THROGGS NECK, NY – The Maritime College football team posted 472 yards of total offense, including 328 on the ground, and possessed the ball for nearly 45 minutes on Saturday afternoon.  However, a blocked extra point and failed two-point conversion proved to be the difference in the game, as the Privateers (2-3, 0-2 New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference) suffered a 28-26 loss to Coast Guard (4-1, 2-0 NEWMAC) at Reinhart Field.

Maritime trailed 21-14 when Joshua Rogers (Valley Stream, NY) found the end zone from one yard out with 13:39 remaining in the contest.  The extra point was blocked, though, keeping the Bears in front, 21-20.  Coast Guard responded with a five-play, 55-yard scoring drive that increased its lead to eight, 28-20, with 11:11 to go.

After the Privateers were stopped on 4^th-and-1 on the ensuing possession, the Maritime defense forced a three-and-out.  The punt went into the end zone, so the Privateers started their next drive on their own 20 with 6:10 left.  It looked like Maritime had scored when Will Pickett (Rockville Centre, NY) connected with Enrique Hernandez (Northport, NY) from 32 yards out, but the touchdown was called back due to a penalty.  A second TD was taken off the board when Nate Casaburi (Sayville, NY) was flagged for offensive pass interference after making the catch.

Ultimately, it came down to 4^th-and-goal from the Bears' 13 with 22 seconds remaining.  Pickett connected with Casaburi for the score, bringing Maritime within two.  On the two-point attempt, Pickett couldn't find an open receiver and was sacked.  Coast Guard then recovered the onside kick to cap the victory.

Rogers opened the scoring with a 2-yard TD run midway through the first quarter, but the Bears immediately responded with a 60-yard touchdown pass from Elias Duncan to Broock Desta.  Maritime regained the lead, 14-7, on a four-yard strike from Pickett to Casaburi that capped a 16-play, 71-yard march that took nearly nine minutes off the clock. 

It took Coast Guard less than a minute to equalize, as Duncan found Desta on a 55-yard catch and run.  Later in the second quarter, the Privateers went for it on 4^th-and-7 from the Bears' 22, but Pickett's pass was intercepted by Noah Rohrer, keeping the game deadlocked at 14-14 going into halftime.  Coast Guard broke the tie on the first possession of the third quarter, taking its first lead of the game on James Wheeler IV's 13-yard TD reception.

In addition to finishing 13-for-23 for 144 yards and two touchdowns in the air, Pickett carried 21 times for 157 yards.  Rogers gained 85 yards and scored twice on 25 rushing attempts, as the Privateers ran the ball 65 times.  Casaburi led the receiving corps with four catches for 40 yards and two TDs.

Defensively, Dennis Matich (Floral Park, NY) paced Maritime with seven tackles, including a sack.  Nazir Kinsey (Syracuse, NY) contributed six tackles, while all four of Vinny Fundaro's (Levittown, NY) were for a loss.  He sacked Duncan twice.

For the Bears, Duncan finished 8-for-15 passing for 179 yards and three touchdowns.  Desta had two long TD receptions and threw for another.  Matt LaBouliere, meanwhile, led Coast Guard with three catches.  Harrison Henley gained 99 rushing yards on 17 carries.

Blake Delevan and Lucas White made 16 tackles apiece, as four different Bears recorded double-digit tackles.  Delevan was also credited with two pass breakups.  Michael Shank registered 12 tackles, one of which was a sack, and Ramon Cruz contributed 10 tackles for Coast Guard.

Up next for the Privateers is a 1 p.m. matchup at rival Merchant Marine (4-0, 2-0 NEWMAC) on Saturday.  Maritime is looking for its first victory over the Mariners since 2017.