Box Score THRGGS NECK, NY – Trailing by 15 in the fourth quarter, the Privateer football team battled back to tie the game with no time remaining to force overtime against Mount Ida. Maritime couldn't answer the Mustang touchdown, and dropped their first ever overtime match by a final of 44-38. Mount Ida improves to 1-2, while Maritime drops to 2-1.
The Privateers jumped out to an early lead, off a 7 yard touchdown run by Robert Nichols (Ossining (NY)/Ossining) (Ossining, NY/Ossining), his first of two rushing touchdowns in the game. That was the only score of the first quarter for either team.
Mount Ida opened up the second half with a touchdown run of their own from Joe Berger (Washington Depot, CT/Canterbury). The Privateer defense then blocked a punt from the Ida 5 yard line that ended in a defensive safety for Maritime. With the score 9-6, the Privateers took the ensuing possession and scored off a 22-yard pass from Michael Smooke (Land O'Lakes, FL/East Lake (FL)) (Land O'Lakes, FL/East Lake) to Nichols. The Mustangs would then score 25 unanswered points to take a 38-16 lead deep into the third quarter. Maritime's Klestor Pellumbi (Astoria, NY/Christopher Columbus) (Astoria, NY/Christopher Columbus) recovered a Mustang fumble and returned it for 35 yards for a score to end the third quarter.
Down 38-23 at the start of the final quarter, the Privateers defense stopped the Mustangs by forcing two punts and taking the ball away twice down the stretch. Quarterback Smooke rushed for a 13 yard touchdown with 6:18 left in the fourth to bring the Privateers within a score and a 2-point conversion of tieing the game. After the defense forced a punt with 2:11 on the clock, the Privateers got the ball back and marched all the way down the field. On a third down and goal play, with only 9-tenths of a second remaining, the Privateers gave the ball to Nichols who scored from 4 yards out to move the score to 38-36 with no time showing on the game clock. The Maritime offense ran the same exact play and converted the conversion to tie the game.
After Maritime won the toss and deferred, the Mount Ida offense scored quickly, on a quarterback sneak from 2 yards out. The point after was blocked, and Maritime had a chance to win. On the very next play, the Privateers lost a fumble to end the game.
Turnovers hurt the Maritime offense, who fumbled the ball 8 times, 6 of which resulted in a turnover. The team ran for 255 yards, and passed for 123, on 75 total offensive plays.
Maritime will be traveling to Norwich on September 22nd for 1PM game.
