Posted: Sep 30, 2023
West Caldwell, N.J. - Nyir Jones' 15-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Ryan Kenny in the fourth quarter, broke an 18-18 stalemate and gave the St. Thomas Aquinas College Sprint Football team its first victory of the 2023 season, 25-18 over Caldwell University on Saturday night at Bonnel Field.
STAC moves to 1-1 on the year, while Caldwell suffers its first defeat and slips to 2-1.
STAC HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES
- Nyir Jones led the way with four receptions for 69 yards and two touchdowns. His longest catch was for 34 yards.
- Bo Maroney garnered 20 rushing attempts for 61 total yards.
- Donnell White, Jr. and Ethan Hence registered seven tackles apiece in the game, which White, Jr. dropping the Caldwell QB once.
- Starting quarterback Ryan Kenny completed 14 of 28 passes, for 235 yards, while throwing three touchdowns and an interception. He also had six rushing attempts in the contest.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
- Nadir Orsini caught a 57-yard touchdown pass from Donovan Swasey (George Escobar kick is good) early in the first quarter to put Caldwell up 7-0.
- A George Escobar 27-yard field goal in the final three minutes of the stanza increased the Cougars lead to 10-0.
Second Quarter
- Ryan Kenny's 5-yard TD pass to Nyir Jones, along with Bo Maroney's two-point conversion scamper got the Spartans on the scoreboard, cutting the deficit to 10-8.
- Just before halftime, a Reno Molina 13-yard touchdown reception from Kenny (Bo Maroney kick is good) gave STAC a 15-10 advantage.
Third Quarter
- Caldwell jumped back ahead 18-15 on a Devon Turner 7-yard TD run, with a two-point conversion pass by Angelo Drake midway through the quarter.
- St. Thomas Aquinas tied the game at 18-18 in the final 90 seconds of the stanza via a Bo Maroney 30-yard field goal.
Fourth Quarter
- Ryan Kenny's perfect 15-yard strike to Nyir Jones (Bo Maroney kick is good) in the back left corner of the end zone, with Jones planting one foot down in the turf, put STAC ahead for good at 25-18.
- The Spartans stopped two additional drives by Caldwell in the final nine minutes of the game, forcing a punt and a turnover on downs to preserve the victory.
UP NEXT
St. Thomas Aquinas returns home to face Chestnut Hill College on Friday, October 6 with opening kickoff set for 7:00 p.m. at the Torne Valley Sports Complex in Hillburn, N.Y.