PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Senior safety
Jamir Gee (Paterson, NJ/Monroe College) dazzled once again, earning the title of Pace University Homecoming Most Valuable Player, as the Setters fell to defending Northeast-10 Conference Champion LIU Post, 30-7. The Setters and Pioneers played in front of a record-setting crowd of 1,550 fans at Pace Stadium on Saturday.
The Setters fall to 1-6 overall and 0-6 in the Northeast-10 Conference with the loss, while the Pioneers improve to 5-2 on the year and 4-2 against the NE-10.
Gee provided a boost for the Setters early in the second quarter when they were trailing, 9-0. The Pioneers were on the Pace 39-yard line, when LIU Post quarterback Jeff Kidd was picked off by Gee, who returned it 39 yards to the LIU Post 31-yard line. He made seven total tackles on defense, as well as a tackle for loss and a pass breakup. He also returned three kickoffs, including one return of 32 yards to set the Setters up with good field position early on in the third quarter.
The Setters scored their touchdown early on in the second quarter on a six-play, 76-yard drive. On a 3rd-and-9 on the Pace 41, freshman quarterback
Dan Anerella (Old Bridge, NJ/Manalapan) fired a bullet to freshman wideout
Mohammad Masoud (Brooklyn, NY/Fort Hamilton), who snagged the ball in front of a defender down the left side line, and had nobody in front of him, letting him walk in for a 59-yard touchdown. Freshman kicker
Matthew Ferrara (Cresskill, NJ/Cresskill) followed it up with a successful extra point, leaving the Setters down, 9-7, with 7:37 left in the second frame.
Despite the 23-point deficit, the Setters defense looked stellar in a tough matchup on Saturday. On the Pioneers' first drive of the game, Pace held strong on four-straight plays from the goal line to force a turnover on downs. Later in the second quarter, Kidd threw deep to the end zone, but sophomore defensive back
Jalil Nichols (Philadelphia, PA/Mastery Charter) went up and took the ball from the receiver, falling into the end zone for a touchback.
Sophomore defensive tackle
Jah'Sheem Martin (Freeport, NY/Freeport) also came up with a big play for the Setters in the third quarter. Martin rushed into the backfield unblocked up the middle, and slammed right into Kidd. The collision knocked the ball out of Kidd's hands, and Martin scooped it up to take the ball away from the Pioneers.
The defense picked up two sacks, and a total of five tackles for loss on Saturday. The Setters also held the Pioneers to just 8-of-18 on third-down conversions.
The Setters will look to improve upon Saturday's results when they next play on Saturday, Oct. 24. Pace will take on Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass. for another NE-10 matchup. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.
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