Buzzards Bay, Mass --- The Bridgewater State Bears broke a 31-31 tie with nine seconds left Sunday to win the 29th Annual Cranberry Bowl by a score of 38-31. Quarterback Steven Clark (East Falmouth), the game's Most Valuable Player, threw an eight-yard pass to Chris Joyce (Bridgewater) in the end zone for the winning touchdown. Dave Leombruno (Lakeville) tacked on the extra point.
MMA scored 9:57 into the opening quarter on a 39-yard Joe DeFrank (Morgantown, PA.) pass to Colin Teehan (South Boston). Jarad Horey (Ledyard, CT.) hit the PAT for a 7-0 Buccaneer lead. The Bears bounced right back with 4:16 remaining when Clark ran the ball in from 18-yards out. Leombruno added the PAT to tie the game at 7-7.
With 28 seconds left in the opening quarter the Bucs scored from 1-yard out on a Douglas Dyke (Plainville, MA.) run, but once again the Bears came back on a Clark to Joyce pass to even the score at 14-14 at the half.
Bridgewater scored twice in the third quarter to take a 24-14 lead. Clark ran one in from 46-yards out and Leombruno hit a 26-yard field goal.
MMA came back in the fourth quarter with a Jake Brickley field goal and a 9-yard scoring run by Dyke. Chris Russell (Stoughton, MA.) ran one in for the Bears with 3:23 left to give Bridgewater a 31-24 lead. The Bucs charged back with 1:07 on the clock on a 26-yard run by Dyke to tie the game.
Clark finished the afternoon 15-for-23 throwing for 235 yards and two touchdowns. He also carried the ball 22 times for 148 yards and two more scores. Joyce hauled down 10 passes from Clark for 146-yards. MMA
QB Joe DeFrank was 17-for-38 for 205 yards through the air. Teehan made five receptions for 93 yards. Dyke scored three TDs for the Bucs rushing for 136 yards