Senior quarterback Dominic D’Ambrosio Running With the Ball SXU Athletics
The Cougars saw their five game winning streak come to an end as they lost to the University of Saint Francis (Ind.) with a final score of 28-27. The Cougars fortunately bounced back the week after versus Judson University and completely crushed the Eagles 50-31.
The Cougars improved to an overall record of 6-3 and because both matches were MFSA conference games, they now have a conference record of 2-1. The Cougars will also finish the regular season holding an impressive road record of 4-1.
SXU vs. University of St. Francis (Ind.): 28-27 (L)
This game was truly in reach for the Cougars, but they chose to roll the dice and the roll wasn’t in their favor. After senior wide receiver Marquel Porter hauled in the 16-yard pass for a touchdown, the Cougars found themselves trailing by one.
Instead of tying the game and heading into a possible overtime (OT) quarter with a PAT kick, Saint Xavier insisted on going for a two-point conversion to ultimately take the lead and win the game.
Senior quarterback Dominic D’Ambrosio attempted the rush for two points but ultimately failed, leaving the Cougars to stay trailing against Saint Francis.
Once the Saint Francis Cougars got the ball back, they went for a QB kneel and watched the time tick down to victory.
D’Ambrosio still performed well, as he accounted for four total touchdowns which included two rushing and two passing touchdowns. D’Ambrosio led the offense with 56 rushing yards on 14 carries and threw for 181 yards on 12-for-30 passing, despite three interceptions.
Porter led the receivers with six catches for 97 yards, while fifth-year senior Ronnie Foster added three receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Junior defensive back Teddy Garman made a pivotal play with an interception returned to the one-yard line, setting up D’Ambrosio’s quarterback sneak touchdown that gave SXU an early 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
More on the defensive side, senior linebacker Terry Elias Jr. anchored the unit with nine tackles (six solo), four quarterback hurries, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a sack.
Senior linebacker Chris Swayne added eight tackles and a QB hurry, while sophomore defensive back Cam Manney contributed seven tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and an interception.
Junior defensive back Asael Rubalcava and sophomore defensive back Zach Norred also stood out in this game. With Rubalcava posting seven tackles, and a tackle for loss. While Norred recorded six tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, a forced fumble, and a quarterback hurry.
SXU vs. Judson University: 50-31 (W)
The Cougars bounced back in the best way possible, giving Judson an absolute beatdown with a 50-31 victory. In their final away game of the regular season, Saint Xavier went to work right away, scoring 21 points in the first quarter alone. The Cougars continued their scoring rampage by scoring in every quarter and never looked back.
SXU never trailed in this game, having the game look like it was men amongst boys. Winning this game led to more wounds for Judson as they remain winless on the season with an abysmal 0-9 record.
A lot of the success in this game can be attributed to the effort from D’Ambrosio as he threw for a career-high four touchdowns. He threw for 286 yards and completed 15 of his 30 attempted passes with no interceptions.
Freshman quarterback Mathew Opat joined in on the fun as he completed two of his four attempted passes for 21 yards and touchdown. This was Opat’s second touchdown pass in 2025.
D’Ambrosio and Opat combined for 307 passing yards, which makes it the second time this year where SXU passed for over 300 yards.
Porter led the offense with three catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns, fifth-year senior Foster added three receptions for 39 yards and a touchdown.
Redshirt freshman wide receiver Kameron Hopkins contributed three receptions for 45 yards. Redshirt junior wide receiver Mario Price also made an impact with two catches for 24 yards and a touchdown, along with a 21-yard kick return.
On the ground, redshirt junior running back Joey Thompson paced the rushing attack with 41 yards on 10 carries, while junior running back Jacob Fisher added 32 yards on seven attempts, including his first touchdown of the season.
Defensively, Swayne led the Cougars with six tackles (four solo) and two tackles for loss. Freshman defensive lineman Joshua Loera contributed five assisted tackles, while Norred turned in another standout performance with four solo tackles, a 16-yard sack, a forced fumble, and an interception.
The Cougars are going to take it back home as they prepare for the No. 22 ranked Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.). SXU will attempt to win two in a row as action will take place at Deaton Field on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 12:00 pm.