Football Suffers Tough Loss at Anna Maria

PAXTON, Mass. - A 14-yard pass in the final eight seconds saw Anna Maria College conclude a wild fourth quarter, earning a 47-43 win over UMass Dartmouth in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) action on Saturday afternoon on Caparso Field. The AMCats move to 2-2 overall and 2-1 in conference play, while the Corsairs are now 1-3 and 1-2 in the MASCAC.

It was a tight contest to start as the two teams found themselves tied after the opening quarter of play (7-7) behind touchdowns from AMC's Brendan Arroyo and UMD's Mekhi Wilson. The teams once again traded scores to open the second, but a pair of touchdowns opened a 27-14 lead with 1:04 remaining. Wilson shined once again with four seconds on the close, running it in from two yards out to send the teams into halftime with the host AMCats up 27-21.

Third quarter action saw Anna Maria's Ka'Marion Tomas and the Corsairs' Wilson each add scores with a 33-21 lead in favor of the home team going into the fourth quarter. UMass Dartmouth grabbed the lead as an interception by Corsairs defensive back Eric Perkins set the stage for a 3-yard touchdown run by Wilson with 8:58 on the clock for a 36-33 lead for the visitors. 

Anna Maria battled back with 1:55 remaining as Thomas hauled in a 29-yard catch for a 40-36 advantage for the home team, but Wilson answered for UMD with 53 seconds to play, notching his fifth rushing touchdown of the game for a 43-40 score. In the end, Thomas netted his third score of the day, collecting a 14-yard pass into the end zone for a 47-43 margin with just eight seconds left to seal the victory. 

The Corsairs were paced in the game by Wilson, who carried the ball 25 times for 161 yards and five touchdowns. He averaged 6.4 yards per carry with a long of 25-yards on the day. In the air, junior wide receiver Naseim Harrison had three receptions for 56 yards, while junior quarterback JC Petrongolo was 18-of-34 with a career-high 208 yards, throwing a touchdown in the second quarter to junior wide receiver Jael Cabrera - who added 50 yards on four catches. 

Defensively, the Corsairs were once again led by junior defensive back Eli Matthews, who had nine solo tackles and one assisted for 10 total on the afternoon, including a tackle for a loss of five yards. Senior linebacker Lamar Beaton added five solo tackles with two assisted for seven total, while junior defensive edge Owen Dunker had two solo tackles and five assisted for seven total, adding a sack for a loss of 13 yards. The special teams unit saw sophomore kicker Connor McManus go 5-for-5 in P-A-T's, while adding 229 yards on seven kickoffs and 252 yards on six punts.

UMass Dartmouth returns to action on Friday when it hosts MASCAC-rival Mass. Maritime Academy under the lights at Cressy Field. Action kicks-off at 7pm.