DAYTON, Ohio - The Marist football team suffered a 24-10 loss at Dayton in the Pioneer Football League opener for both teams at Welcome Stadium on Saturday. Senior wide receiver
Kevin Fitzpatrick (Columbia, Md.) had seven receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown, and senior linebacker
Ryan Cronan (Hampton, N.H.) had a team-high 12 tackles.
Offensively for Marist, sophomore quarterback Chuckie Looney (Ocala, Fla.) completed 20 of 35 passes for 225 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. Junior tight end Anthony Calcagni (Thornwood, N.Y.) had five receptions for a team-high 79 yards, and junior wide receiver Bartley Leneghan (North Royalton, Ohio) caught four passes for 51 yards.
Defensively, junior linebacker Mike Hagemann (Vernon, N.J.) had 10 tackles. Senior cornerback Jaquan Bryant (St. Albans, N.Y.) had six tackles, an interception and a pass break-up. Sophomore defensive lineman Kevin Stark (Clifton, N.J.) had six tackles and a sack.
On Dayton's first drive, the Flyers brought the ball inside the Marist 1. On fourth-and-goal, Dayton quarterback Will Bardo was stuffed on a quarterback sneak by junior defensive end Terrence Fede (Nyack, N.Y.) with 5:44 left in the first quarter.
The Red Foxes opened the second quarter with a 13-play, 67-yard drive that culminated in a 31-yard field goal by junior kicker Jason Myers (Chula Vista, Calif.), as the Red Foxes got on the scoreboard first. With 3:04 left in the first half, Dayton took the lead as quarterback Zachary Splain hit Tyler Schutz with a 30-yard scoring pass as the Flyers took a 7-3 lead.
On Marist's ensuing possession, Dayton safety Ben Welsh forced and recovered a fumble following a completion to Armani Martin (Pembroke Pines, Fla.). Five plays later, Splain connected with Jordan Elmore on a 15-yard scoring pass as the Flyers went up 14-3 with their second touchdown in 1:51.
The Red Foxes answered with a quick scoring drive of their own just before halftime. After Marist started at its own 36 following a 31-yard kickoff return by freshman Emmanuel Onakoya (Waldorf, Md.), Looney led a four-play, 64-yard drive in just 49 seconds. After a 40-yard completion from Looney to Calcagni brought Marist to the Dayton 16, Looney and Fitzpatrick connected on a six-yard scoring strike. Dayton led 14-10 at halftime.
Dayton received to begin the second half, and after a punt, the Red Foxes took over at their own 23. On their first play of the second half, Looney was intercepted by Steve Wirkus at the Marist 38. After a 36-yard completion from Splain to Zach Bellman brought the ball to the Marist two, Taylor Harris plunged in for the touchdown to give Dayton a 21-10 advantage. The Flyers then added a 34-yard field goal from Nate Miller to cap a 12-play, 41-yard drive that took 6:06 off the clock later in the quarter. Dayton effectively iced the game in the fourth quarter with a 13-play drive that ran the clock from 9:20 to 2:25 and forced the Red Foxes to use all of their timeouts.
Marist fell to 1-2 overall; Dayton now is 2-1. The Red Foxes will play their first home game next Saturday with a non-league contest against Georgetown on Alumni Weekend. Kickoff at Tenney Stadium is set for 1 p.m. For ticket information, contact the Marist Ticket Office at (845) 575-3553.
Notes: Six of the eight touchdown drives Marist has allowed this season have started in the Red Foxes' territory. ... The Red Foxes have dropped their PFL opener in all three years they have been in the league. ... This was the first time this season the Red Foxes scored first in a game. ... Splain, who took over Bardo at quarterback for Dayton the second quarter, was 11-for-18 for 161 yards and two touchdowns. ... Bellman caught six passes for 121 yards. ... Marist, which entered the game with a 48 percent conversion rate on third downs, was 2-for-10 in the game while Dayton was 8-for-15.
