FORD NETS 200 ALL-PURPOSE YARDS AS SETTERS FALL TO ALBRIGHT

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. - Senior tailback Nathaniel Ford (Queens, NY/Jamaica) (Queens, NY/Jamaica) combined for 201 all-purpose yards, with 160 coming on the ground as the Setters fell to the Lions of Albright College 26-20. The Setters fall to 0-4 on the season, while the Lions improve their record to 3-0.

The Lions recorded an interception on the Setters' opening drive of the game, setting up at the Albright 43-yard-line. They would drive down to the Setters'18-yard-line where John Whelan would kick a 35-yard field goal to put the Lions up 3-0.

Albright's first possession of the second quarter would at the Pace three-yard-line where Greg Brain (Westtown, NY/Minisink Valley) (Westtown, NY/Minisink Valley) would recover a Mike Wilbur fumble. The turnover would spark the Setter offense to their longest drive of the season, covering 14 plays and 97 yard culminating with a seven-yard touchdown run by Ford to put Pace in the lead 7-3.

The ensuing Albright possession would again end with a fumble forced by Tyrell Zimmerman (Waterbury, CT/Wilby HS/Northwestern St.) (Waterbury, CT/Wilby/Northwestern St.) and recovered by Joe Graboff (Cornwall, NY/Cornwall). The Setters would waste little time in putting points on the board as a pair of runs by Ford for 35 yard put the Setters into Lions' territory. Quarterback Ray Gregg (Stony Point, NY/North Rockland) (Stony Point, NY/North Rockland) hit wide open Eric Ortega (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) for a 40-yard touchdown strike as the Setters would take a 14-3 lead into halftime.

After trading their opening possessions of the second half, the Setters capped off a six-play, 45-yard drive with a one yard touchdown run by Jason Washington (Bronx, NY/Mamaroneck HS/Iona College) (Bronx, NY/Mamaroneck/Iona College) to put Pace up 20-3 with 7:38 left in the third quarter. The extra point would be blocked by Brett Gaul.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Lions would get a good return by Dave Harig to set up the Albright offense in Setter territory. Josan Holmes would cap the drive with a four-yard touchdown run to slice the Setters advantage to 20-10. On the next Pace possession, Gaul would block a Setter punt attempt to give the Albright offense the ball at the Setter 28-yard-line. Three plays, later quarterback Tanner Kelly would run into the end zone from 21 yard out. The Lions would fake the extra point kick as Patrick Subers would pass to Bob Harper for the two-point conversion, trimming the score to 20-18 with 3:29 to go in the third quarter.

Gaul would again be a factor on the next Pace drive as he intercepted Gregg at the Lions' nine-yard-line. Albright would drive deep into Setter territory with a 24-yard Holmes run setting up a first a goal at the Setter three-yard-line. Three consecutive rushes by Holmes left the Lions with a fourth and goal from the Pace one. Kelly would leap the pile into the end zone and the successful two-point conversion put Albright up 26-20.

The Setters had one final drive with just over ten minutes left in the game as Gregg hit Desmond Hinds (Stamford, CT/Stamford High/Iona College) (Stamford, CT/Stamford/Iona College) on a third and four play for 16 yards. Two plays later, Gregg would hit Justin Polanis (Port Jervis, NY/Port Jervis) (Port Jervis, NY/Port Jervis) for a key 26-yard pass play to set up at the Lions' 32 yard-line. Two straight rushed by Washington went for losses of one yard each. Gregg would scramble out of the pocket for seven yards to set up a fourth and five play. The Setter drive would end as Gregg's pass could not connect with Ford in the flat and the Lions would hold the ball over the final 4:56 to hold on for the win.

For Pace, Ford shined with his second consecutive 100-yard rushing performance, totaling 160 on the ground along with three receptions for 41 yards in the air. Gregg completed 11-of-20 passing for 160 yards and one touchdown, while Polanis finished with two catches for 31 yards.

On defense, Jonfrey Sanchez (Bogota, NJ/Bogota) (Bogota, NJ/Bogota) totaled a game-high 10 tackles, including 1.5 for losses. Andrew Lipski (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place/Iona College) (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place/Iona College) tallied nine tackles, while Marvin Taylor (Newtown, CT/UConn) (Newtown, CT/UConn) and David Lopez (Ozone Park, NY/Christ the King) (Ozone Park, NY/Christ the King) added eight tackles. Pat Finnegan (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan), Charles Bachelder (Melrose, MA/Bridgton Academy) (Melrose Mass./Bridgton Academy) and Zimmerman each recorded a quarterback sack for Pace.

Pace returns to action on Saturday, October 3 when the Setters will host the Greyhounds of Assumption College in a Northeast-10 Conference match-up set for a 12:00 pm kickoff at Pace Field.