STONEHILL FOOTBALL
Saturday, October 29, 2005
W.B. Mason Stadium, Easton, Mass.
FINAL:AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL 38, STONEHILL 20
1234Total
American Intl. (4-4, 4-4 Northeast-10)712136- 38
Stonehill (3-6, 3-5 Northeast-10)61400- 20
SCORING SUMMARY
AIC:Shane Murphy 1 yd run (Justin Sokoloff kick)6:30 1st
STO:J.J. Niamkey 83 yd kickoff return (kick failed)6:20 1st
AIC:Tyler Scaccia 20 yd pass from Murphy (kick failed)5:42 2nd
AIC:Greg Borsari 3 yd run (Sean Donahue kick)4:17 2nd
AIC:Marlon Beckles 59 yd run (kick failed)3:31 2nd
STO:Mike Plichta 28 yd pass from Borsari (Donahue kick)0:50 2nd
AIC:Beckles 6 yd run (Sokoloff kick)12:12 3rd
AIC:Beckles 23 yd run (kick failed)6:07 3rd
AIC:Beckles 8 yd run (kick failed)0:34 4th
Attendance:1,632
EASTON, Mass.-- Junior Marlon Beckles (Brooklyn, N.Y.) rushed for a career-high 280 yards and four touchdowns, including three second half scores that enabled American International to overcome a one-point halftime deficit and post a 38-20 Northeast-10 Conference football victory over Stonehill Saturday afternoon at W.B. Mason Stadium.
Beckles enabled the visiting Yellow Jackets (4-4, 4-4 Northeast-10) to overcome a 20-19 halftime deficit, as his six-yard scoring run early in the third quarter gave American International the lead for good at 26-20. Beckles added a 23-yard touchdown scamper on the visitors next possession to extend the lead to 32-20, and his fourth score of the day with 34 seconds remaining in the contest from eight yards out closed out the scoring.
Freshman quarterback Shane Murphys (Bogota, N.J.) one-yard touchdown plunge midway through the opening stanza gave the Yellow Jackets an early 7-0 lead, but the host Skyhawks (3-6, 3-5 Northeast-10) responded on the ensuing kickoff as sophomore J.J. Niamkey (Quincy, Mass) ran it back 83 yards to close Stonehills gap to 7-6, as the extra point was blocked. The two teams then combined for 26 points in the final 5:42 of the half, as Murphy found freshman Tyler Scaccia (Webster, N.Y.) on a 20-yard scoring pass to give American International a 13-7 lead only to see the Skyhawks answer back on sophomore Greg Borsaris (Kingston, Mass.) three-yard touchdown run that capped a six-play drive in less than a minute to tie the score. Beckles responded with a 59-yard touchdown run for the visitors, who regained a 19-13 edge, but Borsari used four quick passes in 48 seconds to give Stonehill the lead back at 20-19 at the break, as he found senior Mike Plichta (Milford, Mass.) on a 28-yard touchdown strike with 50 seconds to play in the half, setting up Beckless second half heroics.
Beckles accounted for all but 42 yards of American Internationals 322 rushing yards on the afternoon, as Murphy completed 10-of-22 passes for 111 yards in leading the Yellow Jackets to 461 yards of total offense. Borsari completed 16-of-36 passes for 195 yards in the setback for Stonehill, as he was intercepted four times on the day, including a pair of picks by junior Travis Briggins (Rosedale, N.Y.). Plichta hauled in five catches for 91 yards on the day for the Skyhawks, who amassed 263 yards of total offense.
Senior David Ihedigbo (Amherst, Mass.) paced American International defensively with six total tackles, while sophomore Mike DeBye (Burlington, Mass.) led the charge for Stonehill with 13 total tackles, including nine solo stops. Niamkey added nine tackles (six solo) and three pass break-ups to go with his touchdown return.
Stonehill closes out its 2005 schedule next Saturday afternoon when the Skyhawks travel to North Andover, Mass. to take on Merrimack in a Northeast-10 outing that begins at 12:30 p.m., while American International hosts Saint Anselm in a Northeast-10 contest next Saturday in its season finale in Springfield, Mass. that also begins at 12:30 p.m.