WEST POINT, N.Y. (October 21, 2016) – The Franklin Pierce University sprint football team hit the road on Friday night and suffered a 39-8 loss at Army West Point in Collegiate Sprint Football League play at Shea Stadium. Sophomore quarterback Keegan West threw for 288 yards and four touchdowns to lead the way for the Black Knights.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 2-3, while Army improves to 5-1.

It would be the Franklin Pierce special teams which would strike first on Friday night on the banks of the Hudson River. Army went three-and-out on the game's opening drive and set up to punt from its own 19-yard line. Senior linebacker Josh Castro (Nashua, N.H.) was able to get through to block the punt, and Army eventually fell on the ball in its own end zone, resulting in a safety and a 2-0 Franklin Pierce lead just 57 seconds into the proceedings.

It was all downhill from there, however, as the Ravens surrendered the game's next 39 points. Army would take the lead for good, with a special teams score of its own. With the Ravens set to punt on fourth-and-23 from their own 25-yard line, freshman punter Kyle McNeely (Willingboro, N.J.) put the football on the ground and saw it recovered by Army freshman defensive back Connor Long in the end zone for a touchdown. A personal foul pushed back the extra-point attempt, which was then missed, leaving Army with a 6-2 lead.

Army would record a safety at the end of the ensuing drive to make it 8-2 with 7:32 to play in the first quarter. It was another botched punt which hurt the Ravens, as Franklin Pierce was forced to fall on a fumble in its own end zone.

After the two teams traded punts, Army would find the first offensive points of the game with 88 seconds to play in the first quarter. A punt by McNeely pinned Army at its own 2-yard line for the start of the drive, but the Black Knights would still score two plays later. After a rush for no gain, West hit junior wide receiver Ty Galyean for a 98-yard touchdown strike, which would make it a 15-2 Army lead.

Army would add two touchdowns in the second quarter and a touchdown and a field goal in the third quarter to balloon the lead to 39-2. In the second quarter, West threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wideout Seth Willis, and later followed with a 60-yard touchdown throw to senior wide receiver Austin Breed. In the third quarter, sophomore kicker John Abercrombie connected on a 37-yard field goal, and West capped Army's scoring by finding Galyean for a seven-yard touchdown pass.

Franklin Pierce created the 39-8 final with a 33-yard touchdown rush from freshman running back Kobie Smith (Leominster, Mass.) with just 1:48 to play.

Franklin Pierce was held to just 53 yards of total offense on the day, including minus-12 rushing yards. Army countered with 111 rushing yards and 312 more through the air for 423 yards of total offense.

Freshman running back Ahzir Turner (Schenectady, N.Y.) led the Ravens in rushing with 61 yards on 12 carries (5.1 yards per carry). Junior quarterback Jose Melo (Greenwich, Conn.) finished just 4-for-23 for 65 yards on the day, was sacked three times and threw two interceptions. Freshman linebacker Bailee Johns (Fitzwilliam, N.H.) led the defense with 10 tackles (three solo).

For Army, junior running back Quay Gilmore led the way with 42 rushing yards on just six carries (7.0 yards per carry). West went 10-for-25 on the night to finish with 288 yards and threw for four scores while being sacked three times. Galyean had two catches, both for touchdowns, totaling 105 yards. Sophomore defensive lineman James Scroggins led the defense with eight tackles (one solo), including two tackles for loss and one forced fumble.

The Ravens return to the field on Saturday, Oct. 29, when they return home to host Chestnut Hill. Opening kickoff is set for noon at Sodexo Field in Rindge.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce sprint football apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).