DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Behind an all-around balanced effort on both sides of the field, the UMass Dartmouth football team posted a key 41-30 win over Western Connecticut State University in the MASCAC battle of two unbeaten teams on Saturday afternoon. The Corsairs move to 8-0 overall and 7-0 in conference play, while the Wolves are now 6-2 overall and 6-1 in the MASCAC.
UMass Dartmouth, playing its final regular season home game of 2024 on Saturday, honored 19 grad students, fifth-year and senior members of the team in a pre-game ceremony. Of the 19, 12 were offensive players, while seven were on the defensive side of the ball.
The Corsairs got things going quickly in the opening quarter as graduate quarterback and captain
Dante Aviles-Santos found junior wide receiver
Jael Cabrera for a 73-yard pass and the touchdown in the first minute of the game.
Aviles-Santos then found senior wide receiver
Thomas Zednik at 12:42 of the frame, putting the home team up 14-0 following a 21-yard score. The Corsairs pushed the margin to 21-0 with 6:31 to play as Aviles-Santos found senior wide receiver
Angel Sanchez for a 65-yard score.
The Wolves battled back with 2:05 on the clock as senior rusher Kamryn Holmes found the endzone on a three-yard run to put the visitors on the scoreboard.
Second quarter action saw the Wolves draw closer as senior quarterback John Giller took the ball in on the quarterback keeper down the middle, pulling the gap to 21-14. On their next possession, the Wolves saw senior kicker Anthony Weidtman nail a 24-yard field goal with 4:58 on the clock, making it a 21-17 contest.
The Corsairs answered at 3:09 as senior rusher
Jalyn Aponte carried it in from a yard out, but the Wolves saw sophomore wide receiver Markus Faucett haul in a one-yard pass from Giller with six seconds remaining in the second quarter. The two teams headed into halftime with UMass Dartmouth holding the 27-23 lead.
Out of the break, the Wolves came out firing with Giller hitting senior wide receiver Julian Ferguson with a 40-yard pass to put the visitors up by a 30-27 margin. The Corsairs countered with 4:39 to play in the third quarter as junior rusher
Kevin Brown took it up the middle on a four-yard run into the end zone.
The Corsairs closed out the scoring in the fourth quarter as Aponte rushed in from 21-yards out at 3:03. Holding the 41-30 advantage, the UMass Dartmouth defense proved outstanding as with the Wolves threatening, senior defensive back
Jonathan Brightman intercepted Giller in the end zone with 1:47 to play, giving the Corsairs the ball back and sealing the victory.
Aviles-Santos went 24-of-37 on the afternoon, totaling 323 yards and three touchdowns in the victory. Aponte rushed 14 times for 101 yards and two scores, while Brown had 13 carries for 47 yards and a touchdown. In the air, Sanchez paced the way with eight catches for 118 yards and a touchdown, while Cabrera had five receptions for 114 yards and a TD.
Defensively, the Corsairs saw senior linebacker and captain
Mike Henricksen post eight total tackles, including three solo. Graduate student defensive back and captain
Shane Meerbott added seven tackles, including a game-high six solo with a sack for a loss of eight yards. He also posted a forced fumble. Brightman posted two interceptions in the game, while adding two solo tackles for six total.
In addition to Aviles-Santos, Sanchez, Aponte, Zednik, Henricksen, Meerbott and Brightman, the Corsairs also honored graduate student rusher
Marvens Jean, fifth year defensive back and captain
Logan Chappell, fifth year wide receiver
Isaiah Cole, senior wide receiver
Mike Vincent, fifth year defensive back
Malakie Simao, senior wide receiver
Antonio Brown, senior tight end
Jalen Kopecky, senior defensive edge and captain
Sam Alicea, fifth year defensive edge
Josh Lacerte, graduate offensive lineman
Henry Doane, senior offensive lineman and captain
Kolby Stockwell and senior offensive lineman and captain,
Tyler Gmyr in the pregame ceremonies.
UMass Dartmouth returns to the field next Saturday, traveling to Westfield State University for a conference game against the Owls. Kickoff is set for 12pm.
