Junior Wide Receiver Mario Price Celebrating After Scoring the Game Winning Touchdown SXU Athletics
In the final two games of the 2025 season, the Cougars have had their ups and downs. Against Olivet Nazarene, we saw junior wide receiver Mario Price score a clutch walk-off touchdown to put his Cougars up 21-14 and ultimately win them the game.
In their match against No. 7 ranked Marian University (Ind.), the Cougars were completely shut out with a final score of 45-0.
The Cougars finished the season with a good record of 7-4, and a positive 3-2 conference record. But it isn’t enough as SXU will not see the 2025 postseason for the second straight year.
In other news, senior linebacker Terry Elias Jr. was named the MSFA Midwest League Defensive Player of the Week. After leading the SXU defense with 11 tackles (three solos), Elias Jr. was the clear pick for this week.
Elias Jr. also leads the MSFA in total tackles, assisted tackles (62), and tackles per game (10.3).
Saint Xavier University vs. Olivet Nazarene University: 21-14 (W)
This game was a real thriller, both teams still in the game with the score neck and neck. The Cougars started things strong with a 13-0 lead going into halftime. But ONU charged back and scored a touchdown in both the third and fourth quarter.
It wasn’t until there was 1:40 left in the fourth, and Price caught the pass and ran 49 yards to score the touchdown and win the game. Price finished the game with three catches for a game-high 74 receiving yards, he also finished the game with 19 carries on 65 rushing yards.
Senior quarterback Dominic D’Ambrosio led the Saint Xavier offense with an efficient performance, completing 13 of 21 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns, while also adding 37 rushing yards on 15 carries.
Senior wide receiver Marquel Porter, delivered a standout game with three receptions for 83 yards and two touchdowns.
Fifth-year senior Ronnie Foster contributed two catches for 56 yards, including a score, while redshirt freshman wide receiver Kameron Hopkins led the team in receptions with seven grabs for 54 yards.
Freshman kicker Christian Casillas was reliable, converting two field goals from 29 and 33 yards.
Defensively, we saw senior linebacker Terry Elias Jr. pace the unit with 10 tackles, an interception returned 16 yards, and 0.5 sacks.
Senior linebacker Chris Swayne added eight tackles, a sack, forced fumble, and a pass breakup, making a major impact.
Senior defensive lineman Justin Yeazell was disruptive up front, finishing with eight tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, a sack, and two quarterback hurries.
Junior defensive back Asael Rubalcava registered six tackles, a pass breakup, and a tackle for loss, while redshirt sophomore defensive lineman David Burton also tallied six tackles, a QB hurry, and a tackle for loss.
SXU vs. No. 7 Marian University (Ind.): 45-0 (L)
In this final regular season matchup, the Cougars were completely embarrassed. The Marian University Knights ran with the MSFA title and never looked back, showing nothing but complete dominance, skill, and no mercy.
The Cougars were shut out, not scoring in this game at all. The Knights went up 17-0 going into halftime, but they truly put the nail in the coffin when they scored 21 points in the third quarter alone.
To make matters worse, this game was a special game as it was “Senior Day”, dedicating this match to all of SXU’s seniors on the team. Honoring guys such as Ronnie Foster, Terry Elias Jr., Dominic D’Ambrosio, Tyreese Lee, and many more.
The game where they honored all seniors, completely spoiled and left little to no room for any highlights for the guys.
After having a solid game against ONU, D’Ambrosio struggled in his final game as a Cougar as he only completed nine of his 28 attempted passes for 57 yards and threw three picks in this game.
Price played well, adding on 34 rushing yards on seven carries and 38 yards on two kick returns. Junior running back Joey Thompson also provided stability with 34 yards on nine carries.
Senior wide receiver Cameron Hatcher led the receiving corps with three catches for 22 yards.
On defense, Elias Jr. anchored the defense with nine tackles which included three solo tackles and a four yard sack.
Sophomore defensive back Cam Manney chipped in six tackles and a pass breakup, while Burton matched him with six tackles, including 0.5 sacks for four yards.
Wynn contributed on both sides of the ball, finishing with four tackles, two solo, and a pass breakup in addition to his key offensive run. Even sparking the offense at one point in the game, charging through with a 39 yard fourth down conversion.
The Cougars will not be a part of the 2025 NAIA postseason, but they hope to improve and run it back for a better season next year.