UTICA, NY –Kamaal Mabry (Goshen/Goshen) rushed for a career-high 123 yards and three touchdowns as the Utica College football team defeated visiting Becker College 41-22 Saturday at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium.
The Pioneers, who are now 3-0 in three meetings against the Hawks, took a 6-0 lead that they never relinquished 4:30 into the first quarter after a one-yard Mabry touchdown run. Becker made a late charge posting two straight scores on a Paul Pascarella (New Canaan/New Canaan, CT) 24-yard fumble recovery returned for a touchdown and an Acie Johnson (Lynn English/Lynn, MA) 55-yard punt return for a touchdown to pull within five points (27-22) with 5:06 left in the game. Two consecutive Pioneer scores, including a three-yard touchdown catch by freshman fullback Brendon Ring (St. Francis/Eden), over the final 4:08 sealed the victory as the Pioneers improved to 1-0 on the season.
Junior kicker John DiNardi (Nathan Hale Ray/East Haddam, CT) knocked home a 22-yard field goal attempt for the Hawks to close out the first quarter scoring with 5:50 left. UC took a 6-3 lead into the second quarter.
Junior quarterback Greg Pinelli (Bristol/Bristol, PA), who posted a career-day for the Pioneers completing 17-of-31 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns, found classmate Jim Pincher (Christian Brothers Academy/Albany) in the corner of the end zone with 8:45 left in the first half to give UC a 13-3 lead. Pincher closed out the day with two catches for 31 yards.
Becker freshman quarterback Gabriel Prophet (H.D. Woodson/Washington, DC), who completed 22-of-48 passes for 256 yards, capped an eight-play 42-yard drive with 51 seconds left in the half and the Hawks cut the Pioneers' lead to 13-9 headed into intermission.
The Pioneers dominated the third quarter of play as Mabry and Pinelli both posted touchdown runs and UC took a 27-9 lead heading into the fourth and final quarter.
Both teams totaled over 300 yards of offense (Utica – 379, Becker -355) but the Pioneers rushing attack proved to be too much for the Hawks. The UC running game totaled 170 yards and four rushing touchdowns on 44 attempts.
The Pioneers defense bent but did not break allowing just one offensive touchdown on the day. Freshman defensive back Marvin Betts (Hillhouse/New Haven, CT) tallied a team-high 8.5 tackles and one pass break up, while senior captain Mike DeBetta (Harpursville/Harpursville) netted seven tackles and one sack. Senior defensive end Rich Rivenberg (Herkimer/Frankfort) tallied 5.5 tackles and linebacker Joe Ryan (St. Mary's/Rutherfords, NJ) posted 4.5 stops.
Pascarella made a game-high nine tackles for the Hawks defense, while freshman defensive back Alex Colas (Coral Spring/Fort Lauderdale, Fl) and junior free safety Thierry Raphael (St. Mary's/Lynn, MA) each tallied six tackles. Freshman defensive back Thaddeus France (Bourne/Centerville, MA) collected five tackles and one interception as the Hawks dropped to 0-1 on the season.
Sophomore wide receiver Cody Elliot (John F. Kennedy/Sloan) caught a team-high five passes for 69 yards and senior captain James Proniewych (Patchogue-Medford/Medford) caught four passes for 46 yards for the Pioneers. Sophomore running back Jamaine Hewitt (White Plains/White Plains) provided a spark off the bench after carrying the ball eight times for 28 yards, including a career-long ten yard scamper.
The Becker rushing attack was led by Prophet, a shifty, true freshman. He gained 69 yards on fifteen carries, while Anthony Johnson (West Springfield/West Springfield, VA) carried the ball ten times for 17 yards. Acie Johnson led all receivers with eight catches and freshman wide receiver Levi Smith (South Plantation/Ft. Lauderdale, FL) posted a career-day catching five balls for a game-high 103 yards.
Both punters displayed quality performances as junior
Ben Atwood (Vernon Verona Sherrill/Verona), a two-time Empire 8 All-Conference selection, averaged 35.2 yards per punt for the Pioneers. DiNardi punted eight times for 245 yards including one punt inside the 20-yard line.
UC returns to the field Saturday as they host Husson College at 1:30 p.m. at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium. Becker will host Maine Maritime Academy at 5:00 p.m. Saturday under the lights at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
(New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) #
