First-Half Explosion Propels Football to 33-14 Rout at UMass Dartmouth

First-Half Explosion Propels Football to 33-14 Rout at UMass Dartmouth
NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Visiting Curry exploded for 33 first-half points, en route to a 33-14 win over UMass Dartmouth in New England Football Conference (NEFC) Boyd Division action Saturday afternoon in North Dartmouth. The Colonels upped their overall record to 5-4, and their divisional record to 4-2. The Corsairs dropped to 1-8 overall and 1-5 in Boyd action.

Curry scored touchdowns on five of its first seven possessions to take an insurmountable 33-0 halftime lead. The Colonels’ first three scores came via the rush. Sophomore Jordan Shairs (Gloucester, Mass.) gave Curry the early 6-0 lead, breaking through for a 19-yard touchdown run at 5:36 of the opening frame.

The next two scores came courtesy of a pair of one-yard runs by Trae Weathers (Revere, Mass.). First, Weathers finished off a late first-quarter, 53-yard drive that gave the visitors a 12-0 cushion. Then the second-year back gave his team a 19-0 lead, capping a five-play, 80-yard drive with 8:33 left in the second frame.

The Colonels took advantage of a pair of UMass Dartmouth turnovers to put 14 more points on the board prior to intermission. An interception by junior Jeff Claffey (Medway, Mass.) set up the fourth Curry touchdown of the first half. Six plays and 47 yards later, Shairs hauled in a 13-yard scoring strike from junior Kevin Fruwirth (Agawam, Mass.).

A fumble by the Corsairs on the ensuing kickoff gave the Colonels the ball on the UMD 31. Less than a minute later, Fruwirth connected with senior Rob Bambini (Westwood, Mass.) from 18 yards out.

The Corsairs got a pair of second-half rushing touchdowns to pull within 33-14, but could not close the gap any further. Curry out-gained UMass Dartmouth, 396-239, and did not commit a turnover.

Fruwirth wound up the day going 21-for-35 for 235 yards. Sophomore Phil Bigelow (East Orange, N.J.) rushed for a game-high 100 yards on 17 carries. Senior Jason Genece (Waltham, Mass.) and Rob Deeb (Winthrop, Mass.) shared team-high tackling honors with seven, including six solo tackles apiece. Genece also had a sack and a forced fumble.

The Colonels close out the regular season next Saturday at Plymouth State University. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.