NEW LONDON, Conn. –
In one of the most dramatic games in the history of the Secretaries' Cup, Coast Guard fell in the final seconds 39-38 at historic Fenway Park.
Merchant Marine struck first on its opening drive, marching 83 yards on 14 plays over 7:20 to take an early 7-0 lead.
Coast Guard responded with a 62-yard drive capped by a 28-yard touchdown pass from Sean Burns(Absecon, NJ) to Broock Desta(San Diego, CA) to even the score at 7-7 with just under five minutes left in the quarter
Coast Guard opened the second quarter by punching in a one-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14–14. The next two series of the quarter — one for each team — ended in punts, marking the first drives of the game that did not produce points as both defenses settled in briefly.
USMMA responded with an 11-play, 68-yard scoring drive, but opened the door for the Bears with a missed extra point, giving the Mariners a 20–14 lead. Coast Guard answered quickly, moving 51 yards before Burns scored on a 24-yard keeper, and the PAT put the Bears ahead 21–20 with 1:45 left.
The Mariners regained control before halftime with a five-play, 65-yard score to go into the half.
Coast Guard opened the second half with excellent field position after a long kickoff return, then moved 51 yards on a balanced drive. Harrison Hensley(Riverview, FL) finished the series with a four-yard touchdown run, and after the PAT and penalty administration, the Bears led 29–26. USMMA's next possession reached near midfield, but a third-down run resulted in a fumble that Coast Guard recovered at the Mariner 47.
The Bears turned that takeaway into a long, clock-draining possession, advancing inside the USMMA red zone before the Mariners produced a pair of key tackles for loss. Coast Guard settled for a 28-yard Caleb McClure(Canton, GA) field goal to extend the lead to 32–26 with 3:50 left in the quarter.
After a Mariner score, the Bears were down to their last gasp. Coast Guard took over at its own 30 with twenty seconds left and moved the ball to the USMMA 45 after a completion and a defensive penalty. The Bears attempted two shots toward the sideline for Desta, both falling incomplete. On the final play of the game, Burns launched a deep pass toward the end zone, but the ball was batted down by the Mariner defense as time expired, sealing a dramatic USMMA victory.
Coast Guard was led offensively by Harrison Hensley, who carried 25 times for 181 yards and two touchdowns, including a long run of 43 yards. Quarterback Sean Burns added 50 rushing yards and two scores on 14 attempts while completing 10 of 21 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown through the air. Broock Desta led the Bears' receiving corps with three catches for 43 yards and a 28-yard touchdown, while Matt LaBouliere(Pipersville, PA) also caught three passes for 38 yards. Hensley contributed two receptions for 21 yards, and Amr Baadani(Fairfax, VA) added two catches for 17 yards
Coast Guard's defense was paced by Ethan Cumming(Massapequa Park, NY), who finished with a game-high 18 total tackles, including nine solo stops, and forced one of the Mariners' two fumbles. Lucas White(Juneau, AK) added 13 tackles with 11 assists and recorded one quarterback hurry, while Noah Rohrer(Mount Joy, PA) contributed 11 total tackles, splitting his production between five solos and six assists to anchor the Bears' front.
The loss concludes the highly successful 7-3 2025 campaign for the Bears. They will say goodbye to a successful, record-breaking senior class that will graduate in May of 2026.
