Football hosts first NCAA playoff game in program history: Falls to LaGrange in nailbiter season finale

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST

By Izabela Gage

Sports Editor

By Taylor Kimmell

Asst. Sports Editor

The Framingham State Rams hosted their first NCAA playoff match in program history against the LaGrange College Panthers on Nov. 22.

FSU concluded their regular season as the 2025 MASCAC Champions, boasting a conference record of 7-2 and an overall record of 7-4.

Winning the opening coin toss against LaGrange, the Rams chose to defer to the second half.

Senior kicker Dillon Mangus kicked the ball 42 yards to LaGrange’s own 23-yard line. 

Panthers’ tight end Mychal Stillwell received it, returning the ball 13 yards before he was tackled.

The Panthers’ possession yielded two short gains for 11 and 8 yards, but were forced to punt after they were held by FSU’s defense.

With the ball at the Rams’ 16-yard line, Framingham sophomore running back Jaheim Daniels rushed the ball for two short gains, but LaGrange’s defense eventually forced FSU to punt.

LaGrange’s next drive was cut short by plays from Kissi, sophomore Gabe Grzyboski, and freshman Zimari Omosefe.

Rushes from Daniels and sophomore Januel Perez, as well as a completed pass from freshman quarterback Michael Marcucella to junior wide receiver Alex Maia, proved ineffective against LaGrange’s defense, and possession swapped once again.

After two rushes and a completed pass moved LaGrange to Framingham’s 37-yard line, the team tried for a field goal that sailed perfectly through the posts to put the first points on the board.

Framingham began their next drive from the 28-yard line. Marcucella completed passes to junior Stephen Gallant and sophomore Adrian Sarette for gains of 7 and 17 yards, respectively. Short rushes and another completed pass positioned Framingham on the LaGrange 37-yard line as the clock ran down to end the first quarter.

The Rams had a rough start to the second quarter. Marcucella attempted two passes - the first incomplete and the second intercepted by LaGrange defender Messiah Scandrett, who ran the ball to the Framingham 31-yard line.

The Panthers’ drive was cut short by plays from Omosefe and sophomores James Wilder and Tyrell Fuller.

The Rams, with the ball on their own 28-yard line, began to make up the ground with four completed passes by Marcucella to junior Mathias Fowler, sophomore Ty Kelley, and Maia.

On the next play, Daniels rushed the ball for a decisive 37-yard gain, breaching the endzone for a Framingham touchdown. A kick from Ty Kelley secured the extra point, bringing the score to 7-3 in favor of the Rams.

LaGrange’s next drive was slowed by Framingham’s impenetrable defensive wall, only making it to the Rams’ 27-yard line.

FSU’s next possession yielded similar results, with short gains only moving the Rams to the LaGrange 44-yard line before the ball was returned to the Panthers.

With 3:21 left in the half, the Panthers set their sights on a lead change. Strong passes coupled with several short rushes situated the team at first-and-goal. A quick 2-yard rush on the next play, followed by a successful kick for the extra point, turned the match in favor of LaGrange 10-7.

FSU junior Khalil Erazo received LaGrange’s kickoff, returning the ball to the Framingham 38-yard line. On the next play, the Panthers' defense forced a 2-yard loss for the Rams, ending the half.

The second half opened with a reviewed and overturned targeting call on LaGrange before their kickoff went out of bounds, placing the ball at Framingham’s 35-yard line. 

Following the Rams’ opening drive, they were forced into a quick three-and-out after sophomore running back Makoto Uchikawa was stopped for a loss, and a blocked punt set LaGrange up at the Framingham 24-yard line. 

On the Panthers’ second-and-10, LaGrange running back Tacaris Bozeman broke free for a 24-yard touchdown, extending the Panthers’ lead to 17-7.

After Marcucella completed short passes to Daniels and freshman running back Ransford Adri, possession was turned over to LaGrange after a 29-yard punt by Sarrette, and the Panthers advanced steadily from their own 35-yard line. 

Although the Panthers moved as far as the Rams’ 18-yard line, a sack by senior defensive end Kymauny Roland halted the drive, and LaGrange missed a 39-yard field goal.

