THE BASICS:

- Score: No. 23 Assumption 40, Bentley 7

- Records: Assumption (8-1, 7-1 NE-10); Bentley (4-5, 4-4 NE-10)

- Location: Worcester, Mass. (Multi-Sport Stadium)

- The Lead: The No. 23 ranked Assumption College football team used a pair of punt return touchdowns from freshman Deonte Harris (Baltimore, Md./Archbishop Curley) to jump to an early lead as the Hounds pulled away from visiting Bentley for a convincing 40-7 home win on Friday night. The victory gives the program its first-ever Northeast-10 regular-season title as the Hounds assured themselves of at least a share of the championship with one game remaining

The Hounds have now won a program-record seven straight and are 8-1 overall. The win also assures that the Hounds will host the Northeast-10 Conference Championship Game on Saturday, November 14th at Noon at the Multi-Sport Stadium.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

- Senior James Ward (New Haven, Conn./Williston Northampton) led the ground game with a 68-yard effort, while junior Alex Shain (Sanford, Maine/Sanford) added 39 yards and a touchdown. Senior Kevin Ihlefeld (Norfolk, Mass./Xaverian) also found the end zone from three yards out for a late touchdown to account for the 40-7 final.

- Sophomore receiver Ashton Grant (Manchester, Conn./Manchester) led the Hounds with six receptions for 58 yards, including a long of 21 yards.

- Quarterback Brendan Tobey (Lynn, Mass./Malden Catholic) completed 16-of-27 passes for 183 yards.

- Defensively, sophomore Levi Fancher (Beacon Falls, Conn./Woodland Regional) and freshman Goran Krasic (Maywood, N.J./Hackensack) led the Hounds with seven tackles each, including two tackles for loss by Fancher.

- Assumption is receiving votes in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II National Poll for the second straight week and ranked No. 23 in the D2Football.com National Poll.

- The 8-1 start for the Hounds is the best start ever for the Assumption football program. In addition, the eight wins tie the program's all-time record for victories in a season and sets the single-season win mark in the varsity era.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

- Sophomore standout Cole Tracy (Camarillo, Calif.) posted field goals from 36 and 28 yards out in the first quarter to help Assumption jump out to a 13-0 lead after one quarter. Sandwiched between the Tracy field goals was an 89-yard punt return for touchdown by Harris.

- Assumption picked up a pair of safeties in the second quarter, marking the second straight game that the Hounds have scored a pair of safeties in the same quarter of action.

- Harris added his second punt return TD of the game from 48 yards out midway thru the second to extend the lead out to 24-0.

- After a Bentley touchdown cut into the lead, the Hounds added another Tracy field goal to go with a four-yard rushing TD from Shain and the three-yard score from Ihlefeld. For Shain, that marked his league-best 13th rushing touchdown of the season.

UP NEXT:

- Assumption is back in action on Saturday, November 7th as the Hounds host Stonehill College for a 1 p.m. Senior Day start at the Multi-Sport Stadium. Following the game, the Hounds will honor this year's senior class following the conclusion of the game.

STAY CONNECTED:

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