RINDGE, N.H. (09/28/24) – The Franklin Pierce football team celebrated 2024 Fall Festival with a 48-20 victory over Pace, Saturday night. The Ravens set the tone early scoring four touchdowns in the first quarter to put the game out of reach.

RECORDS:

• FPU: 1-3 (1-1 NE10)  
• Pace: 1-3 (1-1 NE10)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Franklin Pierce wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, with Adrian Parker (Manchester, Conn.) connecting with Tristan Evans (East Dummerston, Vt.) for a 9-yard touchdown pass at the 11:31 mark, capping a 7-play, 65-yard drive. Just six minutes later, Parker found Kameron Massey (East Hartford, Conn.) for a 29-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 14-0. The Ravens' defense then forced a turnover deep in Pace territory, and Remeillo Hyde (Nashua, N.H.) capitalized with a 5-yard rushing touchdown on the next play to make it 20-0. With just 12 seconds left in the quarter, Parker threw his third touchdown pass of the period, a 25-yard strike to Austyn Howe (Newington, Conn.), completing a 5-play, 62-yard drive that gave Franklin Pierce a 27-0 lead after one.
• Pace finally got on the board in the second quarter, as quarterback Ah-Shaun Davis connected with Thomas Fusco on a 1-yard touchdown pass following a long 14-play, 61-yard drive that chewed up nearly eight minutes of clock. However, Franklin Pierce responded with an 11-play, 75-yard drive, capped off by another Parker-to-Howe touchdown, this time from 6 yards out, pushing the Ravens' lead to 34-6 heading into halftime.
• After a quiet third quarter, Franklin Pierce's offense reignited in the fourth. Hyde added to his impressive night with a 15-yard touchdown reception from Parker early in the quarter, putting the Ravens up 41-6. Pace struck back with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Davis to Teddy Harper, but Franklin Pierce answered quickly with a 2-yard rushing touchdown from Montez Boswell (New Berlin, N.Y.), the culmination of a 3-play, 70-yard drive.
• Pace added a late touchdown when Davis found Gary Wilkins for an 18-yard score with 1:58 remaining, but it was too little, too late as Franklin Pierce comfortably held on for the 48-20 win.

BREAKING DOWN THE NUMBERS:

• The Ravens had 309 passing yards on 16 completions out of 22 attempts while Pace threw for 181 yards on 17 completions from 31 attempts.
• The Ravens dominated on the ground, with 173 rushing yards and an average of 5.1 yards per carry. Pace struggled to run, managing only 54 yards with a meager 1.6 yards per attempt.
• FPU's defense was relentless, sacking Pace's quarterback six times for 28 yards lost, while allowing just one sack. They also intercepted one pass and recovered a fumble.
• FPU committed 7 penalties for 57 yards, while Pace had 6 penalties for 60 yards.

UP NEXT FOR THE RAVENS:

The football team takes next weekend off but then travels to American International on October 12. Kickoff is set for 12 PM in Springfield, Mass.