BANGOR, Maine — Husson University used a game-changing, 63-yard touchdown pass from Joe Seccareccia to Greg Moore with 1:26 left in the first half to build a 14-point lead and opened the second half with a long scoring drive en route to a 40-7 Eastern Collegiate Football Conference victory over Castleton University on Saturday afternoon.
Seccareccia, a senior quarterback, threw four touchdown passes. The one to Moore came on a hitch-and-go pattern on which the receiver runs down the field, stops to lure the defensive back to him, then turns and sprints up the field.
Seccareccia noticed that the defensive backs were “biting” on the hitch by racing toward the receiver.
“I looked left and there was nothing there so I rolled out right a little bit and it was wide open,” said Seccareccia. “Normally, I try to zip it in but I knew (Moore) would be open so I had to get it over the top (of the defender).”
“It was a perfect throw,” said Moore.
“Football is a game of momentum and when stuff like that happens, it’s hard to get life back into (your) sideline,” said Castleton linebacker Jay Morgan.
“Our defensive back was in great position but the ball floated with the wind today, the quarterback made a good throw and (Moore) was in the right place at the right time,” said Castleton quarterback George Busharis.
Husson (2-1, 1-0 ECFC) took the second-half kickoff and marched 85 yards on 10 plays in 4:34. Seccareccia completed all four of his passes for 41 yards and ran for 18 yards on two carries before John Smith (20 carries, 98 yds.) capped the drive with a nifty 13-yard run to make it 27-7.
“We knew the first drive of the second half was very important,” said Moore.
“That was the killer,” said Morgan.
Seccareccia, who threw an early 61-yard TD pass to Deon Wiggins, added fourth-quarter TD passes to a wide open Robenson Saintard (61 yards) and to Wiggins (14 yards).
Seccareccia completed 18 of 24 passes for 298 yards and he also carried the ball six times for 25 yards.
“Our offensive line did a phenomenal job,” said Seccareccia.
Castleton (2-2, 0-1 ECFC) answered Husson’s first TD with a 20-play, 75-yard drive capped by Corey Brimmer’s one-yard run.
Husson went ahead for good in the second quarter when Smith’s four-yard run finished off a 17-play, 97-yard drive. It was fueled by the hard-nosed running of Hampden’s Logan Steward (16 carries, 80 yds.), who gained 39 yards on seven carries and dashed 17 yards with a screen pass.
Saintard had seven catches for 94 yards and Wiggins caught four for 83.
Gardiner rover Alonzo Connor and Bangor linebacker Ellis Throckmorton led Husson with 15 and 14 tackles, respectively, and linebacker Bryant Wade from Fairfield was in on 11.
Husson limited the Spartans to 32 yards rushing and sacked Busharis four times.
Moe Harris ran for 42 yards on 17 carries and Busharis completed 14 of 31 yards for 158 yards. Linebackers Darren Callan and Leo Audy paced Castleton with 15 and 11 tackles, respectively.