Sophomore defensive backs Cam Manney and Zach Norred Hype Each Other Up SXU Athletics
The Cougars have gone on a rampage, now winning five straight games and improving their record to 5-2. They concluded homecoming week with success as they sneaked out with a 26-20 win against Siena Heights University.
The scoring was light, but they walked out of their first conference matchup shutting out the University of St. Francis (Ill.) only scoring 10 points.
SXU vs. Siena Heights University (Mich.): 26-20 (W)
This game was very up-and-down as anybody watching couldn’t be able to tell who was going to walk away from this game victorious. The Cougars ultimately came out on top and brought glory to the homecoming game.
The win marked SXU’s fourth homecoming victory in the last five seasons, improving the Cougars to 19-13 all-time in Homecoming games at Deaton Field.
Freshman kicker Christian Casillas sealed the deal for the Cougars as he drilled a 28 yard field goal to put them up by six towards the end of the fourth quarter.
This game saw senior quarterback Dominic D’Ambrosio struggle as he threw four picks in this game, and went 13 for 24 on his passes. The positives that D’Ambrosio did contribute to this game is that he threw for 161 yards and threw two touchdown passes.
Senior defensive lineman Justin Yeazell could be seen as player of the game as he recovered a 75-yard fumble return touchdown. Yeazell led the defensive charge with six tackles, two QB hurries, and 0.5 tackles for loss.
Freshman wide receiver Kameron Hopkins caught four passes for 75 yards, including the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Senior running back Tyreese Lee led the ground game with 68 rushing yards on 26 carries, while senior wide receiver Marquel Porter added 28 receiving yards and completed a 49-yard pass.
Sophomore wide receiver Stephon Gist Jr. contributed 25 receiving yards, a touchdown, and an 11-yard punt return.
For the defense, senior linebacker Terry Elias Jr. paced the team with 11 tackles and two quarterback hurries.
Senior linebacker Chris Swayne and freshman linebacker Nick Naujokas each notched eight tackles, with Naujokas adding 2.0 sacks and two QB hurries, and Swayne contributing a sack and a pass breakup.
Senior linebacker Carter Wynn recorded seven tackles, including a strip sack, and freshman linebacker Ben Bernier had a standout game with five tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, and a sack.
SXU vs. University of St. Francis (Ill.): 10-0 (W)
In their first Mid-States Football Association Midwest League game (MSFA), the SXU Cougars were able to shut out St. Francis as the Cougars from Fort Wayne, Indiana were not able to score in this game at all. This was their first shutout since 2021.
This game saw the SXU Cougars only score 10 points with a touchdown in the first quarter and a field goal in the fourth.
D’Ambrosio continued to struggle as he threw three picks in this game, but he threw for 166 yards on 17-of-27 passing and rushed for 53 yards on 11 carries. Lee dominated with 57 rushing yards and added a 13-yard reception.
Fifth-year senior Ronnie Foster made five catches for 74 yards, surpassing 1,000 career receiving yards to become the 28th player in program history to achieve the milestone.
Hopkins contributed four receptions for 53 yards, while junior wide receiver Quinn Callaghan completed his first collegiate pass for 29 yards and returned a kickoff 22 yards.
The SXU defense set the tone early, as sophomore defensive back Cam Manney returned a 24 yard pick-six for a touchdown in the first quarter. Manney added four tackles and a pass breakup, helping anchor a defense that limited St. Francis to just 26 rushing yards and 229 total yards of offense.
Casillas sealed the win with a 19-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, being the only time SXU scored in the fourth quarter. This field goal put them up 10.
Swayne and Elias Jr. each tallied eight tackles, combining for 1.5 tackles for loss. Wynn added five tackles and a QB hurry.
Junior defensive back Taj McClellan broke up three passes to round out another strong defensive showing for the Cougars.
The Cougars look to win six straight games and to lead the conference 2-0 as they’ll take on the University of Saint Francis (Ind.). Action will take place at Deaton Field on Saturday Oct. 25 at 12:00 pm.