FITCHBURG, Mass. – Powered by an all-around offensive effort and staunch defense, the UMass Dartmouth football team posted a 73-7 victory at Fitchburg State University in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) opener for both teams. The Corsairs move to 2-0 on the season, while the Falcons are now 1-1.
The Corsairs opened the games scoring less than four minutes into the opening quarter as graduate student quarterback
Dante Aviles-Santos hit senior wide receiver
Angel Sanchez for a 10-yard pass and the 6-0 lead. Less than a minute later, Aviles-Santos hit junior wide out
Naseim Harrison in the endzone with a six-yard pass, pushing the visitors to a 13-0 score.
With 7:23 on the clock, Aviles-Santos found senior receiver
Thomas Zednik for a 35-yard pass into the endzone as the Corsairs took a 19-0 margin after the opening quarter of play.
Second quarter action opened on a rush by senior running back
Jalyn Aponte, who carried it in 12-yards as rookie
Connor McManus banked the point after for the 26-0 lead at 12:52. With 9:32 to go, Aviles-Santos and Harrison connected once again, this time for a 28-yard toss into the end, while junior rusher
Kevin Brown closed out the second quarter scoring at 2:15 with a six-yard touchdown as the Corsairs led 39-0 at half.
Out of the break, the Corsairs defense joined the scoring as fifth-year linebacker
Jackson Wellman intercepted a pass, taking it 36-yards for the score and a 46-0 lead for the visitors. Brown added to his touchdown total on the afternoon, scoring from two-yards out at 9:39.
The Falcons recorded their first score of the afternoon with 1:13 to play in the third quarter as quarterback Devin Lebron hist Emilio Cabey for the score on a 15-play, 75-yard drive to close the gap to 53-7.
UMass Dartmouth got three more scores in the fourth quarter as sophomore
JC Petrongolo threw a nine-yard pass to sophomore wide receiver
Conner Robidoux at 13:37, followed by a 28-yard rush by junior
Napoleon DeBarros at 6:25. Sophomore rusher
Mekhi Wilson closed out the game's scoring with a 50-yard run into the endzone.
On the day, Aviles-Santos went 14-of-24 with 193 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. Petrongolo was 1-of-1 for nine yards with a TD. Brown had a phenomenal game, recording 101 yards on 11 carries with two touchdowns, while Wilson had 61 yards on three carries and a TD. Aponte added 53 yards rushing on the afternoon with a score.
In the air, Sanchez led all receivers with 52 yards on five catches and a touchdown. Zednik finished with 35 yards and a touchdown, while Harrison had 34 yards on two catches and two touchdowns.
Defensively, senior linebacker
Mike Henricksen had 10 tackles, including five solo, adding two interceptions for seven yards. Classmate and defensive edge
Sam Alicea had seven – including two solo, while defensive tackle Cydell Sanches also had seven tackles – three solo. Junior linebacker
Lamar Beaton had a team-high 2.5 tackles for a loss of five yards, while Wellman recorded an interception for 36-yards and the pick-six.
Fitchburg State saw Matthew Aguirre rush for 67 yards on 24 carries, while Oriowokite Fato had 63 yards on 18 carries. Emilio Cabey added 10 yards receiving on one catch for the touchdown. Defensively, Jordan Cummings recorded seven tackles, including three solo. Elijah Zaire McKnight had six tackles, three which were solo, adding an interception and two pass break-ups.
UMass Dartmouth returns to action on Friday when its hosts the Gold Rush game on Cressy Field. The Corsairs welcome Framingham State for a MASCAC-showdown under the lights at 7pm.
