NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (Nov. 20, 2010) - The Saint Francis football team put forth a furious charge in the fourth quarter to put fear into the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils, but the rally ultimately just short as the Red Flash were clipped 23-13 despite shutting out CCSU in the second half.
The Red Flash finish the season 1-10 overall, 1-7 in the Northeast Conference. Central Connecticut State finished the season 8-3 overall, 7-1 in the NEC.
After a first half in which the Blue Devils controlled the tempo of play, the Flash defense put their stamp on the game by shutting out the CCSU offense in the second half; the only points for the home team came on a safety in the third quarter, when a poor long snap to punter Andrew Penksa (Johnstown, Pa./Bishop McCort) (Johnstown, Pa./Bishop McCort) forced Penksa to kick the ball out the endzone rather than allow CCSU to recover.
"I was very proud of the way our team responded and fought in the second half," said Red Flash head coach Chris Villarrial. "We need to carry this momentum into spring ball."
Trailing 23-0 in the fourth quarter, Saint Francis woke up on offense and recorded two lengthy scoring drives. They converted scoring drives of 62 and 88 yards to pull within 23-13, but a failed two-point conversion after the second score sealed the deal for CCSU.
Central Conncecticut State got on the board with their first drives of the game, as quarterback Gunnar Jespersen scored from 20 yards out on an option run with 10:56 remaining in the first quarter. Placekicker Joe Izzo's kick would be blocked by linebacker Scott Lewis (South Fork, PA/Bishop McCourt) (South Fork, Pa./Bishop McCort), his third blocked kick of the season, and kept the score at 6-0.
Jespersen would also add a one-yard touchdown at 6:54 of the first quarter to make the score 12-0. This time, sophomore special teamer Lawton Arnold tried to rush the ball for a two-point conversion, but was stuffed before reaching the line. After adding a field goal at 14:13 of the second quarter to boost their lead to 15-0, the Blue Devils added a Kevin Woolfook touchdown run at 5:25 of the second quarter to make it 21-0. Again, Lewis blocked the kick to keep Izzo off the board.
After going scoreless in the third quarter, the Red Flash would spark in the fourth quarter and put the outcome in doubt, with the defense starting the charge. With CCSU facing a 3rd-and-7 from their own 43, Jespersen took a wicked shot from Tyler Gillmen (Tyrone, PA/Tyrone) (Tyrone, Pa./Tyrone) as he released the ball to receiver P.J. Borawski. Borawski caught the pass, but Jespersen injured his hand on the play. Four plays later, Jespersen was hit as he threw from the SFU 25, and Gillmen dove for the loose ball to intercept it.
Quarterback John Kelly (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora), starting at his own 38-yard line, would engineer a nine-play, 62-yard drive to get the Red Flash one the board. Kelly went 6-for-6 on the drive, completing passes to three different receives to get his team to the CCSU 1. From there, fullback Dan Conley (Burgettstown, Pa./Burgettstown) (Burgettstown, Pa./Burgettstown) leaped over the pile for the score. Josh Thiel (Leesburg, Va./Heritage)'s (Leesburg, Va./Heritage) made it 23-7.
After forcing a Blue Devil punt on the next drive, the Red Flash took control of the ball from their own 12. Again, Kelly moved the ball down the field, with a key 41-yard completion to freshman receiver Dane Domonkos (Windber, Pa./Bishop McCort) (Windber, Pa./Bishop McCort) that set the Red Flash in CCSU territory. After hitting Anthony Howze (Upper Marlboro, Md./Riverdale Baptist) (Upper Marlboro, Md./Riverdale Baptist) to reach the CCSU 1, senior tailback Jude Yearwood (Elkridge, Md./Howard) (Elkridge, Md./Howard) went untouched into the endzone to make it 23-13.
Kelly's two-point conversion toss was no good, however, and the Blue Devils ran out the clock to end the game.
Defensively, Lewis wrapped up his record-setting career with a season-best day; he notched 17 tackles and had 2.5 tackles for loss, and officially one blocked kick. He finished his career with 524 career stops. Gillmen also reached double-digits in tackles, recording 14 and an interception. Ryan Revtai (Oakdale, Pa./West Allegheny) (Oakdale, Pa./West Allegheny) had 13 tackles and 2.0 TFL.
NOTES: Scott Lewis (South Fork, PA/Bishop McCourt) will more than likely conclude the season as the NEC's leading tackler for a record fourth straight season; his total of 138 total tackles ranks as the fourth highest single-season total in NEC history... Lewis finished his career with 524 total tackles, the second-highest total in Division I (FCS) history; his career average for tackles per game is 12.2... Matthew Parker (Darlington, PA/Blackhawk) (Darlington, Pa./Blackhawk) finished the season with a career-high 123 tackles, and a career total of 431 tackles; that total ranks fourth for a career in the NEC... Omar Winston (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland South) (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland South) had eight catches for 57 yards; he finished 10th in NEC history in career catches with 149... despite missing four games, Kyle Harbridge (Easton, Pa./Easton Area) (Easton, Pa./Easton) still managed to produce the eighth-highest single-season all-purpose yardage total in SFU history; Harbridge finished with 1,062 all-purpose yards in 2010... Scott Lewis (South Fork, PA/Bishop McCourt) was officially credited with three blocked kicks in 2010, tied for second-most for a single season in school history; he is believed to have actually tied the record of four, set by Jimbo Cowan in 1995, but was not credited with the second block against CCSU... Jude Yearwood (Elkridge, Md./Howard) closed the season with rushing touchdowns in four consecutive games.
