Sprint Football Gives Spirited Effort in Tough 29-21 Loss to Post
Mike Abrams rushes for 118 yards and three touchdowns
ASHBURNHAM, Mass. (November 3, 2012) -- The Franklin
Pierce University sprint football team concluded its inaugural
season on Saturday night with a solid effort but a tough 29-21 loss
to Post University at Arthur Hurd Field in Ashburnham, Mass. The
Ravens closed the season with a 1-4 record, while Post won its
fifth straight to go to 5-2 on the year.
Freshman tailback Mike Abrams (Newark, N.J.), who rushed for 118 yards and three scores, scored his third touchdown of the night on a one-yard plunge a minute into the fourth quarter, to pull the Ravens within one at 22-21.
Franklin Pierce, though, could not convert the extra point and Post made it an eight-point game on its next possession as Dwayne Carter hit Daniel Awwad in the back of the end zone on a 10-yard touchdown pass.
The Ravens had the ball two more possessions, but Post's defense held strong both times to pull out the win.
Franklin Pierce rushed for 149 yards and passed for only 17, but was forced to stick to the ground as starting quarterback Tyler Mathews (Lunenburg, Mass.) left the game early in the first half with an injury.
Seven different Ravens carried the ball, highlighted by the breakout effort of Abrams, who's 118 yards were a season-high.
Abrams kick-started a wild first quarter with a 61-yard touchdown run 90 seconds into the period to stake the Ravens to the 7-0 lead.
The lead was short-lived as Jay'Len Mahan returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown to knot the score at 7-all.
Franklin Pierce's defense also got into the act in the opening 15 minutes as defensive lineman Nick Trochalakis (Rochester, N.H.) and defensive back Derek Reddy (Natick, Mass.) recovered a fumble and picked off a pass (57-yard return), respectively.
Abrams, again, sparked the Ravens early in the second quarter with a 40-yard touchdown run to make it 13-7, but Post was able to block the extra point to keep it a six-point margin. Awwad caught the first of his two TD passes moments later, this one a 63-yard strike from Carter, to pull even at 13-13. However, it was Franklin Pierce's turn to block the extra point as Shawn DeCost (Nashua, N.H.) swatted away the kick and Connor Rogowsky (Nashua, N.H.) scooped up the loose ball and returned it 90 yards for two points and a 15-13 Ravens lead with 13:22 left in the half.
Post ended up taking a 19-15 lead into the locker room at halftime as late in the second quarter Carter tossed a 52-yard scoring pass to Shawn Boose. Peter Cleary booted a 19-yard field goal late in the third quarter to extend Post's lead to 22-15 before Abrams made things interesting late with his third score.
DeCost ended with eight tackles and an interception for Franklin Pierce, while linebacker James Willette (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.) made a game-high 10 stops.
The win allowed Post to claim the B&G Sports CSFL Talon Cup, which will be awarded annually to the winner of the Franklin Pierce-Post series, as the two schools are the only ones based in New England in the Collegiate Sprint Football League.
For more information on Franklin Pierce sprint football, please visit the team's page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.) To follow the program even further, please visit Franklin Pierce Athletics on YouTube (www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter (www.twitter.com/FPUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce sprint football apparel can do so on the athletic department's new online store at athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store(.)