(Photo Courtesy: Eric Stoller)
FRANKLIN- In the final football matchup of the 2022 season, Dean suffers a stunning 45-44 loss to Keystone college, their third consecutive, concluding the season at 1-9. With the win, Keystone ends at 3-7.
Six seconds into the first quarter, Alex Huber picked off Giant’s quarterback Tom Roach, on his first pass attempt on the day, starting things off strong for the Bulldogs. Following the quick change in momentum, Dean quarterback Mozes Mooney and his offensive line failed to capitalize and were forced to punt after nine plays and a gain of only eighteen yards.
On Keystone’s next possession, early struggles with passing continued for Tom Roach, as he was picked off again on the sixth play of the drive by Dre Kidd. Kidd returned the ball for thirty-seven yards to the Keystone one-yard line, where Holdan Wilson would immediately run into the endzone, giving Dean a 6-0 lead. Dean would remain at 6-0 as Nikolai Luksch missed the extra point.
Keystone answered on their next drive, going ahead 7-6 on a seventy-three-yard rushing touchdown from Mujaheed Muhammad, as well as Josue Hernandez’s extra point.
Huber remained hot on defense, picking off Roach for the second time, at the Dean 21, towards the end of the first quarter. Dean would carry that turnover possession into the beginning of the second quarter, expanding their lead to 15-7, after a twenty-eight-yard touchdown pass to Quintus Reid.
For the remainder of the second quarter, the Giants scored two more touchdowns along with one from Dean, giving the Bulldogs a narrow 23-21 half-time lead.
Huber added to his day at the start of the third quarter, with a fumble recovery on Mujaheed Muhammad for the Giants. Dean, again, took notice by traveling forty-five yards to the endzone as a drive combined, increasing their lead to 30-21 after the extra point.
Keystone would later inch closer with a touchdown on a fifty-five-yard drive, pushing the deficit back to two.
With one more quarter to go, Keystone came back to take a 35-30 lead on Dean from a 42-yard rushing touchdown from Tom Roach. Dean would take the lead back on a touchdown pass and a two-point conversion to lead 38-35.
With one minute left to play, Dean could not stop Roach and his Giants’ offense, as they drove downfield to tie the game up at 38 on a field goal while time expired in regulation.
In overtime, Keystone had the first possession and scored a touchdown to go back in front 45-38. Dean would also find the endzone on their chance but wound up losing after a risky potential game-winning two-point conversion attempt which was incomplete. The final score was 45-44.
After an effortful season by the Dean men’s football team, their focus now shifts to the 2023 fall season.
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