West Caldwell, N.J. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Sprint Football team (0-2, 0-1 CSFL North) fell in a close contest with Caldwell University (1-0, 1-0 CSFL North), 35-32, on Friday Evening at Bonnel Field on the campus of James Caldwell High School. Wide receiver Hassan Blakney produced a season-high 197 receiving yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback Dennis Riordan's 329 passing yards and five touchdown passes also marked a personal best. 

STAC HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES

• Hassan Blakney led the way with 197 yards receiving and three touchdowns, including a career-long 87-yard reception.
• Mahki Matthews reeled in touchdown passes of 6 yards and 13 yards from quarterback Dennis Riordan on the evening.
• Robert Nieto and Tyreke Smith registered eight tackles each, with Nieto picking up 3.0 for a loss of seven yards and Smith posting 1.5 for a loss of 11 yards.
• Tyreke Smith, Malik Lucas and Markell Carter picked up one sack apiece.
• Starting quarterback Dennis Riordan completed 22 of 40 passes, for 329 yards and five touchdowns, while also throwing four interceptions.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter

• Carl Watson took a 14-yard pass from Frank DeMaio into the end zone to give Caldwell an early 7-0 lead.
• Dennis Riordan would connect with Mahki Matthews on a 6-yard strike for STAC late in the quarter to cut the deficit to 7-6.

 
Second Quarter

• Dennis Riordan would hook up with Hassan Blakney on a 6-yard TD pass early in the second quarter to put STAC ahead 12-7.
• A Justin Schmidt 22-yard scamper gave the Cougars a 14-12 advantage midway through the stanza.
• Just before halftime, Carl Watson would score on a 3-yard run to make it a 21-12 Caldwell lead.

 
Third Quarter

• STAC would open the second half with a Hassan Blakney 87-yard TD pass from Dennis Riordan to cut the score to 21-19.
• Frank DeMaio extended the lead back to nine on 10-yard run of his own to make it 28-19 Caldwell.
• Riordan brought the Spartans back within three on a 58-yard strike to Blakney, his third touchdown catch of the night, making it 28-25 just before the end of the quarter.

 
Fourth Quarter

• The Cougars took a 35-25 lead by way of a Frank DeMaio 8-yard pass to Jeremy Colon with just over nine and half minutes left.
• Mahki Matthews' second TD of the game came on a Dennis Riordan 13-yard pass, and made it 35-32 with 5:13 remaining in the contest.
• The Spartans had a chance to tie or take the lead in the waning moments of the game, but turned the ball over via an interception, allowing Caldwell to run out the clock and pick up the victory.

 
UP NEXT
St. Thomas Aquinas looks to get in the win column next Saturday (October 2), when they host Alderson Broaddus University at the Torne Valley Sports Complex. Opening kickoff is set for 1pm in Hillburn, NY.