Greyhounds stopped by Merrimack, 34-7, in Senior Day finale

November 8, 2008

Merrimack 34, Assumption 7

WORCESTER, Mass. --- Freshman quarterback JAMES SUOZZO (Everett, MA/Bridgton) completed 24-of-39 passes for 338 yards and four touchowns to lead Merrimack College past Assumption College, 34-7, in a non-conference football game SATURDAY at the Multi-Sport Stadium.

The teams ended the first-half in a 7-0 defensive struggle with the Warriors scoring with just 11 seconds left in the second period. Merrimack exploded for three third-period scores en route to the convincing final.

Sharing the spotlight for the Warriors was junior wide receiver JEREMIAH WATTS (Clovis, CA/Canterbury School), who caught nine passes for 101 yards; senior wide receiver JAWARA LOFTIS (Dorchester, MA/Melrose), who caught three passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns, and freshman wide receiver QUAVARI JACKSON (Lynn, MA/Lynn Classical), who snared seven passes for 87 yards and two scores.

For the Greyhounds, senior wide receiver JOEY FABIANO (Westwood, MA/Westwood) caught a career-high 11 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown in his final game and freshman punter GREG NOWAK (West Palm Beach, FL/Wellington) had seven punts for a 40.4 average.

Merrimack got on the board at the end of the first half as the Greyhounds missed a scoring opportunity on a wide-left 25-yard field goal attempt. The Warriors then drove 80 yards in six plays with Suozzo pitching a two-yard scoring pass to Jackson with 11 seconds left. Sophomore placekicker PEDROM TAND (Northboro, MA/Algonquin) made the conversion for a 7-0 lead.

Junior running back JAKE MANNING (Dunstable, MA/Ayer) rushed 16 yards up-the-middle to start the march and Suozzo completed a 54-yard bomb to Jackson to give the Warriors a first-and-goal at the five.

The Warriors then struck quickly in the third period as Suozzo found Loftis on a 51-yard scoring strike on the first play. Tand made the conversion for a 14-0 lead.

When the Greyhounds senior linebacker DAN HICKEY (Auburn, MA/Auburn) partially blocked a Tand punt, the Assumption offense roared-to-life and marched 45 yards in five plays for its only score.

Sophomore quarterback JOSH RATACIK (Manchester, NH/Central) completed three passes to Fabiano for seven, eight and 16 yards, the final for the score. Sophomore running back LANCE MITCHELL (Boynton Beach, FL/Pope John Paul II) scampered twice for five and nine yards. Freshman ZACK OKOLOWITCZ (Cranston, RI/Cranston West) kicked the conversion.

Merrimack however came right back on its next series taking advantage of an onside kick recovered by freshman OMARI MOBLEY (Hanover, PA/Kimball Union). Suozzo then completed four-of-five passes---three to Watts for nine, 13 and 11 yards in a five-play, 45-yard drive, capped by a seven-yard scoring strike to Loftis. Tand's conversion made it 21-7 with 7:50 left in the third period.

On their next series the Warriors would drive 74 yards in 11 plays on a drive started after the Greyhounds were stopped on a fourth-down play.

Suozzo completed four-of-six passes for 40 yards and rushed for 25 yards to key the drive. He fired a 17-yard scoring pass to Jackson with 1:16 left in the period. The Hounds' freshman defensive end KEVIN PICKETTE (Burlington, MA/Burlington) blocked the conversion leaving the score at 27-7.

Merrimack drove 76 yards in eight plays with Manning's three-yard run off-left tackle the scoring play. Tand's conversion kick made the final 34-7.

GREYHOUND NOTES: sophomore quarterback JOSH RATACIK (Manchester, NH/Central) completed 16-of-30 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown and completed his first year as starting quarterback 163-for-277 for 1,621 yards and nine scores . . . senior wide receiver JOEY FABIANO (Westwood, MA/Westwood) caught 11 passes (fourth best in Hounds' history) for 119 yards and finished his season with 62 receptions for 616 yards and eight scores . . . in his superb career he caught 123 passes (third best in Hounds' history) for 1,361 yards (fourth-best in Hounds' history) . . . his 62 receptions this season tied junior teammate DAVID CANNEY (Templeton, MA/Narragansett) for the most in a single season (Canney did it last year) . . . and his eight touchdown catches this season tied the single-season record set by Eric Mauer '01 in 2000 . . . senior safety CHRIS MARTINO (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) had 1-6--7 tackles to complete his career at 151-156--307 (sixth best in Hounds' history) . . . junior middle linebacker DUSTIN ZITZMANN (Pinellas Park, FL/Dixie Hollins) finished with 3-3--6 tackles and became the ninth Greyhound to reach 300 tackles . . . he now has 109-192--301 in his career . . . he trails career leader Bill Guilfoil '95 (275-134--409) by 108 . . .

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