THROGGS NECK, N.Y. (Oct. 22, 2010) – The Maritime football team (7-0, 4-0 ECFC) will travel to Newton, Mass. tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 23, to take on conference-opponent Mount Ida College (4-2, 3-1 ECFC). Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Mustangs' Mount Ida College Athletic Stadium.

Listen To The Action Live On The Privateer Radio Network!

            Followers of the Maritime football program can catch all the action on the gridiron, all season long, on the Privateer Radio Network. Play-by-play man Matt Gregory will be making the trip up to the Bay State on Saturday with the football team to call the action live from that campus of Mount Ida. The production will begin approximately 20 minutes before game time and can be accessed by clicking here.

Battle For Positions In ECFC Standings Continues In Week Seven

            The Privateers, who are undefeated in conference play and currently sit atop the ECFC standings, will be facing a team vying to knock them out of first place for the second-straight week on Saturday. The Mustangs are tied for second place with last season's ECFC champion, Norwich, and Castleton State. All three teams have 3-1 league records.

Maritime Football Now Receiving Votes In Both National Coaches' Poll And Regional ECAC Poll

            For the first time in program history, the Maritime football team was recognized in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) National Top 25 Division III Coaches' Poll, released on Monday. The Privateers are receiving two votes in the poll and sit just 14 spots out of the top 25 among all NCAA Division III programs. 40 D-III head coaches cast their votes weekly for this poll.

Also released on Monday was the second Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Lambert Meadowlands Poll. Maritime is also receiving votes in that poll for the second consecutive week.

To read the full release from the AFCA, click here. For the ECAC's release, click here.

Privateers Rank Seventh In Country In Rushing; Top-15 In Two Other Categories

            The Privateers currently rank seventh among all NCAA Division-III programs in the nation with 338.43 rushing yards per game thru seven contests in 2010 thus far. This is the second straight season that Maritime has ranked in the top five in the category, as the finished the 2009 campaign with the fourth-best rushing offense in the country.

            The squad's 17.85-yard average on punt returns ranks 13th in the country, while its .14 sacks allowed per game is second only to Maine Maritime (.00).

            Individually, sophomore linebacker Keith Barnes (Westbury, N.Y./Westbury) (Westbury, N.Y./Westbury) is tied for 35th in the country with an average of 10.57 tackles per game. Junior fullback Jamie Spanopoulos (Franklin Square, N.Y./H. Frank Carey)'s (Franklin Square, N.Y./H. Frank Carey) 90.57 rushing yards per game is good for 62nd among his fellow running backs.

Barnes Named Week Three ECFC Defensive Player Of The Week

            Sophomore linebacker Keith Barnes (Westbury, N.Y./Westbury) was named the ECFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week Seven after his performance in Maritime's 23-0 home shutout over Becker College on Oct. 16.

The 6-0, 240-pounder registered a team-high nine total tackles (six solo and three assisted), including three tackles for combined losses of 13 yards. Barnes recorded a game-high two sacks, one in the second quarter and the other in the fourth. The sophomore was constantly keeping the Hawks' quarterback on his toes, as he also recorded one quarterback hurry.

            Barnes also earned the Defensive Player of the Week nod after the Week One victory over Mass. Maritime. That makes eight times this season that a Privateer player has earned an ECFC Weekly Honor, which is a conference-high. Freshman Thomas Davis (Westbury, N.Y./Westbury)-RB/KR (Westbury, N.Y./Westbury) was Week One and Week Two Special Teams Player of the Week and also Week Two Rookie of the Week. Sophomore linebacker Pat Lasher (Seaford, N.Y./Seaford) (Seaford, N.Y./Seaford) was named the Week Three and Week Five Defensive Player of the Week, while senior Madison Leary (Tavares, Fla./Tavares)-K/WR (Tavares, Fla./Tavares) earned Week Six Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

Coach Clayton Kendrick-Holmes And Maritime College Featured On NBC Today Show Friday

            On Friday, the NBC Today Show ran a segment on Maritime football head coach Clayton Kendrick-Holmes and his remarkable story this season. The piece focused on Kendrick-Holmes' life as Maritime College's football coach, his service as a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserves and his impending deployment to Afghanistan as a U.S. Navy officer upon the completion of the 2010 Privateer football season. To view the video footage from the Today Show, click here.

