Soph QB Angell sparks MMA

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CASTINE – At first glance, Tyler Angell doesn’t exactly strike fear into the hearts of opposing defenses.

Maine Maritime Academy’s 5-foot-8, 185-pound quarterback can even be hard to see at times operating behind the big guys on the offensive line.

Framingham State saw plenty of Angell on Saturday afternoon. The sophomore from Leeds ran for 114 yards and threw for 140 to spark the Mariners to a 35-24 New England Football Conference victory at Ritchie Field.

“He’s only a sophomore, but he’s doing a good job learning it and as you can see, on some of the plays he does a great job,” said MMA coach Chris McKenney.

Angell efficiently directed the Mariners’ versatile option offense, leading MMA (5-2) to its fourth consecutive win.

“It was a great day,” Angell said. “[It was] an easy defense to read; the offensive line was amazing, had good blocks. You can’t stop the option.”

The offensive line laid the groundwork. Center Dan Weamer, guards Erik Shortell and Chris Mitchell, tackles Travis Berube and Shawn Atkinson, and a group of tight ends helped MMA gain 254 yards on the ground and 140 through the air.

“The blocking,” was the key, according to Angell. “They just opened up the holes.”

MMA exhibited plenty of diversity in its play-calling, but it was Angell’s decision-making that was the difference.

“He’s a playmaker,” fullback Brandon Goodrich said of Angell. “The hardest thing in the triple option offense is making the read. It takes a real athlete and a real smart person to be able to go out there and make the reads.”

With Framingham bottling up the fullback dive, Angell took it upon himself to find holes to run through both inside and outside. He carried 31 times and also made an occasional pitch to halfbacks Todd Murphy and Josh Elwell.

“We needed to get out on the perimeter, because they were taking away the fullback which is like our first option on the offense,” Goodrich added.

The Mariners outgained the Rams 394-216 as the defense nullified Framingham’s run game to the tune of minus-2 yards on 26 attempts.

Nate Bolduc led the way with nine tackles, while Wade Mondoux (2 sacks) and Travis Fergola (1 sack) made eight each. Mike Riley made an interception, recovered a fumble and broke up a pass.

“They shut them down. The defense has been coming up big all year,” McKenney said.

Framingham State (2-5) was in contention early in the third quarter. After a punt bounced and hit MMA’s Riley, the Rams recovered at the 7-yard line.

Two plays later, Patrick Franey’s 10-yard timing toss to Roland Gervais in the end zone got the Rams within 14-12.

The Mariners responded by scoring 21 unanswered points, converting two of Framingham’s four turnovers into touchdowns while building a comfortable 23-point bulge.

MMA scored on its next possession as Angell (8-for-14, 140 yards) connected with Goodrich on two long passes, including a 30-yard scoring play over the middle. Chris Cunningham’s PAT kick made it 21-12 with 10:04 left in the third quarter.

“With the triple option, everyone knows we’re primarily a running team, so we set up play-action passes,” Goodrich said. “A lot of our passes are wide-open.”

Two plays later, a leaping interception by Riley gave the hosts the ball at their own 38. MMA wound up punting, but Anthony Kewley muffed it and Riley recovered at the 16.

Backup fullback Vinnie Moulten eventually punched it in from 6 yards out to make it 28-12 with 4:08 left in the third.

Turnovers continued to plague the Rams when, two plays later, Franey mishandled a shotgun snap and Chris Tracy pounced on the ball at the 27.

Three minutes later, Moulten scored from the 1 to extend the Mariners’ advantage. MMA had an 11-minute advantage in time of possession.

The Rams went into an all-out passing game and scored two fourth-quarter TDs, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Franey passed for 218 yards and four scores for Framingham.

MARINERS 35, RAMS 24

Framingham 6 0 6 12 – 24

MMA 7 7 14 7 – 35

FSC – Miller 65 pass from Franey (kick failed)

MMA – Elwell 17 run (Cunningham kick)

MMA – Murphy 15 pass from Angell (Cunningham kick)

FSC – Gervais 10 pass from Franey (pass failed)

MMA – Goodrich 30 pass from Angell (Cunningham kick)

MMA – Moulten 5 run (Cunningham kick)

MMA – Moulten 1 run (Cunningham kick)

FSC – Hansfin 1 pass from Franey (pass failed)

FSC – Kewley 2 pass from Franey (kick failed)

Framingham MMA

First downs 9 16

Rushing att.-yards 26-(-2) 64-254

Passing comp.-att. 21-33 8-14

Passing yards 218 140

Total yards 216 394

Punts-avg. 7-42.0 5-37.0

Fumbles-lost 2-2 5-3

Intercepted by 1 2

Penalties-yards 8-56 8-65

Rushing

Framingham: Guarino 5-15, Kewley 2-9, Miller 8-8, Piccioli 1-2; MMA: Angell 31-114, Goodrich 18-49, Murphy 4-46, Elwell 5-23

Passing

Framingham: Franey 21-33-2-218; MMA: Angell 8-14-1-140

Receiving

Framingham: Miller 2-63, Hanafin 5-53, Gervais 6-40, Kewley 3-11,; MMA: Goodrich 2-55, Coulombe 4-45, Murphy 2-40

A-350 (est.)