Oct. 9, 2010
Box Score
VALPARAISO, Ind. - The Marist football team cruised to a 51-7 triumph at Valparaiso in a Pioneer Football League (PFL) game on Saturday. The Red Foxes gained 550 yards of total offense, forced four turnovers and scored the final 34 points of the game. The 44-point margin of victory is Marist's largest since a 60-0 win against Canisius on Nov. 7, 1998.
Marist gained 296 yards on the ground. Freshman running back Atiq Lucas (Coram, N.Y.) ran for 113 yards on eight carries, including a 66-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Junior running back Matt Gray (Hillsdale, N.J.) ran for 95 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown, and fellow junior running back Calvin McCoy (Bronx, N.Y.) had 10 carries for 62 yards and two touchdowns. Four different Marist running backs combined to score five touchdowns on the ground, with junior running back Ryan Dinnebeil (River Vale, N.J.) adding a one-yard scoring run.
The Red Foxes also had 254 yards passing. Junior quarterback James LaMacchia (Bronx, N.Y.), who caught four passes for 55 yards. LaMacchia now has 1,994 career receiving yards, and is 26 shy of surpassing Guy Smith for Marist's all-time program record in that category. Senior tight end Chris Ortner (Southington, Conn.) also had 55 yards receiving, which came on three receptions and a touchdown. Senior wide receiver Joseph DeSimone (Bronx, N.Y.) also hauled in a 23-yard touchdown catch from Reilly.
Defensively, junior linebackers Ryan Cronan (Hampton, N.H.) and Alexander Killian (Farmingdale, N.J.) tied for the team lead with seven tackles. Each also had a forced fumble and a pass break-up. Senior free safety Rory Foley (West Roxbury, Mass.) added six tackles and a fumble recovery. Junior cornerback Jaquan Bryant (St. Albans, N.Y.), sophomore safety Nick Mainiero (Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.) and freshman defensive back Nick Kaszei (Brook Park, Ohio) each had interceptions.
With 8:59 remaining in the first quarter, a 28-yard field goal by Jason Myers (Chula Vista, Calif.) gave the Red Foxes a 3-0 lead and capped a 12-play, 67-yard drive. After Valparaiso went three-and-out on its next drive, a 55-yard punt return by LaMacchia set the Red Foxes up at the Valparaiso 34. McCoy started the drive with an 18-yard run, and then scored from 16 yards out on the next play to put Marist up 10-0.
With 8:58 left in the second quarter, Dinnebeil's one-yard touchdown plunge capped a 12-play, 87-yard drive to put the Red Foxes up 17-0. Valparaiso cut Marist's lead to 17-7 with 50 seconds remaining in the half on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Nate Goergen to Antonio Lovelace. However, the Red Foxes responded as a 34-yard kickoff return by DeSimone started a drive at their own 44. Four plays later, Reilly found Ortner for an eight-yard touchdown with 17 seconds left in the half, as Marist took a 24-7 lead.
The Marist defense pitched a shutout in the second half, and the Red Foxes scored a pair of touchdowns in the both the third and fourth quarters. With 2:41 left in the third quarter, an eight-play, 80-yard drive was capped with a 23-yard touchdown pass from Reilly to DeSimone. On Valparaiso's next offensive play, Bryant intercepted a Goergen pass and returned it to the Valparaiso 20. McCoy scored a 20-yard touchdown run on the next play to give Marist two touchdowns in 15 seconds, and the Red Foxes took a 38-7 lead going into the fourth quarter.
A Valparaiso drive ended with a loss on downs at the Marist 34 early in the fourth quarter. On Marist's first play of the ensuing drive, Lucas scored his first collegiate touchdown on a 66-yard run to put the Red Foxes up 45-7. With 6:25 to play, Gray closed out the scoring with a 13-yard touchdown run, which finished off a seven-play, 77-yard drive.
Senior punter A.J. Borriello (Ellenville, N.Y.), center Michael Vannucci (Ocala, Fla.) not only paved the way for the running game and gave the quarterbacks time to throw, but did not allow a sack in the game.
The 51-point outburst is the Red Foxes' highest point total since a 52-34 triumph at Saint Peter's on Oct. 27, 2005. The total yardage output was the largest since Marist amassed 573 in a 28-7 win against Iona on Oct. 25, 2008.
Marist improved to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in the PFL; Valparaiso fell to 0-6 overall and 0-3 in league play. The Red Foxes will return home to host San Diego in a PFL contest on Saturday, Oct. 16, which will take place on Alumni Weekend. Kickoff is set for noon. For ticket information, contact the Marist Ticket Office at (845) 575-3553.