Vote For Head Coach Clayton Kendrick-Holmes For Liberty Mutual Coach Of The Year

            This year, as in years past, the general public will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite coach as the recipient of the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award. The top 15 coaches after fan voting ends on Dec. 14 will be eligible for the award.

Currently, Maritime head coach Clayton Kendrick-Holmes sits in 14th place in the country in the Division III category. With your help, Coach Holmes can reach remain in the top 15 and be eligible for the award! Log on daily to cast your vote by following this link. Note: one vote per day per e-mail address!

Inside The Series With Mount Ida

            Saturday's game will be the fifth meeting between Maritime College and Mount Ida, with the Mustangs holding a 3-1 lead in the series. Mount Ida won the first three games in 2006, 07 and 08, but the Privateers came out victorious in 2009. Maritime shut out the guests, 42-0, at Reinhart Field in Week Eight.

Maritime Privateer Breakdown

            Junior Jamie Spanopoulos (Franklin Square, N.Y./H. Frank Carey) leads the Privateer ground attack with 634 yards, nearly 200 more yards than second-ranked Joe Dickey (Middletown, N.J./Middletown North (N.J.))-QB (Middletown, N.J./Middletown North), who has 444 rushing yards. Spanopoulos has four TD's on the ground and has also caught one, while Dickey has ran for a team-high eight touchdowns and has thrown seven. Dickey is 28-for-64 in completions for 408 yards and has thrown just one interception.

            Senior Greg McGough (Edgewater, Md./Blessed Trinity (Ga.)) (Edgewater, Md./Blessed Trinity) has amassed 374 rushing yards and scored four TDs, while classmate John Gagliano (Islip Terrace, N.Y./St. Anthony's) (Islip Terrace, N.Y./St. Anthony's) picked up 353 yards on the ground and has three scores. Sophomore Fritz Jean (Palm Coast, Fla./Palm Coast (Fla.)) (Palm Coast, Fla./Palm Coast) has scored five touchdowns on the season, three on the ground on a total of 264 yards rushing and two receiving TDs on 75 yards through the air. Sophomore Erik Heedles (Staten Island, N.Y./New Dorp) (Staten Island, N.Y./New Dorp) is Dickey's main target, having caught 12 passes for 174 yards and four scores.

            On defense, Keith Barnes (Westbury, N.Y./Westbury) leads the squad with 74 total tackles (47 solo and 27 assisted), including nine for combined losses of 32 yards (two sacks for losses of eight yards). Pat Lasher (Seaford, N.Y./Seaford) ranks second on the Privateers with 51 total tackles (34 solo and 17 assisted). Lasher has two interceptions on the season and has returned one of them back for Maritime's only defensive touchdown of the season. Junior Rob Gorgy (Hillsborough, N.J./Immaculata (N.J.)) (Hillsborough, N.J./Immaculata) and sophomore Thomas Boney (Jacksonville, Fla./University Christian (Fla.)) (Jacksonville, Fla./University Christian) both share the team-high with four sacks, while senior co-captain Steve Roman (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph's by the Sea) (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph's by the Sea) leads the team with three interceptions.

Scouting The Mount Ida Mustangs

            Mount Ida comes into Saturday's game with a 4-2 overall record and a 3-1 mark in ECFC action. The Mustangs have defeated Plymouth State, Norwich, Becker and Gallaudet, while losing to Bridgewater State and Castleton.

            Mount Ida has received quality play from sophomore quarterback Scott Drosendahl (98-of-159 for 1,279 yards, nine touchdowns) and senior Paul Shaughnessy, who has filled the void for injured star Johrone Bunch (knee). Shaughnessy has 214 rushing yards and two touchdowns and has 26 catches for 345 yards and two more scores.

            On defense, sophomore linebacker Michael Brockenberry leads the Mustangs with 29 total tackles (25 solo and four assisted).