Framingham responded with a longer possession, starting with Marcucella connecting on a pass to Sarrette for 16 yards. Daniels added a 2-yard rush, but the Rams were forced to punt again after two incomplete passes. 

Another defensive stand from the Rams held the Panthers to only a 5-yard gain on their next series.

The Rams seized momentum at their own 10-yard line, and Marcucella found Sarrette for a 3-yard gain. Marcucella then connected with Ty Kelley for a 59-yard completion to LaGrange’s 28-yard line. 

A 9-yard rush by Marcucella, followed by a series of short passes, set up a 15-yard touchdown pass to Sarrette with 1:22 remaining in the quarter, narrowing the deficit to 17-14.

LaGrange tried to answer, driving from their own 41-yard line, but they could only reach Framingham’s 35. 

Early in the fourth, the Panthers pushed inside the 30 but were stopped after a pair of incompletions, turning the ball over on downs.

Framingham’s next drive was strong, with Marcucella completing a pass to Stephen Gallant for 17 yards, but a holding penalty and a sack halted their momentum. The Rams were forced to punt again, and LaGrange regained possession at their 36. 

After a three-and-out and another Framingham punt, LaGrange put together one of their longest drives of the game. 

A sequence of rushes, combined with a completed pass by the Panthers, brought them to Framingham’s 2-yard line. Bozeman made a 2-yard rush, giving LaGrange a 24-14 advantage.

Framingham refused to give up. Starting at their 36-yard line, the Rams moved quickly as Marcucella found Maia and Sarrette on consecutive plays. 

After converting a fourth-and-5 and finding Fowler for 33 yards, Marcucella ran it in from the 2-yard line with 23 seconds left, and Ty Kelley made the extra point kick, bringing the score to 24-21.

The ensuing onside kick was recovered by LaGrange, allowing the Panthers to run the clock and secure the win despite Framingham’s late push.

Marcucella said the team emphasized focusing on the controllables against the Panthers. “That’s what I tried to do all game - control what I can control.”

Marcucella earned MASCAC Rookie of the Week for the third time this season, and Ty Kelley earned MASCAC Special Teams Player of the Week Nov. 15.

Junior defensive back Amari Williams, sophomore defensive lineman Korrey Barron, and Roland earned a spot on the All-Conference Defensive First Team, while Fowler earned one on the All-Conference Offensive First Team.

Wilder was named to the All-Conference Defensive Second Team, while sophomore offensive guard Dylan Burdick, Maia, and Daniels were named to the All-Conference Offensive Second Team.

Marcucella said “total team effort and complementary football” contributed to the team’s success this season.

“When we played a full game in all three phases, we rarely lost games. It also helps to have the defense we had making plays all year,” he added.

He said from week one to facing LaGrange in the playoffs, the team has grown with “handling adversity individually and as a team. We learned throughout the year that calls and other things aren’t always going to go our way, and we chose to just fight through that.”

Marcucella said this game “was huge for me. I know the history of this program and how much it means to so many different people. I took pride in playing at home.”

Head Coach Thomas Kelley said, although he wanted the outcome to be different, “The football team represented themselves very well. We could have won the game, for sure. We're competitive.”

He added, “It was a really weird week of practice, as the team is so young and they don't know what they don't know. So, I think they were a little nervous and anxious. … I didn't know what the outcome would be, but they stood tall.”

Thomas Kelley said every year comes with “different circumstances, and the adversity that these kids have faced this year, they just can't buy that experience.

“I played on the first team here, and I've seen every team that's gone through. I'm not exaggerating when I say no team worked harder from January to November than this team. … It is the hardest-working team that has ever come through. That's a fact,” he added.

He said he can’t be prouder of every player on the team “because the players do it, not the coaches. … People always ask me, ‘What's your formula for success?’ It's simple. You surround yourself with good people, and good things happen.”

He added, “The future looks bright, but we’ve got to get better. We’re in stage three of a total rebuild, and I'm not letting that go. We're trying to raise the bar every year and bring in better players, and that's what we're trying to do now.”