Written by Director of Athletic Communications Luke Tracy 

RAVEN STANDOUTS:
Alex Benitez: 2 TD's, 25 carries, 154 yards
Andrew Meleski: 27 carries, 126 yards
Reimello Hyde: 20 carries, 95 yards
Caden Hinton: 3 solo tackles, 2 assisted tackles, 5 total

Notable Statistics: 
- FPU recorded 416 yards: 2 yards passing, 414 rushing
- FPU had 27 first downs compared to Post's 11 
- FPU possessed the ball for 40:19 compared to Post's 19:31

RINDGE, N.H. (10/21/2023) – After a hard-fought battle in the rain, Franklin Pierce football fell 16-13 to the Post University Eagles Saturday afternoon.

With the loss, the Ravens move to 3-4(2-2, NE10) on the season. For Post, the victory marked the end of a 16-game losing streak and was the team's first win as a division II program.

The game kicked off at 1:00 PM, and shortly after it started, pouring rains blanketed Sodexo. As fans surrounding the field broke out their umbrellas, coaches tucked the passing play sheets in their back pockets and depended almost entirely on their running backs to move the ball down field.

The offensive side of the ball was slowing going in the first quarter which saw four punts and a fumble. Post started the second quarter with a short field goal to give them the 3-0 lead.

The following drive, the Ravens started at their own 23-yard line which is when their running backs went to work. Andrew Meleski (Ashland, Mass.) was handed the ball six times, Joziah Gonzalez (Meridan, Conn.) had a carry himself and then finally Alex Benitez (Belle Meade, N.J.) finished the job with a six-yard punch into the endzone to give the Ravens their first lead of the game. Nolan Startzell (Scituate, Mass.) came in for the extra point making it s 7-3 game. It was no question the rain was making things difficult for QBs and wide receivers as the Raven's first drive only saw two pass attempts that fell to the turf, the rest of the 77-yard drive came from handoffs and hard running.

During the next drive, Franklin Pierce defender Trey Creamer (Cartersville, Ga.) intercepted a pass on the very first play, but the following offensive attack from the Ravens fell short and ended after a missed field goal attempt. At halftime, the Ravens led 7-3.

After a strong defensive stop by the Ravens to start the second half, FPU started a drive from their own 30 yard-line. Again, offensive calls from the Pierce sideline were riddled with runs. Meleski was handed the ball seven plays in a row, given a quick break as Benitez checked in for a 14 yard run, and then the two traded off plays. Making their way to the Post 1-yardline, Benitez punched it in for his second touchdown of the day. After a failed field goal attempt, the Ravens led the Eagles 13-3 with 5 minutes left in the 3^rd.

The Eagles wasted no time trying to get back into the game. During their next drive, Post running back Isaiah Emmanuel was handed the ball at the Post 24 yard line. Cutting up field, Emmanuel hit the jets and ran for a 76-yard touchdown. Post ended up missing the extra point making it a 13-9 Ravens lead.

Following the long rushing touchdown from Post, things went south for the Ravens offensively. In the final 20 minutes of the game, the Ravens fumbled the ball three times. The final fumble happened with just under five minutes left in the game. Capitalizing on the mistake, Post threw a pass on the first play of the drive which ended in a 63 yard touchdown for the Eagles. With the extra point, Post went up 16-13 with 4:30 left on the clock.

The Ravens offense tried to make a final push but ultimately turned the ball over on downs. With a kneel down, the Eagles piled on another at the away team sideline, celebrating their first win in DII program history.

NEXT FOR THE RAVENS: Franklin Pierce now enters the final leg of the season with just three games left to play. On Saturday, FPU heads to Bentley to play the falcons at 2:00 PM. The following weeks include a game on Saturday November, 4 at 12:00 PM, and then a final home game Saturday November 11^th at 1:00 PM.