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Greyhounds score 27 unanswered behind three TD passes from Monks
Wingo paced the defense with a career-high 12 tackles (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
EASTON, Mass. (October 29, 2016) – Assumption College, ranked No. 16 in this week's American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II poll and 25th in the d2football.com Top 25, scored 27 unanswered points to claim a 30-6 victory over Stonehill College in Northeast-10 Conference football action on Senior Day at Timothy J. Coughlin '80 Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium this afternoon.
Assumption broke open a 6-6 game at halftime by outscoring Stonehill 24-0 in the second half, as the Greyhounds compiled 212 of its 324 yards of total offense over the final two quarters to clinch the victory. The Greyhounds also limited the Skyhawks to just 69 total yards and four first downs after the intermission.
Junior quarterback Marc Monks (Annandale, New Jersey/North Hunterdon) paced Assumption by completing 21-of-32 passes for 239 yards and three touchdowns, as Stonehill limited a Greyhounds rushing attack which was averaging nearly 200-yards per game to just 87 on the ground. Junior Ashton Grant (Manchester, Connecticut/Manchester) caught six passes for 89 yards and two touchdowns, while sophomore Deonte Harris (Baltimore, Maryland/Archbishop Curley) posted a game-high 204 all-purpose yards with nine receptions for 88 yards, to go with 60 yards on two kickoff returns, 40 yards on two punt returns and 16 yards on two carries.
Junior kicker Cole Tracy (Camarillo, California/Newbury Park) contributed three field goals, with a fourth blocked, including a 49-yarder just before halftime that leveled the score at 6-6.
Senior Andrew Benson (East Bridgewater, Massachusetts/East Bridgewater) paced the Assumption defense with eight tackles (three solo), an interception and pass breakup, while senior Nick Valenti (Troy, New York/Troy) also totaled eight stops (four solo). Junior Ray Sarkodeih (Worcester, Massachusetts/St. Peter Marian) registered six tackles (two solo), including a sack for a loss of 11.
Doherty moved into tenth place on the program's all-time tackles list with 252 career stops. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
Sophomore Billy Wingo (Gwynn Oak, Maryland/The Boys' Latin School of Maryland) led a solid defensive effort for Stonehill with a career-high 12 tackles (seven solo), including a career-best 1.5 for a loss of five yards, while senior captain Andrew Kibarian (Lynnfield, Massachusetts/Lynnfield) added eight stops (six solo), including 2.5 for a loss of seven yards, with a sack. Senior Justin Kaffenberger (Monroe, New York/Monroe-Woodbury) contributed seven tackles (five solo), an interception and pass breakup, while junior Nick Bona (Peabody, Massachusetts/Bishop Fenwick) chipped in nine stops (five solo).
Senior linebacker Ryan Doherty (Methuen, Massachusetts/Central Catholic) chipped in six tackles (two solo) to move into tenth place on Stonehill's career tackles list with 252, moving past Greg Sanzari '10. Kibarian also cracked the program's career top ten for tackles for loss with his 2.5 this afternoon giving him 27.0 for his career to match Mike Minicucci '98 for tenth all-time.
Sophomore quarterback James Lam (Quincy, Massachusetts/Quincy) and junior Matt Foltz (Mount Joy, Pennsylvania/The Hill School) combined to pass for just 88 yards for the afternoon, with Lam engineering Stonehill's lone scoring drive. Lam finished with a career-best 93 total yards as he completed 6-of-13 passes for 53 yards, while adding another 40 yards on nine carries with his first career touchdown. Freshman Brian Kearns, Jr. (North Arlington, New Jersey/Saint Joseph Regional) registered 36 yards on 11 carries.
Tracy capped Assumption's opening drive with a 20-yard field goal after a 13-play possession stalled out at the Stonehill three 5:15 into the game. Stonehill was able to flip field position after that, pinning the Greyhounds deep on their own side of the field and the defense kept an offense which entered the game averaging over 41 points per game in check.
Kibarian added eight tackles and moved into a tie for tenth in career tackles for loss in program history with 27.0. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
Lam took over for Foltz at quarterback on Stonehill's first possession of the second quarter and led the Skyhawks on an 11-play, 56-yard touchdown drive, capped by a five yard keeper for Lam's first career touchdown with 9:11 remaining in the half. Lam converted three times on third down during the drive, completing first down passes to sophomore Kaleb Lutton (Middletown, Connecticut/Xavier) and freshman running back Jason Kennedy (Elmsford, New York/The Brunswick School (Conn.)) before calling his own number on the quarterback keeper for the touchdown.
Assumption was able to pull even with Tracy's 49-yard field goal with 29-seconds left in the half. The Greyhounds defense held on Stonehill's possession to open the third quarter and then the offense marched 74 yards on ten plays to take the lead for good, capped by a 23-yard Monks touchdown pass to senior Dave Call (Springville, New York) with 5:29 remaining in the quarter.
After Stonehill went three and out, Assumption extended its lead with a Monks two yard touchdown toss to Grant with 29-seconds left in the third. Stonehill blocked a second field goal attempt for Tracy from 49-yards away on Assumption's first possession of the fourth quarter, but the Skyhawks wouldn't get a first down the entire fourth quarter. Tracy added a 30-yard field goal with 3:17 remaining and then the Greyhounds opted to go for the end zone on its first play after a Stonehill three and out with 1:52 remaining as Monks connected with Grant for a 27-yard touchdown pass to round out the scoring.
Stonehill (3-6, 3-5 NE-10) closes out the regular season at Pace University next Saturday at noon. Assumption (8-1, 7-1 NE-10) hosts American International College next Saturday at 1 p.m.
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