FRAMINGHAM, Mass. – The Vermont State University Castleton football team won its second game in as many weeks to open the 2024 season, defeating Framingham State University in its first-ever Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) contest, 32-13.
 
The Spartans sit at 2-0 on the season and 1-0 in the MASCAC heading into Homecoming and Family Weekend on September 21 at noon against Mass. Maritime next weekend. Framingham State is now 0-2 on the season and 0-1 in MASCAC play.
 
Caezar Williams lit up the box score, reeling in eight catches for 174 yards and tying a program single-game record with three touchdowns. He became the first Spartan since 2022 to catch three touchdowns in a game and is only the sixth Spartan in program history to reach the benchmark. He also added 28 yards in the return game for 202 all-purpose yards in the contest.
 
Wes Cournoyer threw for 190 yards and three touchdowns on 14-of-25, heavily favoring Williams on the day. Cournoyer was the Spartans' second-leading receiver, hauling in a 21-yard reception from Tyson Hall on a first-half trick play. Christian Keeling ran for 61 yards and a score on just 13 carries.
 
Defensively, Kevin McDonough's nine tackles led the team followed by six tackles from Tyler Buxton. Both linebackers logged a sack in the game, with Buxton notching two total tackles for a loss. Julian Chiemingo Rivera had three tackles for a loss in the game, all of which were sacks. Ian DeTulleo had an interception, and on special teams blocked a PAT and returned it 97 yards for a two-point Spartan conversion.
 
Framingham moved the ball well on its first drive to score first, but DeTulleo burst through to block the PAT and return it all the way for the two-point conversion for a 6-2 score.
 
On the ensuing Spartan drive, Williams got rolling with a 52-yard third-down catch that flipped the field for Castleton. Later in the drive facing fourth down at the 21-yard line, Cournoyer found Williams running across the back of the end zone for a touchdown and a 9-6 lead after the PAT.
 
Late in the second quarter, Williams came through again with a 45-yard touchdown after getting behind the Rams' defense. The touchdown was set up by a gadget play by the Spartans, with Hall finding Cournoyer for 21 yards and a first down. Williams's second score was good for a 16-6 lead that lasted into the halftime break.
 
Framingham got off to a quick start in the third quarter with a 29-yard touchdown pass from Treyvon Fields to Elijah Nichols, cutting the lead to 16-13 Castleton. Later in the frame the Spartans cushioned the gap to 19-13 with a 30-yard field goal by Eydan Linares.
 
Williams continued his hot hand, snagging his third touchdown of the day in the fourth quarter on an extended play in the red zone. Cournoyer was flushed from the pocket and, rolling to his right, found Williams in the back of the end zone once more. The point after extended the lead to 26-13.
 
The offense immediately got another chance after a muffed return on the ensuing kickoff. The drive went three-and-out and ended with a missed field goal attempt, giving the Rams the ball back on their own 20-yard line. The Spartan defense immediately took it back, as DeTulleo intercepted Fields on the first play of the drive near midfield. DeTulleo returned it 19 yards to the Rams' 34-yard line, giving the Spartans another possession with 6:26 to play.
 
Castleton burned nearly three minutes off the clock as it marched its way to the end zone, running the ball five straight times and culminating in a 10-yard touchdown run by Keeling. The PAT was no good, keeping the score at 32-13 with 3:27 to play.
 
Framingham worked the ball into the red zone on the final drive of the game, but the Spartan defense refused to allow any more points, stopping the Rams' final push as the clock struck zeroes.
 
The 2024 Homecoming and Family Weekend is sure to be a special one for members of the Spartan football family. A pair of individuals that stand out in the history of Castleton football will be enshrined in Castleton immortality, as Tyler Carpenter '14 will be honored on Friday night alongside former Castleton President Dave Wolk as part of the VTSU Castleton Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2024. Carpenter is the first player in program history to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and was part of the inaugural 2009 football team.