It wasn’t the ending that the Central Connecticut State University football team wanted on Nov. 30.
The Blue Devils, who put together an 11-1 regular season, took on the Albany Great Danes in the first round of the FCS playoffs. Albany used a monster passing day from freshman Jeff Undercuffler (304 yards, 6 TD) and beat CCSU, 42-14.
It was the final game of the career of Blue Devil senior Cole Phelps. It was a somewhat frustrating last season for the former Wolcott High School standout, who missed several games due to injury. Phelps returned and started against Wagner College, and he was able to play in the last four games of the season after Wagner. He was still recognized for his considerable efforts despite the injury, earning second team All-Northeast Conference accolades. Phelps was named second team All-NEC for the second straight season. Phelps and his fellow offensive linemen helped CCSU average 414 total yards per game, 213.9 on the ground and 200.1 through the air.
It was the final game of the first season for freshman Kyren Petteway. Petteway, who was a standout at Waterbury Career Academy before being coached by former Crosby head coach Jason Martinez at Kingswood Oxford in West Hartford, played in nine games for CCSU. He had 18 catches for 308 yards (17.1 yards per catch) and three touchdowns. Petteway also rushed twice for 17 yards. He was named NEC Rookie of the Week twice during the season, and that included his performance against Wagner College on Nov. 4, when he caught four passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. The first Rookie of the Week honor came after a game against Bryant University on Oct. 19, when he caught two passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns.
