THROGGS NECK, N.Y. (Sept. 7, 2012) – The Chowder Bowl will remain in the Bronx! The Maritime Privateer football team opened the 2012 season with a dramatic 20-14 victory over rival Massachusetts Maritime Friday night at Reinhart Field. With the game tied at 14-14 late in the fourth quarter, the visiting Buccaneers failed to convert on a 4th-and-goal from the one-yard line, as the Privateers forced a fumble and recovered at the 11-yard line. Junior quarterback Tyler Trodden (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Kennedy Catholic) then led Maritime on an eight-play, 89-yard drive and hooked up with senior Erik Heedles (Staten Island, N.Y./New Dorp) on a 19-yard touchdown pass with 20 seconds to go in the fourth to put the Privateers ahead.
"It was a typical hard fought battle between two rivals tonight," said head coach Clayton Kendrick-Holmes. Mass. Maritime is going to have a great season. We were very fortunate to come out on top."
Maritime opened the scoring at 8:50 of the first quarter, when junior Gary Bigham (Jacksonville, Fla./The Bolles) rushed for a six-yard touchdown to cap off the Privateers' first offensive drive of the game. Freshman Diogo Dietrich (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/DePaul Catholic) converted the extra point to put the Privateers ahead, 7-0.
The Buccaneers responded right away, however, as they cashed in on a three-yard run by senior Barry Reopell at the 6:41 mark of the first. The score remained tied at 7 at the end of the first quarter. Mass. Maritime would score again in the second, when sophomore quarterback Brad Skeffington ran in a six-yard touchdown to put the Bucs ahead, 14-7, a lead they took into halftime.
Neither team would score in the third quarter. Maritime tallied the game-tying touchdown in the form of another rush by Bigham, this a one-yard run at 11:10 of the fourth. Again Dietrich's extra point tied up the score at 14-14. From there, Mass. Maritime would go on a drive that took 8:54 off the clock and got to first and goal, but was not able to convert after four failed rushes. The final rush was by Skeffington on 4th-and-goal from the one, but he was stripped before the goal line by sophomore Duke Alvora (Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) and the Privateers took over after recovering on the 11-yard line.
Trodden threw six passes on the game-winning drive, which is a rarity in a Maritime offense, and covered the 89 yards, completing the drive in the end zone with a perfect pass through coverage to Heedles. The extra point was blocked, but the Privateers stopped the Bucs on the final drive of the game, ending the contest with a sack by sophomore Hugh O'Brien (Westbury, N.Y./Westbury).
Trodden ended the day 11-for-18 for 152 yards with the touchdown pass and one interception. He was also the team's leading rusher with 58 yards on the ground, while Bigham was second with 42 rushing yards. Senior Fritz Jean (Palm Coast, Fla./Palm Coast) was the team's leading wideout with 69 yards, while Heedles finished with 39 yards and sophomore Greg Caneparo (Nanuet, N.Y./Nanuet) hauled in one amazing catch for 27 yards during that game-winning drive.
On defense, senior Keith Barnes (Westbury, N.Y./Westbury) led all players with 16 tackles on the night, including three for combined losses of seven yards, one of which was a sack. Classmate Pat Lasher (Seaford, N.Y./Seaford) and Alvora both finished with 11 tackles.
For the Buccaneers, junior Stefan Gustafson finished with 92 rushing yards to lead the team, while junior quarterback Mike Stanton was 15-for-23 with 173 passing yards. Senior Eddy Ramos was Mass. Maritime's leading tackler with 10.
The Privateers are back in action next Saturday, Sept. 15, when they travel to Great Neck, N.Y. to take part in the Seafaring Scuffle against arch-rival Kings Point. Game time is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at the Mariners' Captain James Harvey Tomb Field.
