Bridgewater State Holds Off Fitchburg State, 30-20

Teague total 106 yards rushing and one TD in Falcons MASCAC home opener

FITCHBURG, Mass. (September 28, 2013) - The Fitchburg State football team hosted the Bears of Bridgewater State in a MASCAC showdown this afternoon, suffering a tough 30-20 setback at Elliot Field.

Bridgewater State notched 402 yards of total offense, including 152 yards on the ground and 250 yards in the air to improve to 3-1 on the season (2-0 MASCAC), while Fitchburg State maintained a solid offense all day (346 yards) as it falls to 1-3 on the year and 0-2 in the league.

Junior Steph'fon Teague (Fitchburg, Mass.) led the Falcons' ground attack, totaling 17 carries for 106 yards and one touchdown, while Mike Delaney (Marion, Mass.) finished with 61 yards rushing and 38 yards receiving. Quarterback Garrett Dellechiaie (Leominster, Mass.) completed his day 16-of-25 with 166 yards passing, two TD's and two interceptions.

For the Bears, running back Mike Gentilli (Leominster, Mass.) grinded throughout the contest, posting 70 yards on the ground with two scores, while receiver Matthew Green (Stoughton, Mass.) reeled in nine catches for 136 yards and two scores. Quarterback Mike McCarthy (Edgartown, Mass.) also enjoyed a good afternoon, going 17-of-33 for 250 yards and two TD's, while also rushing for 62 yards on 13 carries.

Fitchburg State struck first midway through the first quarter as Teague busted loose on a 48 yard run, capping a four-play 62 yard drive for a 6-0 advantage. The Bears responded with a Gentilli 3yd touchdown run at the 3:12 mark, but the Falcons regained the lead (12-7) on a Phillip Saint Juste (New Rochelle, N.Y.) 27 yard touchdown strike from Dellechiaie.

Over the next three quarters, Bridgewater State began to open up its offense, building a 28-12 advantage by the 13:50 mark of the fourth. Green gave BSU the lead in the second frame with a 56 yard TD reception (14-12), before Gentilli found pay dirt for the second time with two-yard blast in the third (21-12). Green capped the scoring surge by the Bears with an 11 yard touchdown to start the fourth.

The Falcons inched back with a Jesse Lastra (Lehigh Acres, Fla.) 20 yard TD catch and Dellechiaie two point conversion, but the Bears sealed their third victory of the year as Rob Ruggiero (Acton, Mass.) collected 3.5 sacks over the final five minutes, including a key safety with just 5:01 remaining (30-20).

On the defensive side, Talib Barksdale (Hudson, N.Y.) led the Falcons with 13 tackles, including eight solo efforts, while Alex Alcala (Leominster, Mass.) added 11 stops on the afternoon. Stephen Jacobs (Tyngsboro, Mass.) sparked the Bears defensive efforts with 11 stops (6 solo, 5 assists), while Dillon Huber Parker (Longmont, Colo.) and Jean Sylvain (Malden, Mass.) both snagged interceptions.

Fitchburg State will be in action again next Saturday as it visits Mass-Maritime Academy at 1p .m. Bridgewater State will host Western Connecticut State at 1 p.m.