AMCATS Capture Season Finale 31-28

Bangor, ME – Anna Maria running back Robert Small ran for 208 yards and a touchdown as Anna Maria edges Husson University 31-28. Husson would provide an exciting late comeback, but it was not enough as Anna Maria picked up its second straight win, the first two wins in AMCAT history.

Husson drove downfield on their first possession, ending with a high snap over the head of quarterback Kash Keezer recovered by Anna Maria. The AMCATs would collect a first down on the next play, but punted after Chris Dalecki tackled Anna Maria's quarterback Santino Simone for a three yard loss and Simone threw two incomplete passes.

The Eagles took over and Ryan Dorso ran 88 yards on the first play from scrimmage bringing the Eagles down to the AMCAT six. Keezer handed off to Dorso two out of the next three plays for losses of a yard each and kicker Doug Dieuvieul missed from 30 yards to hand the ball back to the AMCATs.

10 plays later, running back Robert Small would rush 27 yards into the endzone to cap an 11-play, 80 yard drive spanning just over four minutes.

Jonathan Sullivan brought Husson down to the AMCAT 46 with a 25-yard kickoff return and two plays later, Keezer completed a 34 yard pass to senior Jack Hersom, setting up a one yard sneak into the endzone by Keezer. Keezer and the Eagles went for two to take the lead to no avail and Anna Maria led 7-6.

Simone finished off yet another 11-play drive for the AMCATs with a three yard pass to senior Blake Simpson, just nine seconds into the second quarter, in the back of the endzone to go up 14-6. Husson seemingly had the play snuffed out as Simpson appeared out of nowhere on an island in the back corner to make the grab.

The next three series resulted in punts for both teams and on the third Husson recovered a dropped fair catch as AMC's Dominique Concepcion misjudged the Kyle Bishop punt. Husson turned over on downs to give the ball the Anna Maria at their own 15 yard line. Small lost two yards on the first play and Simone dropped back deep as Ernest Wiggins applied pressure forcing intentional grounding on Simone. The officials ruled Simone was in the endzone as he committed the infraction resulting in a safety in favor of Husson. The Husson two-pointer made it 14-8 Anna Maria.

With 3:11 to go in the first half Keezer put six more on the board for Husson as he scampered 42 yards into the endzone tying the score at 14-14 and failed to convert the two-point try yet again.

Simone answered right back for Anna Maria as he capped off a nine-play, 70 yard drive in just over two minutes a four yard run for the score, making the score 21-14 at the half.

AMCAT kicker Jamal Mitchell lit up the board early in the third with a 24 yard field goal and Husson would go on a 16-play drive which ended in a turnover on downs inside the Anna Maria ten yard line. The Mitchell field goal was the only score of the third quarter, as it was 24-14 heading into the final frame.

Both teams punted back and forth on the next three possessions and Husson looked to make it four, but faked with Bishop who threw incomplete.

On the fourth of Anna Maria's next set of downs, Simone completed a 48 yard pass to Concepcion for six more, and Mitchell added the extra point making the score 31-14 in favor of the AMCATs.

Audie Murphy returned the ensuing kickoff 50 yards to the AMC 25 and probably could have scored if it weren't for a teammate's pair of feet just barely tripping him up. Keezer yet again put the team on his back as he finished a six-play, 25 yard drive with a 16 yard touchdown run, closing the gap to 31-20 after another failed two-point attempt.

The AMCATs went three-and-out on their next possession after recovering a wild onside kick, and punted to Husson. Keezer then threw to Murphy for 69 yards on the first play of the drive, putting the Eagles at the 10 yard line. Coupled with the pass play, AMC committed a personal foul on the play which gave the Eagles half the distance to the goal from the ten, down to the five. Keezer ran for one yard on first down, and Ryan Dorso added four more yards and six points on second. Keezer completed the two-point conversion bringing Husson within a field goal, 31-28.

The Eagles tried once more to recover an onside kick, but Anna Maria's Josh Sundquist recovered to seal the game.