Kean holds off WestConn's comeback bid, 31-24
DANBURY, CT (Sept. 19) — Sophomore quarterback Thomas DiAmbrisi (Eastontown, NJ) completed 15 of 26 passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns and Kean University held on to defeat Western Connecticut State University, 31-24 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference opener for both teams, at Westside Athletic Complex Saturday afternoon.
D’Ambrisi threw touchdowns of 22 yards and a pair of 17 yarders on the afternoon. He opened the scoring when he found Matt Puorro (Point Pleasant, NJ) from 22 yards out with 7:25 remaining in the first quarter. An extra point by Billy Daniels (Ridgefield, NJ) gave the Cougars a lead they would never relinquish.
The 5’10” signal caller connected with Alex Cade (Galloway, NJ) for back-to-back 17-yard touchdowns, the first came in the opening minutes of the second quarter. His second, with 14:39 still remaining in the third stanza, gave Kean a convincing 28-10 lead. Cade finished the game with six catches for 126 yards and the two scores.
WestConn would not throw in the towel, not before an announced home-opening crowd of 1,012.
Junior tailback Wayne Neal (Poughkeepsie, NY) scored on a two-yard run with 4:34 remaining in the third quarter and James Campbell (Oakdale, CT) added the extra point and the Colonials drew within 11 points, 28-17.
Daniels would provide a little cushion when he booted a 40-yard field goal midway through the final period.
Senior quarterback James Williams (Wolcott, CT), who completed 20 of 35 passes for 182 yards, scrambled in from eight yards out with 4:12 remaining in the game to pull the Colonials within seven points, 31-24.
The Cougars, 1-1 overall and 1-0 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, had a chance to put the game out of reach in the closing minutes but the WestConn defense, led by Javaris Brown (Cromwell, CT), took the ball over on downs on its own 43 yard line with 1:31 showing on the scoreboard.
Williams completed four of his next five pass attempts, the last a three-yard pass in the flat to Michael Keating (Fair Lawn, NJ) gave the Colonials a first-and-goal on the Cougars’ six yard line. Two plays later, Victor D’Arrigo (Staten Island, NY) sacked Williams for a 13-yard loss. Without a time out to use, Williams hurried to the line for one last play. A wild throw into the endzone was batted down, but would not have counted as he stepped across the line of scrimmage as the final buzzer sounded.
Freshman Tyler DeRosa (Miller Place, NY) led the Colonials with seven carries for 29 yards. Steve Griffin (Old Tappan, NJ) was Williams’ primary target, pulling down seven receptions for 55 yards.
Kean’s ground attack was held at bay as WestConn allowed just 42 yards on 28 carries. Defensively for WestConn, Brown registered 12 total tackles, nine of them solos and had a five-yard interception return. Angelo Mancini (West Hartford, CT), Mike Perrone (Brookfield, CT) and Mike Lacaria (Watertown, CT) each had six tackles in the loss.
Jamahl Williams (Passaic, NJ) and Richard Esdaile (Neptune, NJ) collected eight and seven tackles, respectively for the Cougars.
WestConn travels to Buffalo State College next Saturday for a 12 noon kick off. Kean remains on the road and heads for Cortland State for 1 p.m. start.
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