Springfield uses late score to ease past improving Bears
Springfield, Mass. — Progress isn't necessarily a byproduct of the scoreboard, which cruelly read "Springfield 26, Coast Guard 12" by game's end Saturday afternoon at the sta- dium named after the pretty famous football guy, Amos Alonzo Stagg.
And yet it was progress for the Bears, whose last three games with Springfield, always among the best Division III football programs in New England, produced scores of 64-14, 49-10 and 38-7. So maybe a one-score game deep into the fourth quarter is one of those moral victory things good for morale.
"I was just telling the coaches that it's unbelievable how much Coast Guard has improved. Night and day," Springfield coach Mike Cerasuolo said. "They just stuck with it. No matter what school you coach at, you have limitations. They just keep believing in what they're doing."
This was a game between unbeatens in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference, familiar territory for the Pride (5-1, 3-0) and a lofty place for the Bears (4-2, 2-1). And had the Bears played better on special teams and avoided a few unseemly turnovers, they'd be looking down on the rest of the league today.
"I'm proud of them," Coast Guard coach Bill George said. "A hundred different things happen in a football game you can talk about, and I'm proud of them in the heart and toughness area."
Coast Guard trailed 20-5 at halftime, but rallied within a score in the third period. Liam Middleton's 54-yard reception set up Chris Gardner's 2-yard touchdown run and a funny thing happened on the way to the Springfield blows 'em out again narrative: The Bears were right there.
They got it back and were driving
“I was just telling the coaches that it’s unbelievable how much Coast Guard has improved. Night and day . ... No matter what school you coach at, you have limitations. They just keep believing in what they’re doing.” SPRINGFIELD COACH MIKE CERASUOLO
with a chance to score and perhaps tie in the fourth period. George decided to forgo a 42-yard field goal attempt and go on a fourth and two from the Springfield 27. Coast Guard practiced a play for such a situation during the week, but failed to execute it properly.
Coast Guard's defense held again, except that the offense, again with a chance to tie, turned it over, leading to Hunter Belzo's touchdown run with 7:23 left.
Belzo, a converted running back and the third quarterback Springfield has used this year — the other two are injured — ran for 207 yards and two touchdowns.
Springfield's first two scores came thanks to its special teams. Andrew Papiro's 73-yard punt return for a touchdown made it 7-0 before Ryan McCarthy's 70-yard kickoff return led to Belzo's first touchdown run.
"There's where the speed advantage helps," Cerasuolo said. "You can't teach that."
"That's where the numbers game comes in," George said, alluding to how overall team depth is often illustrated on special teams. The Pride dressed 125 players Saturday to Coast Guard's 65.
Coast Guard had 355 total yards, 260 passing and 95 on the ground. Gardner led the Bears with 15 carries for 95 yards.
Junior quarterback Ryan Jones was 8 of 18 for 161 yards while sophomore Justin Moffatt, who leads the NEWMAC in receptions and yards, had a game-high seven receptions for 126 yards.
It was the fourth 100-yard receiving game this season for Moffatt, who eclipsed the 1,000 receiving yard mark and has 1,089 career yards, 651 this season.
Senior linebacker Jake Behne led the Bears with 11 tackles while senior defensive tackle Nate Harvey finished with 10 tackles.
The Bears play host to Maine Maritime in a NEWMAC game as part of Homecoming Weekend Saturday at 1:30 p.m. m.dimauro@theday.com