SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (November 7, 2026) – The Western New England football team delivered an impressive offensive performance Saturday afternoon at Golden Bear Stadium, defeating Maine Maritime Academy 70-7 in Conference of New England (CNE) action. The Golden Bears scored touchdowns on their first four offensive possessions, including three in the opening quarter, and carried a commanding 42-7 advantage into halftime. Western New England finished with 560 yards of total offense, including 395 rushing yards, while holding the Mariners to just 164 total yards and minus-14 yards rushing. Nine offensive touchdowns and a punt return touchdown highlighted the victory as the Golden Bears improved to 5-4 overall and 4-2 in conference play.

Records:

• Western New England: 5-4, 4-2 CNE

• Maine Maritime Academy: 0-9, 0-6 CNE

How It Happened:

First Quarter

• After Maine Maritime won the opening coin toss and deferred, Western New England wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. Marcus Crawford returned the opening kickoff 18 yards to the WNE 35-yard line, setting up a three-play, 65-yard scoring drive. Cody Jackson connected with John De Camps for a 49-yard touchdown pass just 1:04 into the contest. Max LoGrasso converted the extra point to give the Golden Bears an early 7-0 advantage.
• The Golden Bears' defense forced Maine Maritime to punt on its opening possession, setting up another explosive offensive play. On the first snap of the ensuing drive, Crawford broke free for a 75-yard touchdown run, extending Western New England's lead to 14-0 with 10:00 remaining in the opening quarter. The scoring drive took just 17 seconds.
• Western New England's defense continued to disrupt the Mariners' offense on their next possession. Michael Canavatchel recorded a tackle for a six-yard loss, while Austin Pszczolkowski followed with a nine-yard sack of quarterback Harris Stone on third down, forcing another Maine Maritime punt.
• Beginning at their own nine-yard line, the Golden Bears put together a nine-play, 91-yard scoring drive that consumed 5:02. Matthew McGuire kept the possession alive with an eight-yard run on third-and-six, while Kevin Acosta added a 19-yard reception and Alex Silva contributed a 17-yard rush. Jackson capped the drive with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Christian Delgado, pushing the advantage to 21-0 with 1:17 remaining.
• Western New England closed the opening quarter with a 21-0 lead after scoring touchdowns on all three of its offensive possessions. The Golden Bears' quick-strike offense and defensive pressure established the early advantage, while Maine Maritime's third possession carried into the second quarter.

Second Quarter:

• The Golden Bears opened the second quarter with another defensive stop when Ryan Clark broke up a third-down pass to force a Maine Maritime punt. On the first play of Western New England's ensuing possession, Delgado raced 66 yards for a touchdown. LoGrasso's fourth successful extra point extended the lead to 28-0 with 14:36 remaining in the half.
• Maine Maritime responded with its only touchdown of the afternoon on a six-play, 75-yard drive. Facing third-and-26, Stone connected with Eli Bennett for an 80-yard touchdown pass. Aidan Sullivan converted the extra point, cutting Western New England's lead to 28-7 with 10:53 remaining in the second quarter.
• The Golden Bears answered immediately with a five-play, 60-yard scoring drive that took 2:19 off the clock. Jackson completed passes to Keegan Walker and De Camps before Crawford broke loose for a 41-yard touchdown run on third-and-one. LoGrasso added the extra point, restoring the 28-point advantage at 35-7 with 8:25 remaining.
• Western New England's defense continued to apply pressure, with Gavin Russo recording a sack for a one-yard loss on Maine Maritime's next possession. Later in the quarter, Nick Kolifrath intercepted Stone and returned the ball 40 yards to the Mariners' 12-yard line, giving the Golden Bears excellent field position with 1:49 remaining in the half.
• The Golden Bears capitalized on the interception with a two-play, 12-yard scoring drive. Jackson connected with Acosta for a 13-yard touchdown pass with 1:04 remaining, and LoGrasso converted the extra point to make it 42-7. Western New England entered halftime having scored six touchdowns, including three in each of the first two quarters.

Third Quarter:

• Maine Maritime received the opening kickoff of the second half but was unable to establish an offensive drive. Canavatchel pressured Stone into an incompletion on third-and-seven, forcing a punt that gave Western New England possession at its own 35-yard line with 13:25 remaining.
• The Golden Bears responded with a 10-play, 65-yard touchdown drive that consumed 4:30. Quarterback Evelio Lugo connected with De Camps for a 21-yard gain on third-and-six, while Yasir Jones carried the ball six times during the possession. Jones capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown run on third-and-two, extending Western New England's advantage to 49-7 with 8:55 remaining.
• Western New England's special teams added another touchdown less than two minutes later. After the Golden Bears forced Maine Maritime into a three-and-out, Logan Watts recovered his muffed reception of a 14-yard punt and returned it 14 yards for a touchdown. LoGrasso converted the extra point, pushing the Golden Bears' lead to 56-7 with 7:24 remaining in the third quarter.
• The Golden Bears' defense continued to limit Maine Maritime's offense, forcing another punt following a nine-yard sack by Mike Zaremba. Western New England took over at the Mariners' 36-yard line and advanced to the 12-yard line before turning the ball over on downs with 3:19 remaining in the quarter.
• Maine Maritime moved the ball on its final possession of the third quarter, highlighted by a 28-yard completion from Stone to Bennett. However, Donovan Belton and Vincent Cito combined for a six-yard sack, helping slow the drive. Western New England entered the fourth quarter with a commanding 56-7 lead after adding 14 unanswered points in the quarter.

