Greyhounds defense stymies Bentley, 14-10, in NE-10 football

September 30, 2006

WORCESTER, Mass. --- Freshman quarterback MARSHALL THARPE (Irvine, CA/Santa Magarita) fired a 25-yard scoring pass to junior wide receiver JAKE BEERS (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) with 11:54 left as Assumption College rallied to defeat Bentley College, 14-10, in a Northeast-10 Conference football game at the Multi-Sport Stadium here SATURDAY.

The win was the first for the Greyhounds, now 3-2 overall and 3-2 in the conference, over the Falcons since 1985 . . . a span of 21 games. It was the first win since 1976 in Worcester. Bentley is now 2-3 overall and 1-3 in the conference.

The game was not over however until the Greyhounds defense rose to the occasion on the final series stopping the Falcons at the three.

Junior end JARED KELLY (Canton, MA/Xaverian) (PICTURED RIGHT) completed a superb game stuffing Bentley sophomore quarterback JOHN WHITE (Kingston, MA/Archbishop Williams) on a fourth-and-one at the three to seal it.

Kelly finished with 7-1--8 tackles with three quarterback sacks, three pressures and forced a fumble as the Greyhounds limited the Falcons to just 179 yards of total offense--an average of 2.8 yards per play! Bentley rushed 27 times for just 84 yards averaging 1.9 yards per rush.

The Greyhounds opened the scoring in the first period driving 67 yards in seven plays. Two Tharpe completions to freshman tight end MATT THIBEAULT (Fitchburg, MA/Fitchburg/Worcester Academy) for 19 yards and to freshman wide receiver DAVID CANNEY (Templeton, MA/Narragansett) for 18 yards highlighted the march capped by an 18 yard touchdown counter by senior running back KEVIN L'ECUYER (Leominster, MA/Leominster). Senior placekicker MIKE TOBIN (Woburn, MA/Woburn) added the conversion.

The Hounds led 7-0 at the break with its defense leading the way. The Falcons had the ball for three-and-out four consecutive times and had just one sustained offensive surge driving 49 yards in 11 plays --- a missed 37-yard field goal resulting.

The game quickly took a turn in Bentley's direction in the third period as senior linebacker DERRICK MARSAN (Methuen, MA/Methuen) picked off a Tharpe pass over-the-middle and scampered 38 yards unscathed for the touchdown. Freshman placekicker TYLER MC NAMARA (Medway, MA/Medway) made the score-tying conversion 1:19 into the period.

The Falcons then took the lead (10-7) as McNamara converted a 38-yard field goal---his season- and career-best---with 5:17 left in the third period. The drive started as the Falcons junior corner PAUL TETZEL (Millbury, MA/Millbury) stopped Hounds junior MATT KLASKIN (Norfolk, MA/Xaverian) on a fake punt play at the Assumption 44.

Sophomore quarterback JOHN WHITE (Kingston, MA/Archbishop Williams) completed a 21-yard pass to junior tight end KEVIN GALLANT (Acton, MA/Acton-Boxboro) to highlight the short drive.

The Hounds took the lead with 11:54 left as Tharpe found Beers over-the-middle for a touchdown capping a nine-play, 80-yard march. Tharpe completed five-of-five passes in the drive---to sophomore wide receiver JOEY FABIANO (Westwood, MA/Westwood) for eight yards . . . to junior tight end JAKE LONGENECKER (Fernandina, FL/Manchester, NH West) for 18 yards . . . to Fabiano again for four yards and five yards . . . and finally to Beers for 25 yards and the touchdown. Tobin's conversion made it a four-point game, 14-10.

The Hounds defense then took over.

Bentley was three-and-out, one-and-done on the first career interception by freshman linebacker DUSTIN ZITZMANN (Pinellas Park, FL/Dixie Hollins) and five plays and stopped on fourth down as Jared Kelly and senior tackle PAT CALLAHAN (North Haven, CT/North Haven) harassed White.

The Falcons final drive started from their own 20 --- following a 42 yard punt by Hounds' junior JUSTIN ANTONE (Dracut, MA/Bishop Guertin) into the endzone.

White completed passes to sophomore tight end KEVIN DOHERTY (Kingston, MA/Archbishop Williams) for 12 yards . . . to junior wide receiver TODD NORLEY (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury) for 31 yards and to junior running back J.J. SULLIVAN (Tyngsboro, MA/Tyngsboro) for 11 yards to the Hounds' three. Kelly stopped White for no gain to stop the drive.

GREYHOUNDS GAME NOTES: freshman wide receiver DAVID CANNEY (Templeton, MA/Narragansett) had six receptions for 61 yards (season: 17 rec., 172 yards) . . . junior wide receiver JAKE BEERS (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) had five receptions for 50 yards (season: 20 rec., 296 yards) and (career: 77 rec., 902 yards) . . . junior tight end JAKE LONGENECKER (Fernandina, FL/Manchester, NH West) had three receptions for 34 yards (season: 19 rec., 262 yards) and (career: 62 rec., 848 yards) . . . sophomore wide receiver JOEY FABIANO (Westwood, MA/Westwood) had three receptions for 17 yards (season: 18 rec., 141 yards) . . . freshman quarterback MARSHALL THARPE (Irvine, CA/Santa Magarita) completed 19-of-31 passes in his first collegiate start with 181 yards . . . senior linebacker MARK CINAR (Watertown, MA/Watertown) led the Hounds with 6-4--10 tackles . . .

NEXT WEEK: the Greyhounds are at Southern Connecticut State University in another Northeast-10 Conference game FRIDAY at 7 p.m.

CLICK HERE for complete scoring summary