Sept. 25, 2010
Box Score
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- The Marist football team suffered a 45-39 loss to Morehead State in its Pioneer Football League opener on Saturday at Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field. On a day where the teams combined for 945 yards of total offense, the Red Foxes scored four touchdowns of over 50 yards, but were unable to erase a 19-point fourth-quarter deficit.
As a team, the Red Foxes threw for 402 yards. Junior quarterback James LaMacchia (Bronx, N.Y.) led the Red Foxes with seven receptions, which went for 122 yards and a touchdown.
After Morehead State scored a touchdown on its opening drive, the Red Foxes tied the game two plays later at seven apiece on a 76-yard touchdown run by junior running back Calvin McCoy (Bronx, N.Y.). McCoy's second touchdown of the day, which came on a six-yard run in the second quarter, gave Marist a 13-10 lead. Morehead State re-claimed the lead at 17-13 with eight seconds left in the half.
With one second remaining in the half, Marist had the ball on its own 46. Freshman quarterback Joseph DeSimone (Bronx, N.Y.) on a deflection at the three-yard line, and DeSimone got into the end zone to give Marist a 19-17 halftime lead.
However, Morehead State roared back with three touchdowns - on one run and two throws by quarterback Zach Lewis - in 2:59 , which were aided by a pair of Marist turnovers, to take a 38-19 lead. Reilly found LaMacchia for a 35-yard touchdown pass to cut Marist's deficit to 38-26 entering the fourth quarter.
Blake Stanley's five-yard touchdown run put Morehead State up 45-26 with 8:11 to play. On the first play of the ensuing a drive, a 61-yard Reilly-Rios touchdown connection made the score 45-32. With 2:47 to go, Reilly and Rios connected for a 69-yard touchdown to bring the Red Foxes within six, but they would come no closer.
The 84 points scored in the game is tied for the second-highest total in Marist history. The highest is 86, which came in Marist's 52-34 triumph at Saint Peter's on Oct. 27, 2005.
Morehead State rolled up 460 yards of total offense. Lewis accounted for five scores with four touchdown passes and one touchdown run. He was 33-for-46 through the air for 311 yards, and completed passes to 10 different receivers. Desmond Cox paced the Eagles' ground efforts with 71 yards on 21 carries.
Senior free safety Rory Foley (Roxbury, Mass.) led the Marist defense with 16 tackles. Sophomore linebacker Tyler Ramsey (Southbridge, Mass.) added 11.
Marist is now 1-2 overall and 0-1 in Pioneer Football League play; Morehead State improved to 2-2 overall and 1-1 in the PFL.
The Red Foxes return to action on Saturday, Oct. 2 as they make their first trip in program history to PFL foe Drake. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. EDT.
