Simons Leads Endicott To Senior Day Victory Over Coast Guard, 33-5

BEVERLY, Mass. – Endicott sophomore tight end Jacob Simons (Barrington, R.I.) caught two touchdown passes in the second quarter to aid the Gulls to an eventual 33-5 victory over Coast Guard on Senior Day at Hempstead Stadium.

Prior to its New England Football Conference (NEFC) matchup against the Bears, Endicott honored a group of 11 student-athletes, who are slated to graduate in May, that have made a profound impact on the football program.

Those individuals included Ryan Brannigan (East Greenwich, R.I.), Tyler Calitri (West Hartford, Conn.), Jamison Craft (Phillipston, Mass.), Andrew Edwards (Falmouth, Maine), Lawrence Gonzalez (Bedford, Mass.), Conor Hopewell (Swansboro, N.C.), Eric Joyner (Stamford, Conn.), Mike Romanelli (Lighthouse Point, Fla.), Marjan Solomon (Waltham, Mass.), Brian Thompson (Billerica, Mass.), and Spencer Walsh (Melrose, Mass.).

After junior kicker Kyle Regan (Nashua, N.H.) gave Endicott a 3-0 lead with a 23-yard field goal in the first quarter (7:33), Simons took over offensively to extend the Gulls advantage. Simons registered his first of two scores at 12:53 when he weaved his way through the Coast Guard defense for a 22-yard TD, and also snagged a 14-yard TD catch in the right corner of the end zone behind three defenders later in the quarter (3:30) to put the Gulls up 16-0.

Coast Guard freshman defensive lineman Jack Brandt (Marlton, N.J.) proceeded to block the ensuing PAT after Simons' second touchdown to set up a 98-yard return by defensive back Joe Rizzardi (Ashburn, Va.) that cut into the Bears deficit at 16-2.

Endicott outscored Coast Guard 17-3 in the second half – due in large part to its stifling defense which allowed a season-low 110 yards of total offense in the entire game – for the eventual 33-5 win over the Bears.

ENDICOTT OFFENSE

• Endicott posted 24 first downs and 491 yards of total offense (second highest total this season).
• The Gulls compiled 323 yards through the air and 168 yards on the ground.
• Freshman quarterback Michael Scherer (Middlefield, Conn.) completed 13 passes for 217 yards and one touchdown.
• Sophomore quarterback Sam Ouellette (Rochester, N.H.) went 9-for-11 passing with 114 yards and two touchdowns, while Jake Pelletier (Trumbull, Conn.) also hit Scherer with a TD pass off an end around at 8:05 of the third quarter to make it 23-5 at the time.
• Sophomore Lavante Wiggins (Dalton, Mass.) led all rushers with 73 yards on 16 carries (4.6 average).
• Simons finished the contest with 71 yards on three receptions to go along with his two TD catches.
• Junior wideout Chris Lipscomb (West Springfield, Mass.) paced all receivers with 90 yards on four catches.
• Pelletier compiled a game-high five catches for 55 yards.
• Endicott won the time of possession matchup by nearly 13 minutes (36:19/23:41).
• The Gulls also went 6-for-6 on fourth down conversions in the contest.
• Regan went 2-for-2 on field goal attempts hitting one in the first quarter (23-yards), and another in the fourth (27-yards).
• Junior wide receiver Conor Crotty (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) capped the scoring in the game with a 7-yard TD catch (third career) from Ouellette with 3:15 left to play.

COAST GUARD OFFENSE

• Senior running back Mike Clancy (Havertown, Pa.) highlighted the offense with 64 yards rushing on 10 carries.
• Classmate Mitch Holloway (Plymouth, Ind.) had two catches for 17 yards receiving.
• Senior kicker Tyler Henning (Cypress, Texas) registered the only other score for the Bears with a season-long 40-yard field goal at the 2:52 mark of the third.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Endicott finishes its 2015 season with a 4-1 record at home.
• The Gulls have not lost at home since Endicott Stadium was formally named Hempstead Stadium on October 3, 2015 (4-0 record).
• Endicott is 4-0 all-time against Coast Guard in the all-time series that dates back to 2013.
• The Gulls have scored 30 or more points in three out of the four contests in the matchup.
• Endicott has won five or more conference games in a given season eight different times in program history.

BE A POSITIVE INFLUENCE

• Brannigan led the team in tackles on Senior Day with seven total (one solo, six assisted).
• Thompson and Solomon tied for second on the squad with six tackles apiece.
• Thompson also added one sack and a fumble recovery to his stat line in the win.
• Calitri collected his third career interception in the first quarter.
• Junior outside linebacker Connor McLaughlin (Canton, Mass.) had four tackles (three solo, one assisted), one forced fumble and a pass breakup.
• As a team, the Gulls had five pass breakups and four quarterback hurries.

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott's season comes to a close 5-5 overall and 5-2 in NEFC play. Coast Guard saw its 2015 campaign produced a 5-5 overall record and a 4-3 mark in conference action. 

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