WORCESTER, Mass. – Worcester State's Kemani Jones (Milton, Mass.) broke two records Saturday (Nov. 7) afternoon as the Worcester State Lancers earned their fourth consecutive victory of the season in a 53-27 win over Westfield State in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) play at John F. Coughlin field.
With the win, the Lancers improve to 4-5 on the season, and move to a 4-3 winning record in the conference. The Westfield State Owls drop to 2-7, and 1-6 in the MASCAC.
Jones broke the record for all-time rushing yards at Worcester State with the 226 rushing yards he earned in today's game. In the 2011, 2012, and 2014 seasons he registered 1,994 rushing yards, and with his 1,032 yards this season, he reached the top spot on the all-time career leaders with 3,026 yards (567 rushes). He bested the previous holder of Greg Wood (2001-03) who had 450 rushes for a total of 3,002 yards.
In addition to the all-time rushing yards, Jones also meets the all-time rushing touchdowns at Worcester State in a single game with four.
Senior quarterback, Trevor Vasey (Cumberland, R.I.), directed the Lancers offensively as he went 17-24 in completions for a total of 303 yards and three touchdowns. His longest throw was for 57-yards. On the other end of the 57-yard pass from Vasey was junior wide receiver, Arron Witkus (Chelmsford, Mass.) who claimed four receptions for 110 yards throughout the entirety of the game. Junior wide receiver, Tyler Barrie (Oxford, Mass.) also had four receptions for a total of 69 yards.
On the other end, sophomore George Blake (Springfield, Mass.) was remarkable on defense, recording seven unassisted tackles, three sacks, and six tackles for losses. Junior Shane Gleim (N. Grosvenordale, Conn.) led the team with 10 tackles (six unassisted).
The Lancers started the game out with a 20-0 run. Just 1:26 into the game, Jones scored the team's first touchdown on a 3-yard run. The good kick by freshman Noah Hwang (Brooklyn, N.Y.) put them up seven.
Another touchdown from Jones at 9:44 in the first put the Lancers up by 13, and then a great pass from Vasey to senior Mark Parker (Natick, Mass.) and a good kick brought the Blue and Gold to a 20-point lead.
Down by 20, the Owls fought back and senior quarterback, Erik Washburn (Lisbon, Conn.), threw a 60-yard shot down the field to senior wide receiver, Sam Laurin (Chicopee, Mass.) to put numbers up on the scoreboard for Westfield. The Lancers answered to the Owls just 35 seconds later with a 9-yard pass from Vasey to Jones, and a good kick from Hwang to regain their 20 point lead.
Worcester State dominated the second and third quarters, not allowing the Owls any scoring, as they themselves scored three touchdowns and one field goal to increase the margin to 51-7.
The fourth quarter was in Westfield's hands when junior running back Bryan Waruhiu (Dracut, Mass.) set the pace with a 5-yard touchdown to shorten the edge. Worcester State's only score in the fourth came slightly after this touchdown, as Mike Holder (Lowell, Mass.) blocked the extra point attempt by freshman Tyler Duff (Dracut, Mass.), and Holder carried the ball down the field for two points.
Westfield State's sophomore quarterback, Phil Cohen (Lyme, Conn.) came into the game in the second half and threw for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter – a 48-yard pass to Laurin, and a 20-yard pass to senior Colin Smith (Groton, Conn.) – to end the game with a final score of 53-27.
Cohen directed the Owls with 10 completions (25 attempts) for a total of 136 yards. Laurin led the team in receptions with seven for 156 yards, and Waruhiu rushed for 18 plays and a total yardage of 90.
Defensively for the Owls, senior Marc Pettigrew (Auburn, Mass.) paced the team with 10 tackles (seven unassisted), one sack, and four tackles for losses. John Ollari (Millers Falls, Mass.) came in second with nine tackles and one tackle for a loss.
The Lancers will be back in action next Saturday (Nov. 14) on their home field for the regular season finale. They will matchup against Framingham State on senior day with a 12 noon start time. The Owls will be on the road for their final game of the season, as they will square up with Western Connecticut State University on Friday, Nov. 13 for a 7 p.m. start time.