Football Rallies for 31-20 Win Over VTSU Castleton

By Jim Fenton

CASTLETON, Vt. -- The Bridgewater State University football team overcame a 20-point deficit to record its second straight victory on Saturday afternoon.

The Bears rallied past Vermont State Castleton, 31-20, in the first meeting between the two programs, scoring 31 unanswered points.

Playing its final road game of the season, BSU improved to 1-4 away from home by scoring a touchdown late in the first half and three more TDs plus a field goal in the second half after trailing, 20-0.

The Bears are 4-5 and 4-4 in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference while the Spartans fell to 3-6 and 2-6 in the conference with their fourth straight loss.

Vermont State Castleton scored its three TDs in the second quarter after turnovers by BSU, which had four in the quarter.

But the Bears began their comeback just before halftime, took the lead with a pair of third-quarter TDs and added 10 fourth-quarter points to seal the victory.

The win gives BSU a chance to finish above .500 in the MASCAC and at .500 overall. The season ends on Saturday at noon in the 45th annual Cranberry Bowl against the Massachusetts Maritime Academy at Mazzaferro Field.

Senior Isaiah Wright (Worcester, Mass.) rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown while freshman Killian Murphy (Plymouth, Mass.) and junior Dallas Murphy (Plymouth, Mass.) each had a rushing TD.

Senior quarterback SP Pragano (Northford, Conn.) came off the bench and threw a TD pass to freshman Josh Registre (Waltham, Mass.).

The Bears' defense was dominant, limiting the Spartans to -22 rushing yards, six first downs and 48 yards of total offense.

Vermont State Castleton took a 7-0 lead with 13:01 remaining in the half when senior Mike Morrissey (Stratford, Conn.) recovered a BSU fumble at his own 35 and went 65 yards for the score.

The Bears had taken possession at the Spartans' 35 following a 19-yard punt, but on first down, they turned the ball over. Vermont State Castleton had minus-seven yards in their first three possessions before taking the lead.

Junior Isaiah Oufiero (Oxford, Maine) intercepted a pass by BSU freshman quarterback Shamus Whiting (Plymouth, Mass.) and returned it to the Bears 28 with 10:11 left in the half.

The Spartans needed six plays to go 28 yards with junior quarterback Wes Cournoyer (Harrisville, R.I.) throwing a 9-yard TD pass to graduate student Caezar Williams (Round Rock, Texas) with 8:25 remaining for a 13-0 edge.

On BSU's next possession, Whiting was intercepted by sophomore Josh Cormier (Leominster, Mass.) at the Bears' 32, and he returned it to the 20.

Leonard Brice (Denton, Texas) caught a 9-yard TD pass from Cournoyer with 5:46 remaining before halftime to make it 20-0.

Pragano was the third BSU quarterback of the day when he entered the game and drove the Bears into the end zone with 1:29 to go in the half.

BSU took advantage of a 14-yard punt on a windy day and had the ball at the Spartans' 32. Pragano threw a 9-yard scoring strike to Registre with 1:29 left in the half, making it 20-7.

The Bears moved within 20-14 with 8:33 left in the third quarter on Dallas Murphy's (Plymouth, Mass.) 3-yard run. Freshman Zy'Kie Askew (Middletown, Conn.) had a 15-yard run to help set the score up.

BSU went up for good, 21-20, with 13:38 remaining on a 3-yard run by Killian Murphy (Plymouth, Mass.), finishing a nine-play, 74-yard drive. The march began with 3:37 to go in the third quarter.

The Bears converted on a third-and-2, and Wright had a 50-yard run to the 13-yard line.

Senior Matthew Mammone (Dedham, Mass.) got the ball back for BSU with an interception at the Spartans' 39 with 12:04 to play.

Wright pushed the lead to 28-20 with a 15-yard run with 9:49 remaining.

Junior Joey Naso (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) added a 20-yard field goal with 1:37 remaining. Naso made four conversion kicks and extended his school record to 98.

Pragano was 8-for-13 for 57 yards with senior Dan Akinsheye (Pawtucket, R.I.) having a team-high 41 receiving yards. Askew finished with 78 rushing yards on 19 carries.

Vermont State Castleton ends the season on Saturday with a game at Western Connecticut State.