Fury Continue Shutout Streak. Take Division Lead

Revenge is a dish best served on a cool fall Saturday, and at home. The Mass Fury got that revenge as they shutout the North Shore Generals 22-0 Saturday at Leicester Community Field. This was payback to the Generals, who are the only team to defeat the Fury so far this season. This win also gave the Fury the division lead, and the chance to control their own destiny.

After being shutout by the Generals in the third week of the season, the Fury made sure to get on the board as quick as possible. In a Kyle Orton to Brandon Stokely sort of play Ryan Minns connected with Willie Bates for a 55 yard touchdown to give the Fury a 6-0 lead.

It would not take long for the next touchdown. On the very first offensive play for the Generals, intense pressure by the Fury created an interception for Derrick Haywood who would take it back to the end zone, making the lead 13-0.

The Fury were not done scoring in the first quarter. A three yard carry by Cedrick Crawford gave the Fury another score putting the team up 19-0 after one quarter. John Carpenter would add to that with a field goal in the second quarter making it 22-0.

The dominance of the defense would be a theme over the course of the game. On three different occasions the Fury were able to turn the ball over after the Generals failed to convert on fourth down. Another big turnover killing momentum came in the fourth quarter off of an interception by Ed Wissekerke. This would lead to the first shutout for the Generals in two years and the third straight shutout created by the Fury defense.

"The defense definitely stepped up big this week," said Head Coach Chris Chambers. "I have nothing but great things to say about the defense. They put it all together this week."

With the win the Fury are in control of their own destiny. The Fury now stand alone atop the division with a record of 8-1. If the Fury win their final game of the regular season at Leominster Saturday evening they will clinch the Pioneer Division title and a first round bye.

Fury continue dominance at home

The story of home sweet home continued to be true for the Fury as they defeated the Metro West Colonials 35-6 Saturday afternoon at Leicester Community Field. The win gives the Fury four straight wins at home. At Community Field the Fury are 3-0 this season and averaging 37 points a game.

The Fury made up for having minimal time on offense the week before against the Outlaws. The Fury posted 28 points in the first half to put the game out of reach for Metro West.

"I was very proud of the way that we played in the first half." Said Head Coach Chris Chambers. We were a little sloppy in the second half, but we did build a big lead early and showed our strength."

After missing entire quarters the previous week, Ryan Minns made up for lost time and a game without a passing touchdown with four passing touchdowns against the Colonials. The only problem for Minns was Colonials defensive back Brandon Lovelace who scored Metro West's lone touchdown Saturday.

One of Minns main targets was Matt McRae. McRae recorded 69 yards receiving including two touchdown receptions. Along with two touchdowns by McRae the other touchdowns through the air came from Willie Bates in the third quarter, and Fran Collins on a close sideline catch in the second quarter.

The running game proved to be just as effective as the passing game. The offensive line created holes for the core of running backs to get through with ease against the Colonials.

While the offense was making up for lost time from their game last week, the defense proved that even with the amount of time on the field last week there were no signs of let down.

For the second time at home this season the Fury defense hold their opponent without an offensive touchdown. The other game was the home opener against Weymouth.

The front seven of the Fury got through the offensive line of the Colonials with ease causing pressure and several sacks by Torry Rovinelli, Harry Ingels, Adam Ingels, and Jesse Atocha. Atocha also recorded in interception against Metro West. The highlight of the defense was the sleeper hold tackle made by Cookie Smith to end the first half.

"The way that we played defensively was spectacular," said Chambers. "We got turnovers, got the ball back to our offense frequently, and that was what we were looking for."

The Fury looks to finish the regular season at home with an undefeated record at home against the North Shore Generals on September 19. Before that the Fury next take on the Middletown Spartans at Middletown on August 29.

Fury bust Gamblers with Comeback of the Year.

Milton Smith is carried off the field after returning an interception for the game winning touchdown against the Gamblers.


It was a story that was fit for a Sports Movie. Al Michaels could almost be heard asking if everyone believed in miracles.

After enduring many issues over the course of the first half, the Mass Fury hit the jackpot in the fourth quarter and overtime and walked off winners over the Connecticut Gamblers 20-14 in overtime at Plainfield, CT.

In the first half the Fury came out with plenty of aggression, the only problem was it was not all channeled at the Gamblers. Issues with questionable calls from questionable referees lead to high tension between players on the sideline. Between the Gamblers, the referees, and themselves it was like taking on three card sharks at a poker table.

"We are going to see calls from referees that we do not agree with sometimes," said Coach Chris Chambers. "We still have to find a way to work around them, and I think we did that in the second half today."

