Posted: Oct 02, 2011
MILTON, Mass. – Senior quarterback Phil Konopka (Shelton, Conn.) threw for five touchdowns and 385 yards through the air while junior receiver Mike Murphy (Chelmsford, Mass.) caught seven passes for 202 yards and a score as the Endicott football team ran up the score in a 55-7 win over Curry Saturday night.
The Blue and Green racked up 652 yards of total offense, 402 in the air and 252 on the ground, and broke individual program records for passing yards, passing touchdowns, and receiving yards. Endicott as a team continued their undefeated season as they improved to 5-0 (2-0 NEFC Boyd), their best start in Endicott football history.
Konopka shattered his previous school record of 297 passing yards set back on October 2, 2010 against Curry with 385 passing yards on 17-of-22 with zero interceptions. The captain also bested his own record of four touchdown passes in a single game with five on end zone connections of two, 10, 41, 55, and 59 yards to five different receivers.
Murphy got behind opposing defensive backs all game long, totaling 202 receiving yards on seven catches. He hauled in catches of 50, 55, and 66 yards. His 55-yard catch accounted for his lone touchdown of the day. Murphy snapped Endicott’s single game receiving yards record previously set by Ryan MacLean on September 3, 2005, an eight-catch, 136 game against Hartwick.
Endicott’s place kicker, sophomore Dylan Rushe (Palos Verdes, Calif.), made some history of his own with a 55-yard field goal in at the 5:42 mark of the 4th quarter. Not only did Rushe break his own Endicott record for longest field goal, a 45-yarder against Framingham State in week one this year, but also eclipsed the New England Football Conference mark of 52-yards.
Not to be forgotten was the defensive effort for the Gulls, who held the Colonels offense to just seven points while forcing three turnovers. Defensive backs Bill Hickey (Walpole, Mass.) and Daron Holloway (Roxbury, Mass.) each recorded interceptions while an Andrew Zani (Winchester, Mass.) sack forced a fumble that was recovered by Kevin Eagan (West Hartford, Conn.). Hickey’s pick was his third of the season, good for second on the team.
The Gulls defensive was especially effective breaking up passes as they totaled eight pass breakups as a team. Defensive backs Jason Silva (Maynard, Mass.) and Hickey recorded three breakups between them, but Endicott pass rush disrupted the quarterback often as Craig Lussier (Dracut, Mass.), Andrew Holfinger (Sterling, Mass.), PJ Bandini (Waltham, Mass.) and Chris Gogolos (Newburyport, Mass.) all deflected pass attempts.
Endicott’s leading tacklers in the game were sophomore defensive back Andrew Lawson (Framingham, Mass.) and defensive lineman Kevin Eagan who had a team-high six takedowns. Lawson had five solo tackles while Eagan recorded a tackle behind the line of scrimmage.
Konopka got the offense going early when on their first possession of the game, the Endicott quarterback connected with senior wide receiver Mike Fimiani (Melrose, Mass.) who weaved his way through the Colonels defense for the game’s first touchdown.
Konopka’s second touchdown was a shovel pass to running back Mike Lane (Medfield, Mass.) who maneuvered his way 59 yards to put Endicott up 14-0. Lane finished the game with two catches for 94 yards, just part of 263 all-purpose yards. Lane was once again a force in the running game, putting together his fifth straight game with at least 100 yards on the ground. The senior finished with 169 yards rushing on 31 carries with a rushing touchdown.
The Gulls would extend their lead to 21-0 with 4:02 to go in the 1st quarter on a two-yard pass to tight end Taylor Allen (Westboro, Mass.). Less than two minutes later, junior running back Mike Wheeler (Hanover, Mass.) found the end zone from three yards to put the Blue and Green up 28-0 in the 1st quarter.
Curry finally got on the board at the 12:17 mark of the 2nd quarter on a Bruce Vieira (Pelham, N.H.) 18-yard touchdown catch from Mark Gibson (Mansfield, Mass.). Vieira finished with 42 yards receiving while Gibson had 99 yards passing.
Endicott continued their offensive outburst on Murphy’s 55-yard touchdown reception from Konopka. Rushe added a 41-yard field goal before halftime to make it 35-7 at the break.
In the second half, the Gulls got a 10-yard score from senior receiver Ryan Carino (Stratford, Conn.), a Lane four-yard touchdown run, and three more points from Rushe’s record-breaking, 55-yard field goal to cap off the scoring.
Endicott will return to action next Saturday, October 8th at 1:00 pm on the road against NEFC Boyd rival Nichols.
