Football Wins Second Straight in MASCAC Thriller Against UMass Dartmouth

PAXTON, MA - Anna Maria College improved to 2-1 in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference with a high-scoring 47-43 victory against UMass Dartmouth Saturday afternoon at Caparso Field.

Standout performances from quarterback Nikolay Boyce and Ka'Marion Thomas propelled the AMCATS to victory, evening the team's overall record to 2-2. Boyce passed for a career-high 421 yards with 28 completions and five touchdown passes, adding 26 yards on the ground. Thomas was his top receiver, leading all players with 11 receptions for 171 yards and three touchdowns, including a long of 34 yards. Jeremiah Cadet rushed 12 times for 57 yards with a long of 12, adding 62 yards on two receptions with a long of 36 and a touchdown. Treshawn Blair was another major contributor in the passing game with four receptions for 59 yards, while Max Gasinowski hauled in six catches for 56.

Jaiquan Torrence paced the AMCATS defense with 11 total tackles, seven of them solo. Tyler Thibodeau was close behind with eight, while Charles DeMartino added seven.

After a stop by the AMCAT defense on the opening drive. The home team got the ball at the Corsairs' 20-yard line and drove 80 yards down the field on nine plays, finishing with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Brendan Arroyo, making the score 7-0.

Anna Maria exploded for three touchdowns in the second quarter, putting up 20 points in the period. Blair opened the scoring with an 18-yard rush that capped a nine-play, 75-yard drive. The AMCATS struck again when Nikolay Boyce connected with Jeremiah Cadet on a 36-yard strike, who hurdled a defender to score, followed by a successful two-point conversion from Gasinowski to make it 21-14 in favor of the home team. After a punt pinned Anna Maria at its own four-yard line, Boyce orchestrated an 11-play, 96-yard drive, finished off by a one-yard rushing touchdown from Blair to send the AMCATS into the locker room with a 27-21 lead.

The second half turned into a back-and-forth thriller, with four lead changes in the final two quarters. Two touchdown passes from Boyce to Thomas gave Anna Maria a 40-36 advantage with just 1:55 left on the clock. UMass Dartmouth responded quickly, marching 65 yards in six plays to reclaim the lead, 43-40, with only 55 seconds remaining. With the game on the line and 57 yards to go, the AMCATS walked off in dramatic fashion with Boyce dropping a perfect 14-yard over-the-shoulder pass to Thomas for the game-winning touchdown with just eight seconds left, giving the game its final score of 47-43.

STAY CONNECTED:

For the latest on Anna Maria College Athletics, follow the AMCATS via social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.