Football defeats Bridgewater in overtime

By Taylor Kimmell Asst. Sports Editor By Sarah Daponde Editorial Staff The Framingham State Rams defeated the Bridgewater State Bears 46-40 in an overtime conference match Sept. 27.

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST

This victory improved the Rams’ conference record to 3-0 and their overall record to 3-1, ranking them second in the conference. Winning the coin toss, the Bears chose to defer to the second half, punting the ball all the way to the Rams’ 13-yard line. Sophomore Jaheim Daniels capitalized on the next two plays, rushing the ball to FSU’s 38-yard line. Three completed passes from freshman quarterback Michael Marcucella to junior wide receivers Ayden Ramirez and Ezana Zemene and sophomore Ty Kelley earned more yardage for Framingham, placing the ball on BSU’s 31-yard line. On second down, after a rush by Daniels, Marcucella and wide receiver Alex Maia, a junior, connected on a pass to the endzone, earning Framingham the first touchdown of the game. Senior Dillon Mangus kicked for the Rams, earning the extra point to bring the score to 7-0 at the end of the first quarter. Several passes from Marcucella in the second quarter put the ball on BSU’s 40-yard line. Unfazed by the distance, Daniels caught a pass from Marcucella in the endzone to score a second touchdown. Despite tackles from sophomores Korrey Barron and Tyrell Fuller, Bridgewater's offensive drive proved successful as they scored their first touchdown. Two more offensive drives from the Bears yielded a lead change coming into halftime, BSU leading with a score of 21-14. The Bears lost possession of the ball just 1:33 in, when on third down with 2 yards to go, an incomplete pass brought the ball back to the Rams. On second down, the Rams continued straight to the endzone with a drive culminating in 71 yards gained and a touchdown by Daniels. An attempt at the extra point by Mangus was unsuccessful, leaving the Rams behind by one. On their next drive, the Bears drove toward the end zone and scored a field goal on fourth down. Key plays from the Rams’ offense on the next drive placed junior Mathias Fowler in position to score another touchdown for Framingham, gaining the Rams a three-point lead. Bridgewater’s next play resulted in another successful field goal attempt, tying the game 27-27. In the fourth quarter, sophomore Treyvon Fields and Ramirez connected on a pass that brought the Rams 19 yards from the endzone. On fourth down, Fields made another pass to Ramirez for a revelling touchdown, bringing Framingham back into the lead, 33-27. On their next possession, the Rams drove to the endzone once again, and as Fields completed yet another pass to Ramirez, a touchdown was secured. Mangus’ kick was successful, boosting the score to 40-27 Framingham. Bridgewater made a partial comeback with a pass of 71 yards to the endzone, scoring a touchdown and extra point. The Bears' next possession yielded an additional touchdown, tying up the game and bringing it into overtime. Play began with an incomplete pass by the Bears and a loss of 12 yards. Williams intercepted the ball on fourth down. Framingham’s drive began with 25 yards to the endzone. Jarvin Simon, a junior, rushed 6 yards on the first down, and Daniels rushed another yard in the second. On a jubilant pass from Fields to Maia for 18 yards, the Rams scored the game-winning touchdown, ending the match with a final score of 46-40. Maia said this game-winning play will be one of his favorite memories of football. During the match, Marcucella completed 17 of 21 passes, accumulating 192 yards for Framingham. Additionally, his passes earned the team three touchdowns. Marcucella’s impressive performance earned him the title of MASCAC Rookie of the Week Sept. 30. Marcucella said earning the title felt “great! We have a great coaching staff and group of players around me, so it’s really a team award.” Maia said going into the match, the Rams knew it would be a “dogfight.” Following this victory, he said he hopes other teams will “realize that this isn’t the same Framingham as last year. “Being 3-0 definitely brings hope to the team. … Most teams in our conference have had close games as well, so we take every opponent seriously and continue to practice hard to outwork them,” Maia added. The Rams travel to Fitchburg State University for a conference matchup Saturday, Oct. 4.