WNE Keeps Presidents' Cup With 56-35 Shootout Win Over Owls
Western New England’s Steven Fedorchak (Guilderland, NY) caught nine passes for school records of 319 yards and five touchdowns as the Golden Bears retained the Presidents’ Cup in a 56-35 shootout win over Westfield State at Alumni Field on Friday night.
WESTFIELD, Mass. – Western New England's Steven Fedorchak (Guilderland, NY) caught nine passes for school records of 319 yards and five touchdowns as the Golden Bears retained the Presidents' Cup in a 56-35 shootout win over Westfield State at Alumni Field on Friday night.
The Golden Bears (2-0) jumped out to a 14-0 lead on 53 and 69-yard scoring strikes from QB Alec Coleman (Arlington) to Fedorchak, beating the Westfield State defense over the top on both occasions.
The Owls answered with an 11-play, 46 yard drive which was set up by a Tod Holloway (Ludlow) 42-yard kickoff return, and capped by a 3-yard TD pass from Jake Cassidy (Salem, Mass/Lawrence Academy) to Evan Garvey to cut the lead to 14-7 less than nine minutes into the game.
The teams traded blows, with Fedorchak adding another 69-yard catch, this one from Brandon Smith, and then Westfield got a 59-yard touchdown run from wideout Cam Gallagher (Uxbridge) on a jet sweep play. Fedorchack caught a 35-yard TD from Coleman with 1:25 left in the first quarter to give Western New England a 28-14 lead at the quarter.
Fedorchak caught his fifth TD of the game on a 35-yard strike from Coleman with 1:09 left in the first half, then the Owls punched in a 2-yard Shane Clark (Bellows Falls, Vt.) TD run to make the score 42-28 at the half.
Clark finished with a pair of touchdown runs for Westfield State.
In total, the Golden Bears racked up 701 yards of total offense. Coleman finished 22-27 passing for 403 yards and 5 TD's. Peter Hoff (Shelton, Conn.) rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown.
For Westfield, Cassidy finished 17-27 for 201 yards a touchdown. Senior WR Evan Garvey (Dalton, Mass./Waconah) caught eight passes for 95 yards and a touchdown. Gallagher finished with 56 yards rushing and 51 yards receiving. Holloway averaged 35 yards per return on seven kickoff returns.
Naquez Saunders (Norfolk, Va./Bayside) led the Owls defense with eight tackles and an interception. David White(Walpole) added eight tackles and recovered a fumble.
Erich Keutmann (Washingtonville, NY) led WNE with 12 tackles.
Westfield (0-2) will next play at Framingham State on Saturday, September 21.