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Panthers finish with a loss

PLYMOUTH – Junior David Hamilton ran for 82 yards and a touchdown but Plymouth State University fell to Husson University, 21-10, in a non-conference football game on Senior Day at Currier Field on Saturday.

Hamilton punched the ball in from 1 yard out midway through the second quarter, and sophomore Jeremy Martin booted a 42-yard field goal just before the end of the first half as PSU went into the intermission with a 10-7 lead.

The Eagles came out of the break and marched downfield to pull in front on a quarterback keeper, and late in the third quarter the visitors pulled ahead after a blocked punt.

Plymouth State wrapped up the regular season with a 6-4 mark. Husson improved to 8-2.

“We had our chances, but you can’t make mistakes against a team of that caliber,” Plymouth State head coach Paul Castonia said. “Husson didn’t make the mistakes and that was the difference. It’s a rough way for the seniors to go out, but they’ve really contributed to the program over the last four years and will certainly be missed.”

            How it Happened:

* After slow starts for both offenses, Plymouth State moved the ball into Husson territory on its second possession, but the drive was cut short when Eagles’ sophomore De’Wayne Smith  jumped in front of a PSU pass and returned it 35 yards to set up the visitors with great field position.

* Husson took advantage, covering 43 yards in six plays to break through. Sophomore Miece Loureiro picked up 35 yards on the ground, capping the drive with an 8-yard burst as the Eagles went ahead 7-0 with 1:48 remaining in the first quarter.

* The teams traded punts, then Plymouth State’s offense found its groove. Senior Zack Edwards connected with freshman Gavin Moody for a 19-yard gain, then hit sophomore Max Osgood for an 11-yard pick-up. Hamilton followed with 45 yards on the ground, including a 1-yard dive into the end zone, and Martin split the uprights to tie the game with 7:10 left in the half.

* Senior Ty Bassett took the kickoff back 29 yards to the Husson 43-yard line, but the Eagles were unable to move the ball and senior Brady LaFrance  made a great play to break up a sure first down pass.

* Plymouth State’s next drive was stalled after a holding penalty, but Martin pinned the Eagles deep with a 53-yard punt.

* Freshman Jaquan Seme made a big tackle to force a Husson punt on the following possession and the Panthers took over on the Eagles’ 48-yard line. Edwards hit Hamilton for a 15-yard gain, then scrambled for an 8-yard gain to set up a 42-yard field goal by Martin as PSU pulled in front, 10-7, with 33 seconds left in the half.

* Husson took the second half kickoff and marched downfield 57 yards in 10 plays. Senior Cory Brandon capped the drive with a 1-yard TD run on a QB keeper with 4:37 left in the third quarter. The key play on the drive was a 13-yard completion from Brandon to Bassett on a third and long.

* After the teams traded punts, senior John Chen made the play of the game blocking a Martin punt that was recovered by the Eagles on the Plymouth State 14-yard line. Two plays later Brandon hooked up with senior Kyle Gaudet in the end zone as Husson extended the lead to 21-10.

* PSU moved the ball to the Husson 32-yard line on the next drive with a key 15-yard completion to junior Jacob Szulc but Edwards was stuffed on a fourth-and-2 and Husson took over on downs.

* Neither team was able to sustain a drive as the Eagles held on for the win.

            Inside the Numbers:

* The Panthers’ defense limited Husson to half its season average of 42.9 points per game.

* Edwards finished 13-of-25 for 157 yards for the Panthers, while Brandon ended 15-of-24 for 135 yards and one touchdown.

* Loureiro picked up 151 yards on 34 carries and one touchdown for Husson.

* Senior Grant McGregor recorded a game-high 11 tackles for PSU, while freshman Ace Curry and sophomore Kaleb Caron each made 11 stops for the Eagles.

* The game marked the final contest in the careers of PSU seniors Brad Rhoades (Epsom, N.H.), Edwards, John Devlin (West Islip, N.Y.), Emil Cederblad (Stockholm, Sweden), Cam McGhee (Winchester, Mass.), McGregor, Jeff Madden (Wolfeboro, N.H.), Logan Edstrom (Shrewsbury, Mass.), Mitch Banuskevich (Milford, N.H.), Brady LaFrance (West Paris, Maine), Sean Peet (Glen Cove, N.Y.), Matt Ordway (Walpole, Mass.), Malcolm Huesman (Burlington, Vt.), Teagan Tirabassi (Attleboro, Mass.), Zack Kelley (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and student assistant coach Luke Yanke (Ashford, Conn.).

 

 

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