Stoneking passed for two touchdowns and rushed for two this afternoon (PHOTO BY Mary Gettens) |
Nkongchu goal line interception on Skyhawks first play of second OT, makes May field goal stand
WORCESTER, Mass. (October 26, 2019) – Senior Mac-Brian Nkongchu's goal line interception on Stonehill College's first play of the second overtime sealed a 40-37 Assumption College double-overtime victory in Northeast-10 Conference football action at Multi-Sport Stadium this afternoon.
Nkongchu's interception came one play after freshman Patrick May gave Assumption its first lead all day with a 34-yard field goal in its offensive half of the second overtime. The game-clinching interception highlighted an afternoon in which Nkongchu totaled eight tackles (six solo) and three additional pass breakups. Junior Antoine Williams posted a team-high 11 tackles for the Greyhounds (six solo) and a breakup, while classmate Jeremiah Edwards broke up four passes to go with five stops (four solo). Junior Carlins Platel chipped in with three breakups and an interception for the Greyhounds as well.
Athy led the defense with 13 tackles, reaching double figures for stops in the second-straight game (PHOTO BY Mary Gettens) |
Freshman quarterback Jordan McAfee posted 240 of Assumption's 363 yards of total offense of the day and had four combined touchdowns on the afternoon to lead the Greyhounds offense. He completed 19-of-29 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns through the air, while adding nine yards and two more scores on the ground. Both touchdown passes went to junior Kyle Sonnie, who finished with 99 yards on five receptions. Senior Khaleed Exum-Strong chipped in with a rushing touchdown, posting 54 yards on 15 carries.
Junior quarterback Anton Stoneking also registered four total touchdowns for Stonehill, but was intercepted twice, as he finished 16-for-33 passing for 260 yards and two scores. He also rushed for two touchdowns and tallied 23 yards on seven carries to finish with 283 of the Skyhawks 442 yards of total yards for the day. Senior Andrew Jamiel caught six of those passes for 117 yards and a touchdown, marking the third-straight game and 15th time over his career he has surpassed 100 receiving yards. Senior Casey Gervais chipped in with a touchdown and caught three passes for 54 yards overall, while sophomore DeAaron Lawrence caught two passes for 60 yards.
Sophomore running back Justin Felder rushed for over 100 yards for the fourth time this season, all within the last five games, finishing with 155 yards on a career-high 32 carries, with a touchdown, adding another 16 yards on three receptions. He went over 1,000-yards rushing for his career today, making him the 17th player in the program's varsity era to rush for 1,000 career yards, and also moved within 58 yards of cracking the program's all-time single season top ten with his 724 rushing yards this season. His nine rushing touchdowns this fall is good for third on the program's all-time single-season list three shy of Eddie Vachon's '11 record of 12 touchdowns in 2010, while his ten total touchdowns rank eighth on the Skyhawks single-season list, four shy of Vachon's 2010 record total of 14.
Jamiel went over 100 yards receiving for the third-straight week, adding another touchdown catch (PHOTO BY Mary Gettens) |
Junior Sam Athy led the Stonehill defense with a game-high 13 tackles, marking his second-straight double figure tackle game, including 1.0 tackles for a loss of a yard. Classmate Xavier Jones added six stops (five solo), with a forced fumble and fumble recovery, and two pass breakups, while senior Michael Lewis contributed nine solo tackles.
Assumption rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit (24-13) and trailed by ten (30-20) with 3:32 remaining in the third quarter before forcing overtime. Stoneking's second touchdown keeper of the afternoon gave Stonehill its second double-figure lead (30-20) with 3:32 to play in the third. The Greyhounds blocked the extra point and then junior Isaiah Huff returned the ensuing kickoff 77-yards to set the hosts up with great field position.
Stonehill's defense held, forcing Assumption to settle for the first of two 34-yard May field goals with 1:39 remaining in the quarter. Stoneking's first interception of the afternoon led to the tying touchdown as McAfee capped a nine play, 54-yard drive with a four-yard keeper 3:25 into the fourth. The Skyhawks nearly turned an Assumption turnover into points themselves, as Jones recovered a Brevin Easton fumble at the Greyhounds 39, but had to settle for a 47-yard field goal try by senior Matt Haite that missed wide.
Stonehill looked to have one final possession to pull out the win in regulation, but had the drive stall out at the Assumption 40, and was forced to punt and pin the Greyhounds deep and force overtime.
Felder rushed for over 100 yards for the third fourth time this season, with his sixth first quarter touchdown of the year (PHOTO BY Mary Gettens) |
Stoneking connected with Gervais for an eight-yard touchdown on third and four to open the overtime. Assumption responded with McAfee finding Sonnie for a 23-yard touchdown pass just two plays later and then the Greyhounds grabbed its first lead of the day with May's second 34-yarder after their double-overtime possession went just eight yards. Stonehill looked to take advantage of the field goal right away, but Nkongchu picked off Stoneking's pass headed into the end zone on the Skyhawks first play to end the game.
Both teams scored on their first two possessions of the game in what looked destined for a shootout after a quarter of play. Stonehill took the opening possession of the game 62 yards in 11 plays for its fourth opening drive score of the year, capped by Felder's sixth first quarter touchdown of the season 5:02 into the contest. Assumption answered right back with a ten play, 59-yard drive capped by McAfee's first touchdown of the day from six yards out four and a half minutes later. Stoneking connected with Jamiel for a season-long 65-yard touchdown strike just two plays later to push the Skyhawks back in front, but Assumption responded with an 11 play, 75-yard scoring drive to cap the first quarter, with Exum-Strong scoring on a two-yard plunge that drew the Greyhounds within one after a bad snap on the extra point try.
Stonehill took an 11-point lead into halftime after a 38-yard field goal from Haite four minutes into the second quarter, before Stoneking scored his first touchdown of the afternoon from four yards out with 2:36 remaining in the half. Assumption started fast in the second half, driving 81 yards on 12 plays on the opening possession, with McAfee hitting Sonnie for a 25-yard touchdown 4:59 in. Neither team would score until Stoneking was able to restore Stonehill's ten-point cushion with his second touchdown with 3:32 left in the quarter.
Stonehill (4-3, 3-2 NE10) returns to action next Saturday, when it hosts Southern Connecticut State University for "Go Hill" Day at W.B. Mason Stadium at 1p.m. Assumption (6-2, 5-1 NE10) heads into the bye week before returning to action on Saturday, November 9, to host the University of New Haven at 1 p.m.
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