Derek Reddy has an interception and forces a fumble to help lead solid defensive effort

BOX SCORE

ASHBURNHAM, Mass. (October 19, 2013) – Sophomore wideout Michael Holdridge (Peru, N.Y.) caught a 37-yard touchdown pass on the final play of overtime to lift the Franklin Pierce University sprint football team to a thrilling 27-24 win over Mansfield on Saturday night at Arthur Hurd Field in Ashburnham, Mass.

The Ravens won their third straight to improve to 4-2 overall, and secure their first winning season in program history in just the team’s second varsity campaign. Mansfield dropped its fifth straight in falling to 1-5.

For the second-straight week the Ravens needed an extra frame to decide the outcome, and for the second-straight week a young squad came of age in finding a way to pull out a heart-stopping victory.

Holdridge’s game-winning touchdown seemed nearly impossible just a play before, as the Ravens were whistled for an offensive face mask, thus moving them back to the 37-yard line and a second down and 22 staring them straight in the face. Plus, Franklin Pierce needed some form of a score to keep the game going after Mansfield had booted a 20-yard field goal on the first series of overtime.

Freshman quarterback Ryan O’Kelly (West Warwick, R.I.) shrugged off the pressure and rolled out on the next play and hit Holdridge in the flat, who turned up field towards the sideline, cut back to the middle, zigged and zagged through a pair of Mansfield defenders and crossed the goal line to cause an eruption from the Ravens bench.

It was Holdridge’s lone catch of the game, but it couldn’t have come at a more crucial time. O’Kelly stepped up and made the throw despite being hounded by Mansfield’s defense all night and completing just 8-of-18 passes for 97 yards and two interceptions.

The gutsy win came after both teams swapped touchdowns in the fourth quarter to force overtime.

The Ravens went on top 21-14 with 8:22 remaining as O’Kelly plunged in on a one-yard quarterback sneak just a few players after he had sparked the drive by connecting with his fullback Tryce Williams (The Colony, Texas) on a 25-yard pass play.

Franklin Pierce’s scoring drive was set up by junior defensive back Derek Reddy (Natick, Mass.), who caused a fumble on Mansfield’s prior series to set up the Ravens up at the 46-yard line going in. Reddy was a playmaker for the Ravens all night as he also intercepted a pass, broke up another and had three tackles. Reddy could have had another interception earlier in the game, but his pick was called off after a personal foul against the Franklin Pierce defense kept a Mansfield drive going.

The Mountaineers didn’t go away after O’Kelly’s TD run, and answered by putting together a 13-play, 75-yard drive in 7:22, capped by a Joe Bucek four-yard scoring toss from Mike Maniscalo with exactly one minute remaining.

Both teams had one final series left in regulation, but could not do anything with the football.

The game was equal for the most part with Mansfield holding a slight 279-251 edge in total offense. However, the Mountaineers turned it over three times, while the Ravens committed a pair of miscues themselves.

As was the case of all night, both teams grinded out scoring drives in the first half as the score was tied 14-14 at halftime.

Mansfield opened the scoring with a 46-yard touchdown pass from Maniscalo to Bucek six minutes into the game, but Franklin Pierce countered with a six-minute touchdown drive of its own as sophomore running back D.J. MacDonald (Mattapoisett, Mass.) powered in from two yards out.

MacDonald rushed 30 times for 103 yards and two touchdowns, with his second one coming on a one-yard smash through the left side of the line late in the second quarter to knot it up at 14-all.

Franklin Pierce was led defensively by Nick Trochalakis (Rochester, N.H.), who logged a team-high 10 tackles, including two for loss and a sack. Josh Castro (Nashua, N.H.) was in one nine stops as well, and Connor Rogowsky (Nashua, N.H.) had the other interception for the Ravens.

Bucek caught six balls for 98 yards and two scores, while Jason Winters and Evan Ruggles paced a solid Mountaineer defensive effort with 13 and 12 tackles, respectively.

Franklin Pierce closes out its memorable 2013 season next Saturday when the Ravens play host to Post University at 12 p.m. in Ashburnham.

For more information on Franklin Pierce sprint football, please visit the team’s page at http://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 online store at http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store(.)