Fitchburg State Shoots Past Maine Maritime, 34-14

Teague posts 112 yards and two scores in Falcons first divisional victory

FITCHBURG, Mass. (September 22, 2012) – The Fitchburg State football team collected its first New England Football Conference (NEFC) Bogan Division victory this afternoon, defeating Maine Maritime Academy, 34-14 at Elliot Field.

Sophomore Steph'fon Teague (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) paced a balance Falcons attack, posting his third consecutive 100 yard game with 112 yards rushing and two TD's. Teague average 7.4 yards per carry, while surging for a 36 yard touchdown early in the second quarter.

Quarterback Christian Lopez (Bronx, N.Y./Adelia Stephenson) was also solid behind center with 193 yards passing and two touchdowns, while junior Jordan Burris (New Bedford, Mass./New Bedford Voc.) brought in a career-best seven receptions for 152 yards and one score.   

Maine opened the scoring early in the first quarter, finding the pay dirt on its initial possession with a 65 yard, 14 play drive. Junior Billy Wetherbee (Veazie, Maine/John Baptist) capped the Mariners touchdown drive with a three yard run, giving the Mariners a 7-0 advantage through one quarter of play.

In the second quarter, Fitchburg State turned up the heat, posting three touchdowns to take a 21-7 margin into the locker room. Teague kick-started the Falcon rally with his 36 yard TD plunge, before taking advantage of a Mariner turnover for a five-yard score, his second of the day, at the 7:49 mark. Fitchburg State capped the scoring surge as Lopez connected with sophomore Ty Spencer (Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro) with a 15 yard pass down the right sideline.

The Falcons opened up the contest (34-7) with back-to-back scores by Burris and freshman Cody Titus (Peterborough, N.H./Saint Bernards) throughout the third and fourth frames. Burris reeled in a season-long 61 yard TD reception at the 3:52 mark of the third quarter while Titus blasted through the middle for a three-yard touchdown early in the fourth. Maine capped the day's scoring midway through the fourth with a 17 yard run by Michael Cummings (Bucksport, Maine/Bucksport) but that's as close as the Mariners would get to the Falcon lead.

For the contest, Fitchburg State was strong on the offensive end, totaling 342 yards with 149 yards on the ground and 193 through the air. The Falcons defense was just as tough, forcing five Maritime fumbles on the afternoon, while junior Talib Barksdale (Hudson, N.Y./Hudson) controlled the running attack with a team-best 12 tackles, including 1.5 TFL's. Junior Tevin Bienaime (Swansea, Mass./Joseph Case) was also solid with seven solo efforts, while Tyrie Osby (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) added seven tackles with five solo stops and two assists.

Fitchburg State (2-2, 1-0 NEFC) will be back in action next Saturday as it visits Coast Guard Academy at 1:30 p.m. Maine Maritime (0-3, 0-1 NEFC) will host Worcester State University next Saturday at 1 p.m.