MILTON, Mass. – Curry College senior quarterback Zach Cavanaugh (Marshfield, Mass.) ran for 118 yards and threw for 234 more, leading the Colonels to a 28-12 home win over UMass Dartmouth in the regular-season finale for both squads. Curry, champions of the New England Football Conference Boyd Division, improved to 8-2 overall and finished a perfect 7-0 in division play. The Colonels, who extended their win streak to eight games, will host next Saturday’s NEFC Championship Game against Bogan Division Champions Maine Maritime at noon in Milton. The Corsairs finished their season at 0-10 overall and 0-7 in Boyd Division action.
Curry took charge early, scoring a pair of late first-quarter touchdowns that provided the hosts with all the points they would need. The first score came at 5:54 of the opening frame on a seven-yard romp by senior running back Jamaal Woods (Malden, Mass.). The second came just under six minutes later when Cavanaugh connected with senior tight end Jeff Hibbard (Dedham, Mass.) on a five-yard touchdown pass.
UMass Dartmouth cut the lead to 14-6 just before halftime when freshman quarterback Brendan McNeish (Springfield, Mass.) capped a six-play, 69-yard drive by finding rookie wide receiver Joe Luiz (New Bedford, Mass.) in the end zone from 25 yards out.
The Colonels duplicated their first-quarter effort in the third frame, tallying a pair of touchdowns late in the period to extend their lead to 28-6. Cavanaugh’s second scoring pass of the day was a seven-yarder to senior wide receiver Jaime Santiago (Waltham, Mass.) at 5:49. Just over three minutes later, Cavanaugh needed just one play (a 12-yard touchdown run) to cash in on a 58-yard interception return by senior free safety Scott Doherty (Marshfield, Mass.).
The Corsairs collected the only points of the fourth quarter on a 24-yard scoring strike from McNeish to senior wide receiver Marc Fiore (Wakefield, Mass.).
Curry out-gained UMass Dartmouth, 540-122, piling up 306 rushing yards while holding the Corsairs to just 14 yards on the ground. The Colonels also dominated in time of possession (34-26). But both teams had trouble with turnovers, as the visitors lost three fumbles and the hosts lost four.
Cavanaugh’s 118 rushing yards came on 12 carries, and his 234 passing yards came on 18 completions (30 attempts). He also threw an interception. Woods also surpassed the century mark with 106 yards on the ground. Senior wide receiver Jon Rodriguez (Leominster, Mass.) had six catches for 99 yards. McNeish went 14-for-29 for 108 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Fiore caught six passes for 57 yards.
The Curry defense sacked McNeish five times. The Colonels leading tackler was senior linebacker Scott Driscoll (North Andover, Mass.), who collected nine total hits (six solo), including 2.5 tackles for loss (-16 yards) and 1.5 sacks (-14 yards). UMass Dartmouth was paced by senior linebacker John Kelly (Shrewsbury, Mass.), who had a game-high 12 tackles (10 solo), and freshman defensive back Michael Dean (Saugus, Mass.), who had three fumble recoveries.
