THE BASICS:
Score: Salve Regina 27, Dean 0
Records: Dean (0-2); Salve Regina (3-0)
Location: Franklin, Mass. (Lippert Field)
Date: Saturday, September 16, 2017
Time: 12:00 p.m.

 

THE LEAD:
In a game that featured 25 accepted penalties for a combined 248 yards and four turnovers, it was Salve Regina who walked away with a 27-0 win over Dean College in non-league football action on Saturday afternoon.

 

HOW IT HAPPENED:
The game was scoreless as both teams had drives stall out in first quarter. But as the second quarter began, Salve Regina was in the midst of a nine-play, 80-yard drive that culminated in a quirky touchdown for James Dawson(Oradell, N.J.). Dawson, who had done a lot of the heavy lifting on the ground on the drive, fumbled at the two-yard line but was able to recover his own miscue in the endzone.

 

Ahead 6-0 after the missed extra point, the Seahawks scored in four plays on their next possession, which started with a 37-yard sprint up the left sideline by Dawson. After a penalty extended the Salve Regina drive inside the Dean ten-yard line, Dawson barreled his way in for his second score of the day and a 13-0 lead.

 

The teams traded empty possessions but when Kaleel Harley (Pawtucket, R.I.) picked off Salve Regina signal caller Danny McDermott (Franklin, Mass.) and returned it 37 yards to the Seahawks' 36-yard line things were looking up for the Bulldogs.

 

That momentum was short-lived however, as a holding penalty and a sack on fourth down ended that drive.

 

As the half wound down, Salve Regina took advantage of a Bulldog special teams miscue to tack on another touchdown. The Seahawks' drive started at the Dean 16 and with four seconds left in the half, McDermott fired a strike to Brendan Nunes (Attleboro, Mass.) at the back of the endzone, giving the visitors a 20-0 halftime edge.

 

The only scoring in the second half came courtesy of a 36-yard interception return for a touchdown by Jake Gelb(Charlton, Mass.) midway through the third quarter.

 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
Dawson ran for 102 yards on 22 carries and the aforementioned two scores.

 

Both teams struggled passing the ball, combining to go 16-for-39 with four interceptions. In addition, both teams had a hard time on third down with a combined 7-for-30 conversion total.

 

The stars of the day on both teams were on the defensive side of the ball with both Nathan Gonzalez (Durham, Conn.) and Damian Dell'Anno (Reading, Mass.) recording seven tackles for the Seahawks. Gene Baisden, Jr. (Tampa, Fla.), meanwhile finished with a game-high eight stops, including two for loss. Justice Taylor (Cromwell, Conn.) was strong on the interior for the Bulldog, totaling six stops – three of which were behind the line of scrimmage.

 

UP NEXT:
Dean returns to the field for their third straight home contest during homecoming weekend when they welcome Becker College to Lippert Field for a 12:00 p.m. kickoff, while Salve Regina visits Western Connecticut.