THROGGS NECK, N.Y. – The Maritime football team made two separate fourth-down stops in the second half to secure a 13-7 victory over the Kings Point Mariners. The win improves the Privateers record to 2-1 on the season, while KP falls to 1-2 overall.
All the scoring came in the first half of the game as Maritime got on the board first on the opening drive. Junior Erik Heedles (Staten Island, N.Y./New Dorp) caught a 22-yard pass from sophomore Tyler Trodden (Putnam Valley, N.Y./JFK Catholic) to cap off an 8-play, 40-yard drive and give the Privateers an early 6-0 lead. On the ensuing Mariner drive, KP coughed up the ball on its first play from scrimmage and Maritime got possession back.
Senior fullback Jamie Spanopoulos (Franklin Square, N.Y./H. Frank Carey) ran in a 7-yard score to cap off a 9-play, 48-yard drive and the kick after was good by senior Madison Leary (Tavares, Fla./Tavares) to put the Privateers up 13-0. The only other score of the game came in the second quarter when Kings Point junior Chris Aiello ran in a 12-yard run to cut Maritime's lead to 13-7.
In the third quarter, the Mariners got the ball all the way down to the 3-yard line in the third quarter, but failed to get it to the first down marker on 4th-and-2 at the four yard line. In two consecutive plays, junior Chris DeLuca (Staten Island, N.Y./New Dorp) and senior Rob Gorgy (Hillsborough, N.J./Immaculata) made the tackles that stopped KP from advancing and Maritime took over on downs at the 3-yard line.
Again in the fourth quarter, Kings Point got the ball down to the 12-yard line and with 4th-and-2, decided to go for it and junior Thomas Boney (Jacksonville, Fla./University Christian) recorded a sack to give the Privateers the ball again with 7:21 to go.
Maritime made five first downs, with the last one enough to clinch the win, as KP ran out of timeouts and the clock expired.
Spanopoulos led all players with 87 rushing yards and the one score. Trodden was 12-for-18 for 128 yards with one pass TD and one interception. Heedles led all receivers with 44 yards on four catches and the one score. On the defense, junior Keith Barnes (Westbury, N.Y./Westbury) led Maritime with 11 tackles, including one sack, and sophomore Church Pfeil (Fort Montgomery, N.Y./James I. O'Neill) had eight tackles on the day. Senior Jason Burry (Attica, N.Y./Attica) had two tackles, one for a loss of four yards and had the fumble recovery in the first quarter.
After a bye week, the Privateers return to action on Oct. 1, when the team plays host to Husson College in the ECFC opener. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Reinhart Field.
– Maritime Athletics –
