LEICESTER, Mass. – The Curry College football team defeated Becker College 40-0 on Saturday at Alumni Field in Leicester.
The Colonels of Curry (5-1, CCC Football) were led by senior quarterback Alex Corvese (Cranston, R.I.), who completed 22 of 27 passes for 261 yards and two touchdown completions. Junior running back Sean Amaru (Westwood, Mass.) rushed 12 times for 95 yards and three touchdowns, while sophomore running back D'Aundray Burcy (Hyde Park, Mass.) ran for 33 yards. Senior wide receiver Spencer Tyler (Yarmouthport, Mass.) caught ten passes for 89 yards while sophomore wide receiver Nick Villanueva (Hanson, Mass.) had four catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore wide receiver Steven Elice (Stoughton, Mass.) caught three passes for 49 yards. Freshman linebacker Marcus Greenidge (Flushing, N.Y.) finished with a team-high nine tackles while senior linebacker Steven Grogan (Forestdale, Mass.) totaled seven tackles.
The Hawks of Becker (0-6, 0-1 CCC Football) were led by a stellar defensive performance by sophomore linebacker Michael Bianco (Manorville, N.Y.), who recorded 19 tackles on the day. Junior quarterback Nas Sinkfield-Shelton (New Rochelle, N.Y.) completed eight of his 19 passes for 60 yards. Freshman running back David Collins (Staten Island, N.Y.) rushed for 35 yards while fellow freshman running back Ian McSweeney (Franklin, Mass.) ran for 32 yards on just four carries. Junior defensive back Shahiem Wilson (Naples, Fla.) finished with seven tackles. Sophomore wide receiver Michael Caban (Lawrence, Mass.) finished with two catches for 16 yards while freshman wide receiver Marquis Hawkins (Hartford, Conn.) had two receptions for 21 yards. Freshman punter Tyler Grant (Hudson, N.H.) had seven punts totaling 240 yards.
On the opening drive of the game, Becker's offense reached midfield, but a costly holding penalty and a sack on Sinkfield-Shelton forced the Hawks to punt it away.
Curry took over at their own 33 and demonstrated extreme aggression on their first drive of the game, going for it twice on fourth down and converting. Becker's defense bent but didn't break in the 17 play drive, holding on third-and-goal from their five and forcing a 22-yard field goal attempt that went wide left. The Hawks took over with 3:23 left from their own 20.
After a Becker three-and-out, Curry got the ball back on own 43. A 26-yard reception to Elice took the Colonels into Hawk territory, but the Becker defense once again stepped up, stuffing Curry on a fourth-and-two run and giving the ball back to their offense at the Hawks' 27 as the first quarter came to an end.
Sinkfield-Shelton used a short passing game to push Becker into Curry's side of the field, with 12-yard completions to freshman wide receiver Tyler Mattice (Schenectady, N.Y.) and junior tight end Kenneth McMurphy (Gilbert, Ariz.). But on third-and-eight from the Curry 44, the Colonels blitzed and Sinkfield-Shelton was taken down on a sack with a loss of 12 yards, and the Hawks were once again forced to punt.
On Curry's ensuing drive, Corvese hit Tyler for a completion on a 2nd and 11, but Becker sophomore defensive back Vincent Thron (Wantagh, N.Y.) ripped the ball loose from Tyler's grasp. The Hawks jumped on the fumble, taking over at the Curry 45.
With their best starting field position on the day, Becker was unable to get anything going, with Collins stuffed for no gain on back-to-back carries. The return was Curry's best up to that point on the day, with freshman punt returner Elvin Febus (Vernon, N.J.) going for 20 yards to the Curry 31.
The Colonels opened their drive by opening up their playbook on first down, Corvese hit Villanueva for a 40-yard bomb. Four plays later, Amaru broke through on a four-yard touchdown rush for the first score of the game as Curry went ahead 6-0 after the failed two-point conversion.
After another Becker three-and-out, the Colonels took over at their own 39. On 2nd and 11 from their own 49, Corvese found Villanueva for a 28-yard strike, going deep into Hawk territory. On the very next play, Corvese hit Villanueva again on a wide open pass and the sophomore didn't stop until he reached the end zone. Curry went ahead 12-0 after the missed two-point conversion.
Becker's ensuing possession saw an uneventful end of the first half with the Colonels still leading 12-0.
Curry began the second half receiving the kickoff, but went three-and-out. On Becker's ensuing drive, Sinkfield-Shelton went to pass on a third-and-five but was picked off by Curry sophomore linebacker Jeremy Eliades (Berlin, Conn.) at the Becker 34.
Two plays later, Amaru split the tacklers and exploded for 20 yards for a touchdown, his second of the day. Corvese took it in himself on a keeper player, and the Colonels took a commanding 20-0 lead.
After a Becker punt, Corvese engineered an eight-play, four-minute drive, finding the hot receiver in Villanueva for a 27-yard touchdown completion. Once again, the Colonels went for two, and for the third time on the day the Hawk defense held. Curry went ahead 26-0.
Once again, Becker was forced to punt. Once again, Curry took advantage of a tired defense. After driving to the Hawks' 14, the Colonels drew a pass interference penalty on the Hawks, setting themselves up at the one. Amaru punched it in himself on the next play and Curry took a 33-0 lead after the extra-point with 57 seconds left in the third quarter.
Just two plays into Becker's ensuing drive, Sinkfield-Shelton was picked off on a long pass by Curry freshman defensive back Aaron Brooks (Haverhill, Mass.) who returned it 48 yards for a pick-six touchdown. The Colonels went up 40-0 after an extra point kick with 14:10 to go in the game.
Becker seemed to be in business when the Hawks fought their way back into the Colonels' territory. But Curry sophomore defensive back Ted Flaherty (Hanover, Mass. / Hanover High School) stripped McMurphy on a key reception and it was quickly scooped up by Grogan as the Colonels took over once again.
After a Curry punt, Becker freshman quarterback Alpha Barry (Staten Island, N.Y.) took over under center. In his first extended action of the year, the rookie took advantage of McSweeney's runs, timely receptions by Hawkins and penalties on the Colonels, manufacturing a 71-yard drive that nearly seemed to score when McSweeney burst out on a second-and-one from the nine. But the freshman running back fumbled at the one and Curry recovered, effectively ending the game.
Curry held a 447 to 170 advantage in total offensive yards on the day.
Becker will be back in action next Saturday when they host Western New England University with the kickoff coming at 2:00 p.m. Curry will host Nichols College in their next contest on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
(Game Recap Courtesy of Becker College Sports Information)