Pace Paw Print

Media Credit: Alex Pandolfi The Setters were doing all they could to win. Even diving to make catches.

Oct. 20, Pleasantville- It was a very intense game between the Setters and the Yellow Jackets of American International College (AIC). Both teams were at each other's throats for the majority of the game, but the Yellow Jackets narrowly pulled away with a 7-0 shutout against Pace.

The game got off to a very slow start, as each school was forced to punt on their first possessions. The Yellow Jackets created a buzz on their second possession when freshman quarterback Rob Parent threw to senior fullback Marcus Cameron for a 57 yard touchdown, giving AIC an early 7-0 lead.

Despite the fact that these were the only points scored in the game, it was far from over. On the next drive for Pace, they were once again forced to punt. Yellow Jackets sophomore Kertis Hussey was ready to return the punt when Setters' defensive back Ricky McCollum forced a fumble, which was recovered by senior linebacker Joe Streany.

The recovery by Streany was his fifth of the season, and broke Pace's record for most fumble recoveries in one season.

The Setters and the Yellow Jackets kept fighting back and forth during the second quarter. On the AIC sideline, players were chanting and started to get riled up.

During the third quarter, the game was still 7-0 and there seemed to be a little more intensity laid on the field. Players would start to push each other around after plays and it seemed like it was becoming more of a battle than a game. At this point, AIC had a chance to extend their lead, but junior kicker Marek Prezbylek missed a 32 yard field goal to the right.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Yellow Jackets had another opportunity to extend their lead but Prezbylek kicked another field goal wide to the right, this time from 38 yards out.

Pace failed to capitalize on the missed field goal when they were forced to punt on their next drive. On this next punt, another Pace record was broken. Senior punter/wide receiver Matt Cooney punted the ball for a towering 71 yards. Cooney broke the previous record by a mere yard.

With a little under three minutes left in the game, Pace was still down 7-0 and the Setters were set up for a game tying drive with some hope for a victory. Unfortunately, senior quarterback Adam Headley could not make the hopes come true with three incomplete passes and one sack later. The Yellow Jackets regained the ball and ran the clock out for the 7-0 shutout victory.

On the afternoon, quarterback Headley lead the Setters in passing with seven completions for 51 yards on 15 attempts. Sophomore running back Josh Trumper led Pace in rushing with 36 yards on 16 carries. Senior co-captain wide-receiver Richard Pinck led the team in receiving with one reception for 21 yards.

Streany and Cooney were both asked about their record breaking performances after the game. In regards to his fumble recovery, Streany stated: "I had no idea I was even close. I tried not cracking a smile while it was being announced but I couldn't help it. Even though I know I needed to stay focused. It would have made it sweeter to get that win."

Cooney didn't take all the credit for his record breaking punt. "It was a great snap by Joe Streany that let me get that ball off well. As usual, I just tried to get the defense in good field position," he said.

Despite the actual game between Pace and AIC being over, the action was just beginning. After their very tight win, the Yellow Jackets team made a very disrespecting move. They stood on the steps between the field and the Goldstein Fitness Center, raised their helmets and started cheering about their victory.

This classless action almost started a brawl between the two teams, and coaches tried their best to get the teams into their locker rooms before things could get too heated.

With the loss, Pace's record falls to 1-7 overall with a 1-6 record in the Northeast-10 Conference. The next time the Setters play in Pleasantville is on Nov. 3, when Pace takes on Westchester County rival Iona College at noon.

Article Tools