By Matt Ferris
Framingham hosted Worcester State on Nov. 11 in a MASCAC game and the regular season finale.
The Rams came out early, showing their big-play ability. Framingham used a total of just five plays to put up their first 21 unanswered points.
The first touchdown came in the first quarter with 3:51 remaining. Framingham used three plays to go 80 yards and take a 7-0 lead. The Rams started the drive with two rushes, picking up a total of six yards. On third down, Adam Wojenski connected with Napoleon Miller for a 74-yard touchdown.
Framingham’s next touchdown came with 30 seconds remaining in the quarter. The Rams used just one play to go 32 yards and take a 14-0 lead. This time, it was Nasir Thomas catching a Wojenski pass for the score.
On their next drive, Framingham again used just one play to reach the end zone. On their second drive of the second quarter, Wojenski completed a pass to Khaneil Bruce, who took it 45 yards for a touchdown. After the successful point after attempt, the Rams took a 21-0 lead.
Just before halftime, the Lancers put together an impressive drive to cut into the Rams’ lead. Worcester went 80 yards in six plays to cut the score to 21-7, going into the half. Quarterback Noah Brum hooked up with Dexter Andrews for a 20-yard touchdown to cap off the drive.
After deferring in the first half, the Rams received the second half kickoff. Framingham went 50 yards on this possession and found the end zone to extend the lead. Rufus Rushins capped off the six-play, 50-yard yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run. Kicker Ryan Clifford missed the extra point attempt, making it 27-7.
The Lancers went three-and-out on their next drive, but forced a Framingham turnover on defense.
With good field position, the Lancers looked to capitalize. On second down, Brum connected with Jacob Mahar for 11 yards and a first down. After an incompletion, Brum again connected with another one of his receivers for another first down, but Kenneth Bartolo forced a fumble on the tackle.
Svenn Jacobson recovered the fumble, giving the ball back to the Rams with good field position. The Framingham offense took advantage of the turnover and went 53 yards in nine plays to extend the lead. Will Cowdry finished the drive with a four-yard touchdown rush, pushing the lead to 34-7.
Worcester responded in the fourth quarter. The Lancers went 92 yards in nine plays for a touchdown. Brum found Mahar in the end zone for a one-yard touchdown, cutting the Framingham lead to 21.
Framingham came right back with a touchdown of its own to push the lead back to four possessions.
Zak Walker found Shaquille Joseph in the end zone for a 33-yard touchdown. The catch capped a six-play, 51-yard drive, making it 41-13.
One minute later, Framingham scored again. Set up by a Cory Lombardo interception, the Rams got the ball on the Lancers’ 12-yard line. On third down, Jake Brodeur found Joseph for a four-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 48-13.
The Lancers scored one more time in the game. Brum connected with Mahar again, this time for a 42-yard strike capping a five-play, 77-yard drive.
The Rams won the game by the score of 48-20 to extend their win streak to four games.
Framingham totaled 588 yards of total offense – 338 coming through the air and 250 on the ground. The Rams had four sacks in the game and forced two turnovers, one fumble and one interception.
The Rams had three different players throw for a touchdown – Wojenski, Walker and Brodeur. Wojenski led the quarterbacks with 281 yards and three touchdowns, while completing 60 percent of his passes.
Quron Wright carried the ball 26 times for 157 yards, putting him over 1,000 yards on the season.
Five different receivers caught a pass for the Rams and four of them had a touchdown. Miller led the Rams with six catches for 104 yards, with a touchdown. Bruce caught four passes and had 85 yards, with a touchdown. Stephen Beahn had five catches for 64 yards. Thomas had three catches for 48 yards and a touchdown. Joseph caught two passes, both for touchdowns, to go along with 37 yards.
Brum and Mahar led the offense for the Lancers. Brum threw for 336 yards and had three touchdowns. Mahar caught 11 passes, totaling 195 yards and had two touchdowns.
Theo Bryant and Mike Quinn led the defense for the Lancers. Both players had 13 tackles apiece.
The Rams finish the regular season with a record of 9-1, going 7-1 in the MASCAC.
Framingham finished second in the conference behind Plymouth State, failing to reach the Division III National Tournament for a second straight year.
The Rams did qualify for their second consecutive New England Bowl. Their opponents in the bowl game will be Curry College, which finished 8-2 on the season.
Dan Feeley, Joe Wilder and Wright made first team All-Conference on offense while Rodney Thomas, Rushins and Beahn all made second team All-Conference.
Wilder not only received this honor, but he also was named Offensive Lineman of the Year in the MASCAC.
Jaquan Harris, Nathan Fleming, Campbell Marchant, Joshua Onujiogu, Eli Etienne and Jacobson all made first team All-Conference on defense for the Rams. Thomas Burns received second team All-Conference honors.