Moe Harris sizes up defender in his record-breaking performance versus Plymouth State.

The Spartans fought hard against Plymouth State on Saturday Sep. 1, but it did not translate into scoring any points as they fell 38-0 to the visiting Panthers.

Although the Spartans were dominated by the Panthers, senior running back Moe Harris finished with 40 yards on the ground and managed to break Castleton’s program record for career rushing yards.

“I’m very grateful for the blocking I’ve received over the years. So, this accomplishment isn’t only for me and my family, but for the big guys up front. I can’t run without them leading the way,” Harris said. “And most importantly, I would like to thank God for letting me play football and giving me the ability to play the game I love. Without him this wouldn’t be possible.”

Castleton head coach Tony Volpone had some high praise for his running back after game.

“He (Harris) has been one of the better players to come through here. He sets a good example of someone who works hard at what he does and hopefully it’s picked up on by some of our younger players,” Volpone said.

Third down proved to be a major discrepancy between the two teams. While Castleton struggled to convert (4 of 15), the Panthers experienced relatively smooth sailing, going 8 of 13 – including a perfect 5 for 5 in the first half.

“I think our kids played hard all the way to the end. By and large there were some bad breaks and bad things that happened, but they played and stayed together through some pretty adverse game situations,” said Volpone.

Caron ended the day with a 15-32, 111 yards, two interceptions, zero td stat line. Senior Adnane Adossoma led the team with six receptions for 50 yards, while sophomore Anthony Martinez added five receptions for 32 yards of his own. Rice and sophomore Luc Issa led the defense with eleven and nine tackles, respectively.

Most recently, Castleton defeated Fitchburg State 34-13 on the road Saturday Sep. 8. It was a positive step forward after the Spartans were dominated a week before.

Caron fared much better in this game, posting a 12-26, 225 yards, and 2 tds stat line. Harris added another 41 rushing yards to his season total. Sophomore Jared Brockway led the Spartans in receiving yards, catching three passes for 80 yards.

Castleton once again struggled on third down (3-14) but stood strong defensively, holding the falcons to just two conversions on 13 attempts. Rice and captain Grant Cummings led the defensive effort for the Spartans racking up 21 combined tackles (Rice 12, Cummings 9). Both players caught an interception, Rice returned his for 80 yards and a touchdown to put the game out of reach, while adding a sack on the day.

They will return to the field against Norwich on the road to duke it out for the Sap Bucket next Saturday Sep. 15.