Coast Guard wins an emotional opener at UNE, 16-0
Sep. 4—BIDDEFORD, Maine — When Tafari Wall connected for his first career touchdown pass late in the first quarter Saturday afternoon, Wall, the first-game starting quarterback for the Coast Guard Academy football team, got perhaps a little bit too jacked up.
"It almost made him overconfident in the deep ball," Coast Guard coach C.C. Grant said, joking that it was like Wall suddenly thought of himself as Hall of Fame NFL quarterback Johnny Unitas. "I think once he sees himself on film, he's going to be like, 'Oh, snap. This is open here. This is open here.'"
"The first TD kind of got me too high," admitted Wall, who said he then wanted to throw a 62-yarder for a touchdown on every play. "That's not how football works. It's just a mental thing. I had to humble myself and hit what was there."
Coast Guard's 16-0 victory over the University of New England was undoubtedly an emotional one.
It was the Bears' first victory since Oct. 19, 2019, at Maine Maritime Academy, after the COVID-19 pandemic robbed Coast Guard of all but one game a year ago. Coast Guard lost its only game last season 24-14 against rival Merchant Marine.
It was the first win of Grant's career as head football coach, a role he assumed after longtime coach Bill George retired following the 2019 season. Grant's career record stood at 0-1 headed into Saturday's season-opener.
"I would have done all right if Tafari hadn't handed me the ball," Grant said. "I guess it means something to me. ... We work so hard. Winning is not easy. Out here, watching them, you realize how hard they're playing. I told them today, 'Leave it all on the field. Don't save anything.'
"I think they did that."
Wall, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound junior from Richmond, Virginia, made his first collegiate start and went 19-for-30 passing for 262 yards and a touchdown, the 62-yarder to senior James Duren with 3 minutes, 38 seconds remaining in the first quarter for a 6-0 lead.
Wall also sneaked the ball in from the 1-yard-line for the Bears' second touchdown that made it 13-0 and put some distance between them and the Nor'easters with 9:14 left in the game. Coast Guard's Finnegan Hall kicked a 30-yard field goal with 4:06 to play for the final margin and senior linebacker Michael Palermo preserved the shutout late with one of the Bears' two interceptions.
In the postgame huddle Grant referred to the adversity the team has faced, from COVID to the large number of freshmen who are contributing. The pregame depth chart listed 12 freshmen, including one starter.
"We put in so much work," said Palermo, one of the team's four co-captains. "We put up with all the military stuff. These guys are so young. When I was a freshman, I dreamed of getting on the kickoff (team). For them to have this opportunity so early ... it just shows the persistence that was drilled into us since Swab Summer (prior to freshman year)."
Said Palermo of Grant's emotions following the win: "You don't see that a lot. He knows what we've been through."
Grant served as an assistant coach under George for 21 seasons, the last 15 as co-defensive coordinator, before being named head coach.
Duren finished with four catches for 75 yards and a touchdown and Cody Fidler four for 75, as well, for Coast Guard. Jared Colletti had five catches for 55 yards and rushed 18 times for 35 yards. Linebacker Connor Healy led the way with nine tackles and defensive back William Price joined Palermo with an interception.
University of New England linebacker Keegan Stanton-Meas led the defense with 11 tackles. The Nor'easters rotated in three quarterbacks, oftentimes in the same series.
Coast Guard had 277 yards total offense to 218 for UNE.
Wall said it was the memory of his late grandfather, Bruce Strebel of Kilmarnock, Virginia, who died on Aug. 23 at the age of 78, who helped him settle himself during Saturday's game.
"I know he's with me," Wall said. "It put me easy, calm, helped me settle down, know the sticks, know the time. I thought, 'I've just got to do it.' And I just did it. He's one of the reasons I came to Coast Guard. He was definitely with me today."