Despite the turmoil the Fury found themselves down by only 14. One of those touchdowns off a lucky pass that was tipped by Eugene Miller. The Fury were nowhere near out of this game.

The second half showed the classic tale of two different teams as the Fury came out with a vengeance. They were united and focused all there energy on the Gamblers and the score.

After a scoreless third quarter the Fury made a statement with a 23 yard Touchdown reception by Fran Collins off a perfect ball from Ryan Minns. The PAT by John Carpenter cut the lead in half 14-7.

The Fury had one last chance to tie the game up with less then a minute left. A 21 yard pass by Minns to Eugene Miller in the endzone looked as if it may have been broken up. But the football gods returned the favor to Eugene from the earlier tipped pass. The ball landed on Miller's chest in the end zone for a touchdown. Another PAT by Carpenter tied the game 14-14 with nine seconds left.

"That was a tale of two different teams," said Chambers. "It was a rough three and a half quarters, but I think we saw what this team can do when they are together."

The Fury proved they were not just going to accept a moral victory against the Gamblers. They wanted to hit the jackpot.

In overtime Cedrick Crawford proved to be the ace up the Fury's sleeve. His 33 yards rushing in overtime set the Fury up for a Field Goal attempt by Carpenter. Carpenter's kick looked like a game winner, perfectly down the line, but was inches too short.

This did not mean the Fury busted out against the Gamblers though. They were able to cash in a victory on the Gambler's first drive. An interception by Milton Smith lead to a walk off win for the Fury. They overcame the odds to put up a score of 20-14 that even blackjack would not be able to beat.

It was a lesson to all who watched. No matter what the situation is or how bad it looks, never say that it is over. As long as this team is together, anything is possible.

The Fury next play the Outlaws on Saturday Aug 15 at Leicester Community Field. Another chance to see if the Fury can win big.

Fury stand tall in first game at Becker

The Mass Fury will always remember their first home game at Becker College for great reasons. The Fury were able to defeat the Leominster Razorbacks 17-14 at Becker College through key defensive stops and excellent special teams.

The Fury shook off an early lead by the Razorbacks in the first quarter with a long field goal from John Carpenter. Carpenter proved effective in keeping the Razorbacks deep into their own territory most of the game by pinning them inside their own 20 on most punts.

After trailing 14-3 in the second quarter the Fury kicked their offense into high gear. A 25 yard touchdown reception from Ryan Minns to Fran Collins cut the lead to 14-10.

Collins would also catch a deep ball later in the quarter which would allow Mike Webb to punch in a one yard run to give the Fury a 17-14 lead going into the half. Collins would end the day with 117 yards receiving on six receptions.

"That is just Franny doing his thing," said Coach Chambers. "It was great to see him coast down the field against a defense like this."

The defense would take over from there in the second half. Despite having the ball for 12 consecutive minutes and most of the second half the Razorbacks were unable to find the end zone.

The Fury defense was able to stop the razorbacks on 4th down several times including one drive the Razorbacks reached the goal line.

"That was huge. We knew that would be the game right there," said Coach Chambers. "Last week we did not get a great chance to show the strength of our defense, and we got to show how tough we are this week."

The entire night proved to be a success for the Fury's first home game held at Becker College. The success brings hope that Becker College could be used as the permanent home field for the Fury in the future.

The Mass Fury take on the North Shore Generals Saturday in Lynn. Their next home game will be August 15 against the Hollywood East Outlaws.

Fury takes bite out of Sharks

The Fury prepare to punch in another touchdown in a 41-6 victory over the Weymouth Sharks

Experts say the best thing to do to prevent a shark attack is to hit a shark back several times. The Mass Fury did just that in a 41-6 beat down of the Weymouth Sharks Saturday afternoon at Leicester Community Field.

Scoring came early and often for the Fury as they created a 21 point lead in the first half. Cedrick Crawford got things going with a 10 yard run in the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead. The following drive would bring more with another touchdown off a two yard run from Mike Webb.

Not to be outdone by the running game, Ryan Minns would get his first of four touchdowns through the air on a 30 yard completion to Matt McRae n the 2nd quater. These two would meet up for a second time in the fourth quarter. McRae would end the game with 110 yards receiving on four recpetions.

Minns other touchdowns went to Fran Collins followed by Berto Vega in the final seconds of the game. Minns would finish the game with 12-19 for 190 yards and four touchdowns to one interception.

A big reason of the success of the offense was the performance of the offensive linmen. The O-line did not allow a sack all game, and created gaps for the running game.

