THROGGS NECK, NY – Trailing 13-0 at halftime, the Maritime College football team outscored Dean 30-6 in the second half on Saturday afternoon.  The Privateers (3-5, 2-2 Eastern Collegiate Football Conference) scored touchdowns on four consecutive drives, including three by Tate Neiderer (Hanover, PA), to notch a 30-19 victory over the Bulldogs (1-7, 1-3 ECFC) in the annual homecoming game at Reinhart Field.

After a scoreless first quarter, Dean broke through for the game's first touchdown at the 6:42 mark of the second quarter.  The seven-play, 90-yard drive was capped by Holdan Wilson's two-yard scurry into the end zone.  The Bulldogs then added another score just before halftime when Mozes Mooney connected with Jordan Mason for an 11-yard strike.  Dean missed the extra point, however, making it a 13-0 game heading into the locker room.

Maritime went three-and-out on its first drive of the second half, then scored on each of its next five.  The Privateers' first points came on a 45-yard strike from Aidan Nunez (Carmel, NY) to Neiderer with 10:53 left in the third quarter.  Maritime's next possession lasted only three plays and 1:05, as Nunez connected with Ian Derda (Guilford, CT), who raced 69 yards to paydirt.  Michael Trupiano's (Kings Park, NY) extra point was good, putting the Privateers in front midway through the third quarter.

The Maritime defense forced a three-and-out before the offense marched 77 yards in nine plays to extend the lead. Neiderer's second touchdown of the quarter, a two-yard rush, made it 21-13 in favor of the Privateers.  Neiderer then found paydirt again at the 12:55 mark of the fourth quarter.  The extra point hit the upright, though, keeping Maritime's lead at 14 points, 27-13.

Dean needed just two plays to respond.  On a broken play where Mooney was nearly sacked, he instead found an open Mason for a 61-yard touchdown that cut the Privateers' advantage to 27-19.  The Bulldogs opted to go for two, but Mooney's pass fell incomplete.  Maritime then held the ball for 12 plays and 61 yards before Trupiano kicked a 21-yard field goal to again make it a two-score game, 30-19.  That would prove to be the final, as the Privateers knocked off the Bulldogs for the second straight season.

Nunez, making the start in place of the injured Steven Stassi (East Islip, NY), finished 24-for-40 for 377 yards and two scores.  Neiderer, meanwhile, carried 27 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns to go along with his 57 receiving yards.  Derda had seven catches for 142 yards and a touchdown, while Pat Quinn (Farmingdale, NY) tallied five receptions.  As a team, Maritime compiled 536 yards of total offense.  The Privateers also nearly doubled the Bulldogs' time of possession.

Defensively, Gino Fundaro (Levittown, NY) paced the Privateers with six tackles.  Dru Stephens (New Orleans, LA), meanwhile, had four solo tackles to go along with two pass breakups.

For Dean, Mooney finished 7-for-22 passing for 184 yards and the two touchdowns to Mason.  Mason recorded 111 receiving yards on four catches.  Wilson was the Bulldogs' leading rusher, carrying 14 times for 58 yards and a score.  Keem Weekes had a game-high 10 tackles to lead the Dean defense.

With the victory, Maritime has now won back-to-back games for the first time this season.  The Privateers will look to make it three in a row next Saturday, when they visit Keystone (1-7, 1-3 ECFC) at 1 p.m.  It will be Maritime's final road game of the year.