Endicott blasts Nichols on Homecoming, 41-7
Box Score
BEVERLY, Mass. – Sophomore running back \#Mike Lane\# (Medfield, Mass.) rushed for 133 yards and three touchdowns while the Endicott defense allowed just 55 yards of total offense on 54 plays, as the Gulls cruised past Nichols College, 41-7, on Homecoming weekend in Beverly, Mass. The win improves the Gulls to 3-2 overall (1-1 NEFC Boyd), while the Bison fall to 2-3 and 1-1 in Boyd division play.
After a scoreless opening quarter, the Gulls exploded for 28 points in the second frame. Sophomore quarterback \#Phil Konopka\# (Shelton, Conn.) connected with senior tight end \#Tim Viall\# (Sandwich, Mass.) for a 10 yard touchdown strike. After a Nichols three-and-out, the Gulls marched down the field with a 12 play, 74 yard drive that was once again capped-off with a touchdown toss to Viall to put Endicott ahead, 14-0.
\#Mike Lane\# made it a three-touchdown game on the next Endicott possession as the sophomore put a left stiff-arm into the face of a Nichols’ defender and turned the corner on the right side, scampering 16 yards to pay dirt. The Gulls would retake possession just 25-seconds later when Bison punter Anthony Pillari (Lumberton, N.J.) fumbled the wet football deep in his own territory, giving the Gulls the ball back on the Nichols’ seven yard line. Lane gave the Gulls a 28-0 advantage on the next play, carrying a pack of Bison across the goal line to give the Blue and Green a comfortable halftime advantage.
Endicott kept moving the chains in its first possession of the second half, as the Gulls went 15 plays for 75 yards in 8:47 for yet another score. Lane plunged across the line on a three-yard dive, putting the Gulls up 34-0. Lane carried the ball eight times on the drive for 55 yards.
The Endicott defense got in on the scoring action in the fourth quarter when \#Kyle Capsalis\# (Townsend, Mass.) intercepted a Sean Smith-Vaughn (Cumberland, Maine) pass and returned the pick 26 yards for a touchdown.
Nichols finally got on the board late in the fourth quarter after Brandt Genga (Oxford, Mass.) blocked a \#Carlos O’Donnell\# (Salem, Mass.) punt to give the Bison the football on the Endicott 20 yard line. Smith-Vaughn hooked up with R.J. Gagne (Seekonk, Mass.) eight plays later for a six yard touchdown pass to complete the scoring.
\#Mike Lane\# finished the day with 133 yards rushing on 19 carries with three touchdowns. Senior \#Colby Hawkins\# (Scituate, Mass.) ran the ball 19 times for 63 yards, while \#Tim Viall\# finished with four catches for 33 yards and two scores. \#Phil Konopka\# went 9-of-15 for 84 yards and two touchdown passes in the win.
\#Kevin Eagan\# (West Hartford, Conn.) paced the Endicott defense with eight total tackles. The Gulls defensive unit allowed just 55 yards on 54 plays, while only surrendering three first downs in the win. Nichols was 1-of-16 on third down conversions and threw three interceptions in the setback. The Bison defense was led by 10 tackles apiece from Patrick Gregory (Webster, N.Y.) and Evan Greathead (Pepperell, Mass.).
Endicott looks to keep its momentum rolling into next weekend when the Blue and Green square-off with Plymouth State University for a 1:00 p.m. start with the Panthers. Nichols hopes to rebound with a home game against Salve Regina on the same day.