FRANKLIN, Mass. – The Castleton University football team concluded its season Saturday afternoon with a big win on the road, taking down Eastern Collegiate Football Conference foe Dean by a final score of 38-20 at Dale Lippert Field.

The Spartans finish the season with back-to-back wins and a 2-7 record, including a 2-3 mark in ECFC play. Dean suffered its first and only conference loss of the season to finish ECFC play 4-1 and sits at 4-5 overall this year.

Castleton picked up 16 first downs in the game to Dean's 14, and collected 310 yards of offense. Dean outgained Castleton with 473 total yards on the day, but the Bulldogs turned the ball over four times while Castleton did not commit any turnovers for the second straight week. The Spartans ran for 152 yards on the day and threw for 158. Castleton also won the penalty battle, as the Spartans were flagged just four times for 21 yards while Dean was tagged with 10 penalties for 157 yards.

Jacob McCarthy finished the day 12-of-18 passing 158 yards and two scores, while Anthony Martinez was on the receiving end of both touchdowns—including a 41-yarder at the end of the first half. Martinez finished the day with five catches for 90 yards and two touchdowns while Bart Yarosz added one catch for 32 yards. Devin Wollner went for 94 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries, including a 21-yard score late in the fourth quarter that stopped a string of 14 unanswered points by Dean.

On defense, Chris Rice led the way with seven total tackles—two of which went for a loss. He was also credited with 0.5 sacks on the day as he teamed up with Gus Semanchik for a sack. Seth Gewanter had six total stops, while Jacob Griggs had five tackles and an interception. Spencer Kozlak, Jayson Gilsinger and Nick Reca also had picks on the day for the Spartans.

For Dean, Terrell Watts threw for 418 yards and a pair of long touchdowns, but also tossed four interceptions on the afternoon. Errol Breaux was on the receiving end of 13 completions for 193 yards and a touchdown, while Michael Bethune, Jr. caught two passes for 94 yards and a score in addition to eight carries for 72 yards and a touchdown. Breaux reeled in a 76-yard score, while Bethune, Jr. had an 83-yard touchdown catch and a 68-yard touchdown run.

Wadell Alceus finished the game with 11 tackles for the Bulldogs, while Tyzohn Poole, Amani Johnson and Shamis Henry had seven each. Henry led all players with 2.5 tackles for a loss on the day.

The Spartans started the day off on the right foot, scoring on the opening drive of the game to go ahead 7-0. The Bulldogs were flagged twice for personal fouls, giving the Spartans 30 free yards on an already-productive drive. On 3rd-and-3 from the 6-yard line, McCarthy found Martinez for a six-yard score and the early lead.

The Castleton defense held steady, forcing a three-and-out on the ensuing drive to preserve the lead. After a three-and-out for Castleton on the ensuing drive, the Bulldogs broke into the score column. After a pair of plays went nowhere for Dean, Watts found Bethune, Jr., for an 83-yard score on a screen play on 3rd-and-10, making it a 7-6 game after the extra point hit the upright and was no good.

Castleton forced yet another stop defensively, and Lucas Morse came through with a blocked punt that was recovered by Chance Fee at the 2-yard line of Dean. One play later, the Spartans were in the end zone and ahead 14-6 as Wollner took a pitch right and powered his way in for the score.

The lead grew to 21-6 early in the second quarter when Wollner again found the end zone. The drive opened with five consecutive carries by the rookie running back before a 32-yard completion to Yarosz over the middle put Castleton at the 3-yard line. Wollner finished the job from there, slipping a tackler in the backfield and sprinting for the goal line to put the Spartans ahead two touchdowns.

The score held until late in the half, when Castleton took over near midfield following an interception by Reca. McCarthy connected with Martinez on a screen that Martinez broke off for 31 yards on the drive's opening play, giving Castleton the ball in the red zone once more. A pair of rushes by Morse moved the ball up to the 15-yard line, before an incompletion brought up a fourth down. Andy Kenosh came on for the 32-yard field goal attempt and banged it through to give Castleton a 24-6 lead with just with less than two minutes until halftime.

Castleton got the ball back on the ensuing kick-off, when Kenosh dropped a squib kick short that was recovered by Morse at the 41-yard line. It took but one play for the Spartans to cash in, as McCarthy found Martinez wide open for a 41-yard touchdown on a play-action pass and a 31-6 lead heading into halftime.

That score held until the waning seconds of the third quarter, when Dean took over with just one second remaining after a Mike Morgan punt. On the first play of the drive, Bethune, Jr. took the handoff up the middle untouched for a 68-yard score but Dean failed the two-point attempt for a 31-12 score.

The Bulldogs found the end zone once again on their next drive, as Breaux caught a pass at the sticks on third down but slipped a tackle for a 76-yard catch-and-run. Dean converted on the two-point conversion as Watts scored on the quarterback draw to make it 31-20.

After each side had empty drives, Castleton got back in the score column with 3:19 to play. On the second play of the drive, Wollner took the handoff left and spun out of a tackle to the outside. He turned on the jets and won a footrace to the pylon, racing his way to a 21-yard touchdown—his third score of the day—to give Castleton a 38-20 lead after a Kenosh extra-point.

Castleton forced a turnover on downs on Dean's final possession, and was able to kneel the ball to end the game with the score 38-20.