Sept. 24, 2005
Final Stats
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-Sophomore Obozua Ehikioya led Marist with three rushing touchdowns, while senior quarterback James Luft had two more touchdown passes to lift the Red Foxes' football squad to a 38-21 victory over Wagner Saturday at Wagner Stadium. The Red Foxes improved to 3-1 with the win, while Wagner fell to 3-1 with the defeat.
Luft became the school's all-time passing yardage and passing touchdowns leader on the afternoon to add to his list of growing accomplishments. Luft now has 3,333 yards, surpassing the total of Brian McCourt, who tallied 3,256 from 1990-93. McCourt also finished his career with 18 touchdown passes, a total that Luft bettered by two Saturday afternoon.
The Red Foxes pounded the Seahawks with their second possession, driving 65 yards on 13 plays to go up 7-0 on a two-yard touchdown run by Ehikioya.
Marist continued its momentum when senior linebacker Andrew Sperl (Wallingford, Conn.) picked off a Sciarra pass on the ensuing possession and returned it to the Wagner 31-yard line. Ehikioya tallied his second score of the game on a four-yard plunge with 21 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
After a pair of missed opportunities inside Wagner's red zone, Marist gave up a 26-yard touchdown pass to Wagner with seven seconds remaining in the half as Sciarra found wideout Mike Malik for the score in the right corner of the end zone.
Marist capitalized again on its first drive of the second half after the Red Foxes' linebacking corps picked off its second pass of the day. Sophomore Dan Smith (Reston, Va.) made a diving interception of another Sciarra pass that set the Red Foxes up at their own 40-yard line. After the ensuing drive stalled at the Wagner 19-yard line, sophomore kicker Bradley Rowe (Stratham, N.H.) avenged an earlier miss with a 36-yard field goal at the 5:51 mark to put the Red Foxes up 17-7.
Marist put the game away six seconds into the fourth quarter as Luft lofted a deep pass down the right sideline, hitting Guy Smith in the process with a 29-yard touchdown pass. The pass gave Luft the record, while Smith's tally made the score 24-7 Red Foxes.
The Red Foxes added two more scores in the fourth stanza when Ehikioya rumbled for his third touchdown of the contest and Tim Keegan caught his first career touchdown pass at the 5:32 mark, a 30-yard pass from Luft.
Wagner's scores in the fourth came courtesy of a pair of touchdown receptions, first by Shawn Grover (14-yard pass) and Chris Turner (7-yard pass).
Ehikioya led all Marist rushers with 145 yards on 30 carries and three touchdowns, while Wagner was led by Marcus Wilson with 33 yards on 11 carries.
Luft finished the day going 16-of-25 for 244 yards with a pair of touchdown passes and one interception. Sciarra finished 26 for 44 on the afternoon with 324 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.
Smith led the Marist receiving attack with 89 yards and a touchdown on six catches, while Turner had nine catches for 83 yards and a touchdown.
Senior cornerback David Snell and senior safety William Doll had six tackles apiece to lead the Red Foxes, while Craig Romano had 14 stops.
Marist will head to Bucknell next Saturday for a matchup with the Bison at 1 p.m.