"We always pride ourselves on our offense, spreading the ball and creating holes for the running backs," said Head Coach Chris Chambers. "To have only one hurry the whole day is a great thing."

The dominance of the Fury was not just on one side of the ball. The defense held the Sharks without a first down until late in the second quarter. They would respond to that first down by recovering a forced fumble. The Sharks were forced to use multiple quarterbacks, and had little success with any of them.

The only bright spot for Weymouth was at the opening of the second half when they returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Their luck would run out right after when their attempt at a quick onside kick was recovered by Tony Bellizzi.

The play of the entire team was a great thing to see for Coach Chambers.

"I am definately happy with the way our team played today," Chambers said. " We did not have much scouting or know much about this team beforehand so it was great to see us play the way we did."

The Fury look to continue their ways as they next take on the Leominster Razorbacks. Game time is set for 7:00pm on July 25 at Becker College.

Fury End Preseason on High Note

The offense of Clinton was harassed by the defense of the Mass Fury all afternoon.


The schedule said it was a preseason game, but the performance of the Mass Fury said otherwise. The Fury were in regular season form as they defeated the Irish Blizzard of Clinton 18-6 Sunday June 28 at Leicester Community Field.

The Fury defense, which was strong in previous years, continued to show their dominance by forcing two interceptions in the first quarter. The turnover assault would continue with a recovered fumble by Paul Godwin in the second quarter. The Fury also converted a punt block and extra point block in the 3rd quarter.

The pass defense of the Fury held the passing game of Clinton to a completion percentage of 47% on 21 passes and a quarterback rating of 37.1. The best pass that Clinton was able to get off was swatted right back in their face by Dorson Ace.

"They were solid all day long," said Coach Chambers. "Our defensive backs are against our offense every week, and if they can play against them they can take on anybody."

On the other side of the ball Ryan Minns was able to pick apart the pass defense of the Irish Blizzard. Minns went 12-19 for 170 yards passing with three touchdowns and one interception. Minns posted a quarterback rating of 109.6.

The first touchdown came off of a 22 yard post to Fran Collins in the 1st quarter. The others came in the second half off of a tow yard pass to Eugene Miller in the 3rd quarter, and a 45 yard deep ball to Mike Webb in the fourth quarter.

The only flaw in the game for the team was a skirmish afterward involving the ridiculous actions of a "fan." Other then that Head Coach Chris Chambers could not have been happier with the play of the team.

"I was very impressed with the team today," Chambers said. "These guys are a perrenial AAA team, and was impressed with the way the team stuck together. I am very pleased. "

The Fury look to carry this momentum into the regular season as they take on the Quincy Sharks, July 18, in their first game of the regular season at home. Game time is scheduled for 1 pm.

2009 Season Preview

The Mass Fury are back and looking to prove that there will be more of that same success they had in previous years. After kicking off their inaugural season in NEFL AA action with a record of 8-4, the Fury expects to continue their winning ways no matter what league.

After having easy success in the A league for many years the Fury have no intention of changing their winning ways. The second season in AA will not be the same as their inaugural year though as they divisions changed around this season. The Fury finds themselves in the tougher division of AA, but that does not concern the team.

“This is the toughest division of AA, but that is not a concern for the team,” said Head Coach Chris Chambers. “We plan to be a tough team in this tough division.”

Along with improvements to the division, the Mass Fury believed they made improvements to their own team. What was considered one of the weaker aspects of the team in previous years, the running game looks to be a strong point this season.

“The running game used to be a problem. We would average around 50 yards a game,” said Chambers. “This year I think we have made improvements and can now beat any defense anyway.”

The passing game looks to be as strong and dominant for the Fury as it has been in previous seasons. With the ability of Ryan Minns, the record holder in passing yards in a regular season, the passing game of the Fury looks to pick up where the left off. The passing game and style of Minns has led Coach Chambers to refer to his style as a solid, Doug Flutie like, ability.

“We do run a complicated offense, and he is able to perform well, and handle this offense easily,” said Chambers. “I think that this team is capable of throwing for 200 yards a game easily, and able to throw 300 or 400 yards without much problem.”

On the other side of the ball the defense looks to make sure that they never give another team the same chance to throw for 300 yards. Always known for a stingy defense the Mass Fury look to keep that reputation this year, and continue to be one of the top defenses in the NEFL.

“We have always been known for a strong defense, and one of the top scoring defenses in the area. There is no reason that will not be the same this year,” Chambers said.

Although the first game of the regular season is not until July the Fury will kick off the year at home with a preseason game on June 20. Fans are encouraged to attend, and see the talents of a solid core of local talent.