MILTON, Mass. — As their team celebrated Senior Day, senior defensive tackle Sam Calley (Weymouth, Mass.) recorded a school-record six sacks, and senior running back Phil Bigelow (East Orange, N.J.) rushed for a season high 134 yards, leading Curry past visiting Nichols, 34-13, in New England Football Conference (NEFC) action Saturday afternoon in Milton. The Colonels improved to 3-5 overall and 3-3 in league play, while the Bison dropped to 1-7 overall and 0-6 in NEFC action.
Defense dominated the opening quarter until Curry began a 13-play, 83-yard drive with 7:55 on the clock. The Colonels notched the only points of the period as senior kicker Zachary Kumin (Needham, Mass.) booted a 25-yard field goal with 1:46 left on the clock.
Curry controlled the second frame with a pair of touchdowns scored by Bigelow to open up a 17-0 advantage. The Colonels began the quarter with an 11-play, 67-yard drive capped off with Bigelow scoring on a 3-yard run. Later in the second, senior quarterback Kevin Fruwirth (Agawam, Mass.) completed a 34-yard pass to classmate Tyran Harrigan (Haverhill, Mass.) to put Curry on the Bison 10-yard line. With 1:43 left in the first half, Fruwirth connected on a 10-yard pass to Bigelow to cap off a five-play, 58-yard drive.
After the Bison were forced to punt early in the second half, the Colonels added to their lead, going 63 yards capped off by another Kumin field goal (35 yards). Curry finished the quarter with a Fruwirth-to-Trae Weathers (Revere, Mass.) 63-yard scoring connection extending the Colonels lead to 27-0 entering the final quarter of regulation.
Nichols answered in the fourth with a five-play, 32-yard drive capped off by a seven-yard connection from sophomore quarterback Quillian Respass (Huntington, N.Y) to freshman Myron Hills (Waco, Texas). Curry responded on the following drive as junior Jordan Shairs (Gloucester, Mass.) scampered 30 yards to cap off a 49-yard drive and increase the lead to 34-6. Nichols closed out the scoring as Respass ran it in from 21 yards out at 3:37 to account for the 34-13 final.
The Colonels had 448 total yards, rushing for 217 yards and passing for 224. The Bison finished with 222 total yards and held a significant edge in time of possession. Nichols had the ball for 33:46 of the game's 60 minutes, helped in large measure by back-to-back successful on-side kicks in the fourth quarter.
Fruwirth was 15 of 29 for 231 yards with two touchdowns. Bigelow's 134 rushing yards came on 18 carries. Shairs had five receptions for 58 yards and five carries for 62 yards with one touchdown.
Respass was 18 for 35 for 145-yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions, while leading the Bison on the ground with 21 carries for 68 net yards. Senior wide receiver Dylan Rimsky (Denville, N.J.) had eight receptions for 82 yards, while Hills had four receptions for 31 yards and a touchdown.
Calley had nine total tackles (7 solo), including six sacks -21 yards. Eight of his nine tackles were for lost yards (-24). He also had a pair of forced fumbles. Freshman defensive back Jean Charles (Providence, R.I.) also had nine tackles (8 solo). Junior Jose Rodriguez (Taunton, Mass.) finished with seven total tackles (6 solo) and one interception.
Senior defensive back Mario Pires (New Bedford, Mass.) led Nichols with eight total tackles (6 solo), while junior Kris Williams (E. Hartford, Conn.) finished with seven solo tackles.
Curry will finish its season on the road at Maine Maritime at 12 p.m. on Saturday, November 16. Nichols returns home next Saturday to host Western New England with kickoff set for 12 p.m.