Fourth Quarter:

• Western New England opened the final quarter with another defensive stop as Chase Royal broke up Stone's fourth-and-13 pass attempt, forcing a turnover on downs at midfield. The Golden Bears took over at their own 50-yard line with 14:53 remaining.
• The Golden Bears put together a nine-play, 50-yard scoring drive that took 4:59 off the clock. Jones contributed a 10-yard run on third-and-three, while Noah Pierre-Louis completed an eight-yard pass to Jayden Melendez. Silva added a 13-yard rush to the one-yard line before eventually crossing the goal line on a one-yard touchdown run. LoGrasso's extra point extended the advantage to 63-7 with 9:54 remaining.
• Western New England's defense forced another Maine Maritime punt on the ensuing possession, giving the offense the ball at its own 21-yard line. Devin Rowden carried the ball three times for 55 yards during the next scoring drive, including gains of 18 and 34 yards that helped move the Golden Bears deep into Mariners territory.
• Drew Caouette finished the four-play, 79-yard drive with a nine-yard touchdown pass to CJ LaBonte with 6:06 remaining. LoGrasso converted his 10th extra point of the afternoon, extending Western New England's lead to 70-7. The Golden Bears' defense followed with another stop, forcing Maine Maritime to punt with 3:36 remaining.
• Western New England used four consecutive kneel-downs on its final offensive possession before Maine Maritime took over and ran out the remaining time. The Golden Bears completed the 70-7 victory after scoring 14 points in each of the final two quarters and holding the Mariners scoreless throughout the second half.

Inside the Lines:

• Passing: Western New England finished with 165 passing yards and four touchdowns, completing 11 of 15 attempts. Cody Jackson led the passing attack, completing seven of eight passes for 123 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. Evelio Lugo added 25 yards on two completions, while Drew Caouette threw a nine-yard touchdown pass and Noah Pierre-Louis completed his lone attempt for eight yards.
• Rushing: The Golden Bears dominated on the ground, rushing for 395 yards and five touchdowns on 43 attempts, averaging 9.2 yards per carry. Marcus Crawford led the way with 125 yards and two touchdowns on just five carries, including runs of 75 and 41 yards. Christian Delgado added a 66-yard touchdown run on his only carry, while Alex Silva recorded 60 yards and a touchdown on 10 attempts. Devin Rowden contributed 55 yards on three carries, and Yasir Jones finished with 54 yards and a touchdown on nine attempts.
• Receiving: John De Camps led Western New England's receiving corps with four catches for 79 yards and a touchdown, highlighted by his 49-yard scoring reception in the opening quarter. Kevin Acosta added two receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown, while Christian Delgado contributed a 21-yard touchdown reception. CJ LaBonte also found the end zone with a nine-yard reception in the fourth quarter.
• Defense: Western New England held Maine Maritime to minus-14 rushing yards on 27 attempts and recorded 13 tackles for loss totaling 42 yards. Dimaggio Ferrara led the Golden Bears with six total tackles, while Michael Canavatchel and Ryan Clark each recorded five. Gavin Russo finished with three tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Austin Pszczolkowski added three tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack, while Mike Zaremba contributed a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss.
• Turnovers and Defensive Pressure: Nick Kolifrath recorded Western New England's lone interception, returning it 40 yards to set up a second-quarter touchdown. The Golden Bears registered four sacks for 25 yards, with Russo, Pszczolkowski and Zaremba each credited with a solo sack, while Donovan Belton and Vincent Cito combined for another. Western New England also recorded five pass breakups and limited Maine Maritime to just two third-down conversions in 13 attempts.
• Special Teams: Logan Watts provided a special teams highlight with a 14-yard punt return touchdown in the third quarter. Max LoGrasso was perfect on extra-point attempts, converting all 10 opportunities to account for 10 points. Chris DiGiacomo handled 10 kickoffs for 586 yards, while Rhys Surprenant added one kickoff for 49 yards. The Golden Bears did not punt during the contest.
• Team Statistics: Western New England outgained Maine Maritime 560-164 in total offense, averaging 9.7 yards per play compared with the Mariners' 3.0. The Golden Bears recorded 24 first downs, including 16 rushing, and converted six of nine third-down opportunities. Western New England also scored touchdowns on nine offensive possessions, with the defense and special teams contributing to a shutout in the second half.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• The Golden Bears will close out the 2026 regular season on Saturday, November 14, when they travel to Dudley, Mass., to take on the Nichols College Bison. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.