.
Massachusetts Maritime hosts Worcester State in its Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference opener next Saturday afternoon at Clean Harbors Stadium beginning at Noon, while Maine Maritime hosts MIT in its New England Football Conference lid-lifter next Saturday afternoon in Castine, Maine that also kicks off at Noon.