FHS Football Beats Dartmouth Again!
The FHS Football team wrapped up the 2022 season with their 2nd consecutive Thanksgiving Day victory over Dartmouth at Alumni Stadium in Fairhaven. The Blue Devils finished their very successful season with a 14-7 win, and FHS sophomore running back Justin Marques established an all-time Fairhaven record by scoring his 25th touchdown of the season. He was also the leading scorer in southeastern Massachusetts.
The Blue Devils, who punted the first three times they touched the ball, opened the scoring on an eight-yard touchdown run by junior Colby Correia with 7:42 left to play in the second quarter that helped make it a 7-0 game. Dartmouth then took advantage of a partially-blocked punt to tie the game on three-yard run by sophomore Ray Gramlich and an extra-point kick by junior Louie Freitas with 58 seconds left in the first half.
Correia's second interception of the game set up the winning points for the Blue Devils in the third quarter. With Marques carrying the ball 10 times, Fairhaven scored to make it a 14-7 game with an 18-play drive that covered 73 yards. Marques capped the drive with a three-yard run and Dartmouth was unable to get into the end zone the last two times it touched the ball.
The Blue Devils made the defensive stop of the game when they denied Dartmouth a first down on a fourth-and-one at the Fairhaven four-yard line late in the fourth quarter. They took over with 4:58 left to play and proceeded to pick up four clutch first downs that helped them run out the clock. Marques had his longest run of the game on the drive, a 27-yard scamper around right end that was set up by a great block by sophomore tackle Ben Comey, who got off the ball quickly and sealed the outside edge. Marques then ran the ball three more times to pick up the Blue Devils' final first down and Duarte went to a knee to close out the win.
FAIRHAVEN STATS: The Blue Devils ran the ball 48 times for 239 yards. ... Marques was a workhorse, finishing with 139 yards on 30 carries. ... Correia added 62 yards on nine carries. ... Junior quarterback Jayce Duarte did not complete a pass and did not throw the ball after a third-down incompletion that led to a punt on the game's first drive. ... Fairhaven punted four times and turned the ball over on downs just once. ...The Blue Devils were called for only four penalties totaling 30 yards.
[Courtesy of the Standard-Times]