CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The New England Football Writers' Gridiron Club of Greater Boston presented their weekly Ray Gallant Insurance Gold Helmet Award winners for exceptional performances last week in both NCAA Division I FCS and Division II/III and Endicott junior quarterback Drew Frenette's (New Bedford, Mass.) five-touchdown effort in a 53-28 win over Maine Maritime on Homecoming won the award.
Frenette was recognized alongside Yale strong safety Cole Champion who led his team's defensive effort with 14 tackles, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery in a 24-10 victory over #18 Cal Poly.
Frenette threw for 324 yards on 24-of-34 passing with touchdown passes to three different receivers including three to sophomore Alec Matys (Woburn, Mass.). Frenette helped erase a two touchdown deficit in the first half as the Gulls struggled to contain the Mariners triple-option offense that produced a 28-21 lead at halftime. The second half, however, saw the Endicott defense stymie Maine Maritime which led to a 38 unanswered points for the Blue and Green.
On the offensive side of the ball, led by Frenette, Endicott got two passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns, and a 72-yard punt return for a score by freshman Jake Pelletier (Trumbull, Conn.). Endicott's ground game was led by sophomore back Spencer Walsh (Malden, Mass.) who amassed 191 yards on 24 carries (8.0 yards per carry) with two scores.
"I know this is an individual award," said Frenette, speaking in front of representatives from the Gridiron Club, the local media, as well as head coaches and administrators from around the region. "But I couldn't have done this were it not for the preparation from the coaching staff and hard work from my offensive linemen, receivers, and running backs. They all played great and we executed great as a team."
The Gulls are now 3-2 (2-0 NEFC) after winning their second straight game and will travel to Nichols on Saturday, October 12th for a 1:00 pm kickoff with the Bison. Nichols is 1-3 (0-2 NEFC) and coming off a 32-0 loss at the hands of Salve Regina.
