Wadley and Edmonds, Jr. combine for five touchdowns to lead Warriors

Murphy posted a season-high ten tackles for the second-straight game and added his first career interception (PHOTO BY Jim Pierce)

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (October 7, 2023) – Merrimack College grabbed ten first quarter points and made it stand the rest of the way, despite a fourth quarter in which the teams combined for 42 points, in securing a 45-34 victory over Stonehill College in a Northeast Conference football matchup at Duane Stadium this afternoon.

Senior wide receiver Donovan Wadley scored three touchdowns and junior Tyvon Edmonds, Jr. rushed for 169 yards and two more scores on 25 carries on the ground to lead Merrimack to its second-straight NEC win. Wadley finished with 169 all-purpose yards as he totaled 61 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries on the ground to go with three receptions for 56 yards and 52 kick return yards.

Carraha completed a season-high 20 passes for a season-best 204 yards and three scores this afternoon (PHOTO BY Jim Pierce)

Freshman linebacker DJ Frazier led the Merrimack defense with eight tackles (six solo), including 1.0 sacks for a loss of seven yards, and a pass breakup. Junior Deon Houston added three stops and blocked two kicks, while classmate Tre Jordan III totaled eight tackles (six solo), including 1.0 for a loss of a yard, and a pass breakup.

Junior quarterback Ashur Carraha threw a season-high three touchdown passes to three different receivers, completing 20-of-35 passes for 204 yards without an interception, finishing the game with 224 total yards. He was 11-of-16 for 157 yards and two scores in the fourth quarter alone, leading the Skyhawks to 28 points in the frame to draw within two scores on two occasions before Merrimack was able to close out the win.

Junior wide receiver Chris Domercant caught five passes for 61 yards and one of those touchdowns, finishing with a career-high 155 all-purpose yards as he contributed 88 yards on five kick returns. Sophomore Zavion Woodard notched the first 100-yard game of his collegiate career in his first career start, rushing the ball a career-best 20 times for 103 yards and two touchdowns for the first multi-touchdown game of his career.

Senior linebacker Sam Murphy posted double-digit tackles for the second-straight game to lead the Stonehill defense, matching his season-high with a game-best ten (five solo), including 0.5 for a loss of a yard, and his first career interception. Junior linebacker Marc Christian Georges dded three stops (two solo) and notched his first career touchdown with a catch on the offensive side of the ball that kick-started the Skyhawks 28-point fourth.

Woodard posted the first 100-yard rushing game of his career, adding a career-best two touchdowns (PHOTO BY Jim Pierce)

FIRST QUARTER

• Merrimack opened the scoring with a seven-play 42-yard drive after a 52-yard kickoff return by Wadley gave the Warriors great opening field position. Junior quarterback Malakai Anthony capped the drive with a three-yard touchdown run with 10:42 to play in the quarter.
• Merrimack added a 40-yard field goal from junior Lliam Davis after the Warriors were set up with great field position once again as Houston blocked the Stonehill punt from the Skyhawks 27 after a quick three and out that was recovered at the 19.

SECOND QUARTER

• Stonehill got its offense on track with a 12-play, 80-yard scoring drive that stretched over the first and second quarters, marking its 11^th double-digit play scoring drive of the year, and was capped by a six-yard touchdown catch by Domercant from Carraha 3:48 into the second. The drive was extended with a procedure penalty on Merrimack on fourth and one at the Stonehill 29 that resulted in a Skyhawks first down.
• Merrimack had an immediate response in its ensuing possession, driving 66-yards in seven plays for a four-yard Wadley touchdown run with 8:42 remaining in the quarter.
• Murphy's first career interception on the Stonehill 11-yard line was on second down and eight with Merrimack marching towards a late first half score.

THIRD QUARTER

• Merrimack stretched its lead to 18 points with 5:23 to play in the third with a 34-yard touchdown pass by Anthony to Wadley.
• The Warriors added a second score in the quarter with a four-yard touchdown run by Edmonds with 3:20 remaining.

Domercant posted a career-high 155 all-purpose yards adding a touchdown in to open the Skyhawks scoring (PHOTO BY Jim Pierce)

FOURTH QUARTER

• Stonehill produced 16-play, 67-yard drive to produce its second score of the afternoon as Carraha connected with Georges for a two-yard touchdown toss 2:36 into the frame.
• Merrimack again had a quick response with Wadley scoring his third touchdown of the day with a 44-yard run three minutes later.
• Stonehill closed to within two scores with a pair of touchdowns over the next seven minutes, starting with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Carraha to senior Cameron Alves for the second week in a row.
• Woodard added his first touchdown of the season with 3:20 remaining on a one-yard plunge, before Carraha connected with sophomore Brigham Dunphy for the two-point conversion to trim the deficit to 11 (35-27).
• Edmonds responded with his second touchdown of the afternoon on Merrimack's next play from scrimmage, reeling off a 49-yard touchdown run.
• Stonehill capped the scoring with a six-yard Woodard touchdown with 58-seconds left at the end of an eight-play, 71-yard drive.

Noteworthy

• Carraha's 20 completions are the highest total of his collegiate career against an FCS opponent – one shy of a career-best 21 completions in a win at Bloomsburg University in his collegiate debut.
• Carraha moved into eighth on Stonehill's career passing list as he finished the game with 2,507 career yards, moving past Tom Pincince, '97 (the current Director of Athletics at Central Connecticut State). Carraha's 21 career touchdown passes are three behind Pincince for eighth all-time.
• Domercant moved into ninth all-time at Stonehill with 1,305 career receiving yards, passing Matt Rainone, '05 (1,263).
• Woodard had totaled 62 yards on 13 career carries over the first two years of his collegiate career prior to his first 100-yard game this afternoon. He scored the first two touchdowns of his career against an FCS opponent today after scoring once in a week two win over Post University last fall.
• Stonehill surpassed 300 yards of total offense for the fourth time this season, finishing with 329 yards today, including its season-best 209 yards passing.
• Stonehill finished turnover free for the fourth time in six games this fall.
• This afternoon was the 26^th meeting all-time between the two former Northeast-10 Conference members, the second in NEC play, with Merrimack taking a 14-12 advantage in the series that dates back to 1996 after securing its third-straight win in the series.

Up Next:

Stonehill (2-4, 1-2 NEC) has next week off before it returns to W.B. Mason Stadium on October 21, to host Sacred Heart University on Homecoming Weekend for NEC play at 1 p.m. Merrimack (3-3, 2-1 NEC) also has next weekend off before it visits LIU on October 21 at 1 p.m.

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