(September 19, 2003) - Omar Palmer rushed 29 times for 103 yards and a touchdown while Theodore Wells returned an interception 60 yards for touchdown to lead Nassau Community College to an 18-14 win over the Fordham University Junior Varsity team on Murphy Field.
On Fordham??s third possession of the game, the Rams took over on the Nassau 38 and Donovan Boyd went to work, first hauling in a 26 yard pass from Patrick Mitchell on fourth down to keep the drive alive and put the ball on the Lions?? 11. Three plays later, Mitchell found Boyd in the endzone with a nine-yard scoring strike to put the Rams up 7-0, midway through the first quarter.
The Lions came right back, driving 80 yards on 14 plays with the big play being a 32-yard pass from Bryan Shea to Tywan Freeney that gave Nassau a first down on the Fordham three. On the next play, Brendan Lucas covered the final three yards but the Lions missed the point after and settled for a 7-6 deficit early in the second.
Late in the second quarter, Nassau lined up to punt but the ball was snapped over the head of punter James Cunneen and Fordham recovered the ball on the Lions?? 27. After a 15-yard penalty was assessed against Nassau, the Rams had the ball on the Nassau 12. On the first play from scrimmage, Mitchell found Boyd with a touchdown pass to give Fordham a 14-6 lead.
Fordham had a chance to extend its lead late in the half as Jacob McCall recovered a Shea fumble on the Nassau 39 with less than a minute to play. Mitchell then hit Boyd with a touchdown pass but the play was called back due to a penalty.
The 14-6 lead would hold up until Nassau??s first possession of the second half where they quickly drove to the Fordham 14 and Palmer punched it in from there to cut Nassau??s deficit to two, 14-12.
Following the kickoff, a pair of completions from Mitchell to Boyd gave the Rams a first down on the Fordham 47. Mitchell then attempted a pass over the middle that was intercepted by Wells and returned 60 yards for a touchdown and an 18-14 Nassau lead.
Fordham then took the ensuing kickoff and drove to the Nassau 32 but a fourth down pass by Mitchell fell incomplete. The Lions then took over, but gave the ball back to the Rams after Shea fumbled a snap, which was recovered by McCall for Fordham on the Nassau 44.
Fordham then drove to the Lions?? 16 but a fourth down pass from Mitchell to Aaron Dennis in the endzone was incomplete.
Midway through the fourth, the Rams appeared to have taken the lead on an 80-yard punt return by Mike Melvin for a touchdown but the play was called back by a penalty on Fordham for an illegal block.
The Rams had one last chance to win the game but their last drive was stopped at the Nassau 42 when Jarrett Francisco was stopped for no gain by Keston Cudjoe on a fourth and one call with 1:30 left in the game.
Travis Jinks led the Lions defense with eight total tackles, five solo, including one for a loss while Chris Tomasky made five tackles, four solo, and he intercepted two passes.
Mitchell completed 12 of 26 passes for Fordham for 120 yards and two touchdowns with seven of those going to Boyd for 69 yards and the two scores.
Defensively, Robert Graebe made eight tackles, four solo, while Allan Davisson had five stops, two solo, and McCall recovered two fumbles.
Nassau CC at Fordham JV
September 19, 2003 ?C Murphy Field
Nassau CC 0 6 12 0 18
Fordham 7 7 0 0 14
Scoring
Ford ?C Donovan Boyd, 9 pass from Patrick Mitchell (Lester Spitler kick)
NCC ?C Brendan Lucas, 3 run (kick failed)
Ford - Donovan Boyd, 12 pass from Patrick Mitchell (Lester Spitler kick)
NCC ?C Omar Palmer, 14 run (run failed)
NCC ?C Theodore Wells, 60 interception return (run failed)
Rushing:
NCC ?C Omar Palmer 29-103, Brendan Lucas 5-24, Bryan Shea 6-6.
Fordham- Jarrett Francisco 20-58, Patrick Mitchell 8-18, Aaron Dennis 3-4.
Passing (Att.-Comp.-Int.-Yds):
NCC- Bryan Shea 5-2-0-45.
Fordham-Patrick Mitchell 26-12-3-120.
Receiving:
NCC- Tywan Freeney 1-32, David Ballard 1-13
Fordham-Donovan Boyd 7-69, Aaron Dennis 2-27, Mike Melvin 2-13, Tim Eckman 1-11.
Interceptions:
NCC ?C Chris Tomasky 2-0, Theodore Wells 1-60.
Tackles (UA-A-FL-SACK):
NCC- Travis Jinks 5-3-1-0, Chris Tomasky 4-1-0-0, Andy Noziere 1-2-0-0, Keston Cudjoe 2-2-0-0, Larkin Mayberry 4-1-0-0, Michael Dupree 4-2-1-0, Glenroy Watkins 3-0-0-0, Trenon Rodney 1-1-0-1, Dennis Robinson 1-1-1-1, Larkin Mayberry 1-1-0-0, Theodore Wells 1-0-0-0, Chad Ellis 1-0-0-0, Robert Nappe 1-0-0-0, Joseph Deshazo 1-0-0-0, James Williams 0-1-0-1.
Fordham- Robert Graebe 4-4-0-0, Allan Davisson 6-1-0-0, Lester Spitler 4-1-0-0, Derek Kilmurray 2-3-0-0, Dan Scillieri 1-2-0-0, Mikal Welsh 1-2-0-0, Jacob McCall 1-0-0-0, Aaron Dennis 1-1-0-0, Chris Hodge 1-0-0-1, Matt Cole 1-0-0-0.
