Uniondale, N.Y. – The Molloy sprint football team and the Spartans of St. Thomas Aquinas came down to the last play Friday evening with the Lions falling to the Spartans, 27-24, at Mitchel Field. The cardinal and white move to 0-3 on the campaign, while the Spartans improve to 2-1.
How it Happened
- The Lions received the contests opening kickoff, but the drive stalled, resulting in a punt. Junior Timmy Stosko was able to pin the Spartans to their own 20 yard line.
- Following a pair of false start penalties by St. Thomas Aquinas, the road team would run off an 18-yard gain, needing two yards for a first down.
- The cardinal and white's defense stood strong, allowing just one yard combined on second and third down to force fourth down.
- With a punt incoming from the Spartans on fourth down, sophomore Julian Lopez snuck through the line to block the punt and recover the ball, setting the Molloy offense to begin at the STAC 11-yard line.
- Following a pair of running plays to get to the three-yard line, graduate student Peter von Schoenermarck found junior Anthony DiSalvo in the back of the endzone to put Molloy on the board, 7-0.
- The lead was short lived, as the road team answered with a 47-yard touchdown run on the following possession to bring the contest back to all square, 7-7.
- After both teams were stopped in their following possessions, the Lions carried a seven-play, 50-yard drive into the second quarter that was capped by a 28-yard touchdown pass from von Schoenermarck to sophomore Vaughn Washington to reclaim the Lions' lead, 14-7.
- The Lions and Spartans traded three-and-outs before the road team tied the contest at 14 with a touchdown pass with 7:26 to play in the first half.
- The ensuing Molloy drive compiled 12 plays and 43 yards, but a fourth-down stop by the Spartans halted the rally with 1:45 to go as the contest would head into halftime tied at 14.
- The opening drive of the third quarter for the Spartans came to an abrupt halt when graduate student John Zarnowski made a diving interception.
- The home team would not be able to take advantage of the turnover, punting the ball back to the visitors with 8:20 to go in the third quarter.
- St. Thomas Aquinas then marched down the field with a seven-play, 50 yard touchdown drive to take their first lead of the night, 21-14.
- Molloy punched right back on their next drive, which carried into the fourth quarter. Von Schoenermarck connected with freshman Jame Lepetri for 33 yards to put the Lions at the STAC 26-yard line.
- The Lions followed with eight consecutive running plays, capped by a one-yard touchdown run from von Shoenermarck to reknot the contest at 21 with 11:32 remaining.
- Both defenses clamped down over the next eight minutes, with the game seeing a combined 16 plays for negative seven yards.
- St. Thomas Aquinas possessed the ball with 3:36 to go before STAC quarterback Jake Kear's pass would be intercepted by junior D'Angelo Cabrera and returned to the STAC 25-yard line.
- The ensuing Molloy drive would get the Lions down to the nine-yard line, setting up Stosko for a 26-yard field goal.
- The junior swung his left foot and sent the ball through the uprights pushing the Lions ahead, 24-21, with 1:28 to play.
- The Spartans received the kickoff and drove the ball down to the Molloy 41 yard line with four seconds to play. On the game's final play, Kear heave a Hail Mary into the endzone and connect with Jayderr Wilhite to clinch the victory, 27-24, with no time left on the clock.
Top Performances
- von Schoenermark had a career day, tossing a career-high two touchdown passes totaling 90 yards through the air. On the ground, the graduate student totaled a career-high 97 yards and scored a touchdown.
- Lipetri collected a career-high 59 yards receiving.
- DiSalvo caught his first career touchdown pass. On the defensive side of the ball, DiSalvo totaled a career-high two sacks, three tackles for loss, and six total tackles on the day.
- Junior Marquis Dixon led the defense with seven tackles, junior JoJo Spano added a team-high six solo tackles.
- Zarnowski and Cabrera collected their first interceptions of the season.
- Stosko's 26-yard field goal marked his first of the season.
Up Next
Molloy will have a week to prepare for an in-division meeting at the University of Pennsylvania Friday, October 9. Kick-off is set for 7:00 p.m.
