MILTON, Mass. - On Senior Day, host Curry notched a 26-24 win over New England Football Conference (NEFC) rival Massachusetts Institute of Technology Saturday afternoon at Walter M. Katz Field in Milton. In the season finale for both schools, the Colonels finished the year at 4-6 overall and 3-4 in NEFC action. The Engineers wrapped up their campaign at 2-8 overall and 2-5 in league play.
Curry wasted no time opening the scoring, as sophomore Alex Corvese (Cranston, R.I.) led a 10-play, 56-yard drive on their first possession as he scampered in from two yards out to finish it off. However, freshman Mark Mrozek (Stratford, Conn.) missed the ensuing point-after try and the score remained at 6-0.
MIT responded with a 61-yard drive themselves which ended with senior Danny Callahan (Hinsdale, Ill.) connecting with classmate Karson Ota (Katy, Texas) from 11 yards out. After a successful point-after, the Engineers had a lead of 7-6.
The Colonels and Engineers would again trade scores at the beginning of the second quarter. At the end of the first quarter MIT had the ball but was stopped on fourth down by the Curry defense just a minute into the second quarter, giving the ball back to the Colonels. Corvese would end up finding junior Anthony Nastasi (River Edge, N.J.) for a 22-yard touchdown to put Curry on top 13-7.
MIT drove 61 yards on only eight plays to eventually find the end zone with freshman Adis Ojeda (Springfield, Va.) pounding it in from three yards out to give the Engineers the lead again at 14-13.
After a Curry drive stalled on fourth down, MIT was driving again and had the ball on their own 40-yard line. Callahan dropped back and was looking deep but Colonels' senior Mike Morrison (Quincy, Mass.) recorded his first interception of the year and returned it back to the Curry 27.
Sophomore Spencer Tyler (Yarmouth Port, Mass.) led his first drive of the game which went 73 yards on 11 plays and ended with a 23-yard connection to freshman Dylan Vieira-Owens (Everett, Mass.) to put the Colonels up 20-14 at halftime.
After a quick three-and-out to start the third quarter, Curry punted it to the Engineers who then drove 73 yards themselves on 13 plays with Connor Hanlon (Conshohocken, Pa.) fighting in from a yard out to put the Engineers back on top, 21-20.
Curry would suffer another three-and-out but after senior classmates Dylan Spence (Newtown, N.H.) and Curtis Davila (Yorba Linda, Calif.) forced a fumble that sophomore Devin Williams (Gardner, Mass.) recovered, the Colonels drove 87 yards with Corvese at the helm again. Corvese found junior Dean Anderson (Melrose, Mass.) from five yards out for his second touchdown pass of the day. The ensuing two-point conversion try was unsuccessful so Curry was up again but only by a score of 26-21.
MIT had an 84-yard drive after that score but could not find the end zone and settled for a 26-yard field goal from junior Tucker Cheyne (Avon, Conn.)
The Colonels got the ball back with 9:17 left on the clock and a two-point lead but would be forced to punt on the ensuing drive. The Curry defense stepped up twice on fourth down with a loss of downs sandwiched in between to shut down the Engineers for good and seal the 26-24 victory.
The Colonels were led offensively by Alex Corvese who threw 17 completions on 25 attempts for 168 yards and two scores. He also amassed 39 yards on the ground on seven carries and another score. Spencer Tyler finished 9 of 14 for 94 yards and a touchdown himself.
Sophomore Peter Gallant (Gardner, Mass.) and senior captain Jordan Shairs (Glouster, Mass.) led the ground game with 38 yards on eight carries and 35 yards on 12 carries, respectively. Anderson also chipped in 28 yards on four carries.
Nastasi led the receiving corps with 116 yards and a score while catching 12 passes for a new school record of 88 receptions on the year. Anderson had five catches for 63 yards while Vieira-Owens went for 48 on three catches - both hauling in scores. Anderson also chipped in 42 kick return yards for 133 total yards on the day for Curry.
Defensively, sophomore Steve Grogan (Forestdale, Mass.) led the game with 13 solo tackles and added two tackles for lost yards. Williams followed with 10 total tackles, one and a half for a loss plus the fumble recovery. Spence and Morrison had eight and five respectively on their Senior Day with Morrison recording his first interception of the year as well.
The Engineers were led by Callahan who threw for 163 yards on 11 of 17 with an interception and a touchdown. He also ran for eight yards on six carries, but Ojeda led the ground game with 148 yards on 29 carries and one score. Ota led the MIT receiving corps with 97 yards on five catches and the touchdown.
Defensively, junior Kodiak Brush (Yorba Linda, Calif.) recorded 10 total tackles. Classmate Anthony Emberley (Longmont, Colo.) followed with eight tackles, two for losses totaling three yards. Freshman David Bambrick (Valencia, Calif.) also recorded seven tackles for MIT.