Football tramples Corsairs with last minute interception
By Sarah Daponde Editorial Staff The Framingham State football team beat UMass Dartmouth 23-21 in a nail-biting conference game Friday, Sept. 18. This win strengthens their record, leaving them 2-0 before their next game Saturday Sept. 26 at Bridgewater State. MASCAC named three Rams “Player of the Week” following the game. This included junior Ty Kelley for Special Teams Player of the Week, sophomore Michael Marcucella for Offensive Player of the Week, and junior Trevyon Fields for Defensive Player of the Week. Fields said being named Player of the Week means a lot to him. “I’ve put in a lot of work to get to this point. … At the same time, I know I couldn’t have done it without my teammates and coaches putting me in a position to succeed,” he added. Kelley said being named Player of the Week is “awesome,” but he wants to continue to keep improving as an individual and as a team throughout the season. The Rams won the coin toss, and freshman Brandon Snyder delivered the kickoff to Dartmouth for 61 yards. The Corsairs were unable to gain significant yardage, and Framingham received a punt of 39 yards to begin their drive. On the third down, a pass to Marcucella was intercepted, leaving possession back in the hands of Dartmouth. Dartmouth’s run consisted of a gain of 7 yards and an out-of-bounds pass before Framingham began their drive from the 19-yard line. A victorious pass 30 yards deep left to senior Mathias Fowler from Marcucella secured the first touchdown of the game, accompanied by a successful kick attempt by Kelley for the extra point. The first quarter soon ended 7-0 Framingham with no other points earned. The second quarter opened with an incomplete pass from Marcucella to Fowler, followed by a fumble by Marcucella recovered by Dartmouth. The Corsairs evened the score with a touchdown on third down and a good kick attempt, bringing the score to 7-7. The remainder of the second quarter passed without either team advancing their scores, and they remained tied going into the new half. The Rams kicked off the second half with an out-of-bounds punt. Framingham made a comeback in their next possession, as Marcucella threw a triumphant pass to Fowler in the endzone. The extra point was secured by Kelley, bringing the score to 14-7 Framingham. The Corsairs received the punt at the 31-yard line and began their drive to the endzone, which ended in a touchdown for Dartmouth. The score remained 14-14 for the remainder of the third quarter. The final quarter picked up quickly, and the Rams wasted no time rushing to the endzone. Marcucella completed yet another thrilling pass to Fowler for a touchdown. Kelley’s attempt at an extra point was unsuccessful, with the score 20-14 in favor of Framingham. Dartmouth was awarded a false-start penalty at the beginning of their first down, but this did not stop the Corsairs from obtaining another touchdown. The kick attempt effectively earned them another point, leaving Framingham down 21-20. With only two minutes left on the clock, Kelley made a nail-biting kick attempt, resulting in a thrilling two-point gain for the Rams. This brought the score to 23-21, securing the victory for Framingham. Fields said being the current MASCAC champions set a high standard for the Rams, motivating them to uphold the level of success they reached last season. “We know teams are going to give us their best shot, so we have to come prepared,” he added. Marcucella said the expectations on their team have never been higher. “We have a target on our back, and we’re working as hard as we can to defend the title,” he added. Going into their next game, he said the team is working on limiting turnovers. Fields said the team is focusing on fixing the “little mistakes,” including execution and communication. “We just want to keep building as a team, stay focused, and take the season one game at a time.” The Rams travel to Bridgewater State for their next conference game on Saturday, Sept. 26.
