News
Vermont Advances to Championship Game: Cats Defeat Maine 31-7
By Sarah CoonNovember 08, 2010
There were no tricks up anyone’s sleeves on the frigid night
of November 6th, 2010. Maine and Vermont had faced each other the
previous weekend in the last game of the regular season to determine the NCFA
North Atlantic Conference Champion. The title and the Whitman-DeLuca Rivalry
Jug went to the University of Vermont Catamounts in a 24-7 victory, ensuring
that #3 Maine would travel to #2 Vermont for a YCFC semi-final playoff
game. The winner of the second
match would move on to the YCFC Championships, while the loser would return
home with their season abruptly ended.
The Black Bears received the opening kickoff, but their
attempt at a drive was cut short on third and six by UVM defensive back Chad
Foley’s first interception of the night. The two teams traded turnovers,
however, as UVM gained but one first down before a fumble returned the ball to
the University of Maine. The two
respective defenses held their ground as the two teams traded punts, but a long
42 yd touchdown pass from UVM quarterback Josh Henshaw to senior receiver Sean
Martin put points on the board for the Catamounts before the end of the first
quarter.
The UVM defense held once again, returning the ball to the
Catamount offense early in the second quarter. Deep in their own territory, UVM
quarterback Korey Johnson’s third down pass was picked off by the Maine defense
and returned 16 yards for a Black Bear touchdown. The extra point tied the
score 7-7. A second Foley interception set up another successful drive by UVM
and brought them within field goal range. Henshaw, doing double duty for the
day, made a 42 yarder to put three more points up for UVM with two and a half
minutes left in the half. Maine’s offense took the field once again, but
another swift interception by Foley denied them any chance to even the score in
the first half and the two teams entered the locker rooms UVM 10, UMaine 7.
Neither offense got within scoring range of the opposing
side during the third quarter, but a continued outstanding effort by the
Catamount defense resulted in another six points for UVM as senior linebacker
Amos Kempton picked off Maine quarterback Brett Davison’s pass in the flats and
hit the ground running. 70 yards and a successful extra point kick later, the
score stood UVM 17, UMaine 7.
Vermont was nearly perfect in the fourth quarter. Receptions
by Martin, Nolan Rhodes, and Jeff Ulsh brought the Cats to the Maine one-yard
line and Henshaw’s QB sneak finished it off, putting up another touchdown for
the Catamounts. With a minute and a half left to play, Maine strung together a
series of first downs in an attempt to get one more score on the board.
Everyone in attendance had a moment of déjà vu, however, as UVM’s Kempton
intercepted Davison once again and could not be stopped short of the end zone.
When the dust cleared the scoreboard read UVM 31, UMaine 7. The deal was sealed
by a sixth UVM interception, this one by freshman Drew Howrigan in the last 30
seconds of the game.
The UVM Catamounts go on to play the #1 ranked Southwestern
Connecticut Grizzlies Saturday, November 13thin Meriden, CT for the
Yankee Bowl Championship Game. The game will be a rematch of Week 1 action, in
which the Grizzlies beat Vermont 28-21, handing them their only loss of the
season. While Southwestern Connecticut seeks to remain unbeaten, the University
of Vermont looks for redemption and the title of YCFC Champions.