THROGGS NECK, NY – Trailing by four with just under three minutes remaining, the Maritime College football team marched 79 yards down the field for the winning score on Saturday afternoon.  Kevin Murphy (Seaford, NY) capped the game-winning, 10-play drive with his second touchdown of the day, an 11-yard strike that David Keogh (Mahopac, NY) placed perfectly into the corner of the end zone to give the Privateers (1-3, 1-0 ECFC) a 19-16 victory over Castleton (2-3, 0-1 ECFC) in their Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) opener at Reinhart Field.

After the kickoff, Castleton started its drive on its own 15-yard line with 48 seconds left and one timeout.  The Spartans got to the Maritime 41, when a key incompletion set up a 4^th-and-3 with nine seconds remaining.  Jacob McCarthy's heave towards the end zone fell short, however, and the Privateers secured their first win since an 11-9 triumph over Mount St. Joseph on Nov. 16, 2019.

Keogh finished 26-for-48 passing with 360 yards and three touchdowns.  Murphy had five catches for 40 yards and two scores, while Nicholas Morman (Covington, LA) gained 104 yards rushing.  Sean Hart (Brooklyn, NY) paced the defense with 10 tackels, and Abdoulay Konate (New York, NY) made nine tackles.  James Varga (Hasbrouck Heights, NJ), meanwhile, tallied six solo tackles.

The game got off to a slow start and remained scoreless until a Castleton field goal midway through the second quarter.  The Privateers responded immediately, though, with a nine-play, 81-yard drive that was capped by Murphy's four-yard TD catch.  The extra point was blocked, and Maritime went into the locker room with a 6-3 lead.

Castleton received the second half kickoff, which Damiyr Martinez returned 94 yards to pay dirt, putting the Spartans in front 10-6.  Castleton then extended its advantage to 16-6 on Simon Davis Jr.'s 51-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter.

Maritime wasted little time coming up with an answer, as Keogh connected with Cole Trosclair (Metaire, LA) for a 73-yard touchdown strike.  A second blocked extra point meant the Privateers would be down four, 16-12, entering the final period.  Maritime had a drive stall on the Castleton 46 with 3:12 remaining, but forced a three-and-out on the Spartans' ensuing possession, setting up the winning score.

For Castleton, McCarthy went 16-for-34 with 142 yards.  Davis carried 11 times for 83 yards and a touchdown, while Anthony Martinez had six receptions for 88 yards.  Andrew Genier notched nine tackles for the Spartans.

Next Saturday, the Privateers travel to Alfred State (1-3, 0-0 ECFC) for a 12 p.m. kickoff.  It marks the third successive time in which the teams will square off at Pioneer Stadium.