Penn sprint football bounces back, eeks out win

Sometimes, a little can go a long way.

While it might have tied for the lowest amount the Quakers scored all season, 14 points was enough for the Penn sprint football team to defeat Franklin Pierce, 14-7, on Friday evening .

Playing at the Ravens’ Sodexo Field in Rindge, N.H., the Red and Blue (3-1) needed only two rushing touchdowns from senior team captain and running back Mike Beamish to finish off their opponents.

Another strong effort from the Penn defense held Franklin Pierce (1-3) to only one touchdown — a 21-yard rush by senior quarterback Derek Reddy in the fourth quarter.

“I had thoughts of Franklin Pierce coming back and tying the game as they did a year ago and forcing an overtime football game,” coach Bill Wagner said , referencing the Quakers’ 33-27 overtime loss against the Ravens last October. However, Wagner’s fears were quelled when his defense held Franklin Pierce scoreless over the final 11:18 of the game.

The defining stand came in the final minute, as the Red and Blue’s defense held firm in the shadow of its own end zone , preventing the tying score.

Leading the defensive effort was junior linebacker/defensive back Stu Hegelson , who tallied seven tackles and an interception. Hegelson wasn’t the only standout performer as sophomore defensive back Chris Colavita had seven tackles of his own and senior defensive back Keith Braccia racked up six as well.

Sophomore defensive lineman Patrick Boyle and freshman linebacker Hunter Heflin each sacked Reddy once.

Sophomore wide receiver Mario del Cueto once again led the team with 39 receiving yards, helping Penn on two first down plays. However, the versatile del Cueto, who entered the season as a defensive back, may have made his biggest contribution as the team’s kicker for the night.

Regular sophomore kicker Aron Morgan — who also plays for Penn varsity football — did not make the trip up to N.H. with the team. Del Cueto filled in admirably, averaging 45.7 yards on his kickoffs and knocking extra points through the goalposts after both of Penn’s touchdowns.

“He’s very athletic. He’s helped us on offense, he’s a real good receiver and he’s helped our punt return as a returner,” Wagner said of the Quakers’ jack-of-all-trades. “He’s got a lot of ability. His kicking is also very good.”

In fact, it could be argued that the two men handling the team’s kicking and punting duties — as Beamish doubles as the team’s punter — were two of the team’s top three offensive contributors as well — with the third being sophomore quarterback Mike McCurdy , who went 8-for-16 with 116 passing yards.

Wagner did say, however, that Morgan is still the team’s kicker. While pleased with del Cueto’s versatility, Wagner is cautious to spread him too thin and will continue to work him primarily as a receiver and returner.

The Quakers will look to continue their winning ways against Post (1-2) on Friday. The matchup will take place at 7 p.m. on their home turf of Franklin Field.

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