Box Score THE BASICS
-Score: Assumption College 28, American International College 14
-Records: Assumption (5-2, NE10 4-1), American International (2-4, NE10 1-3)
-Location: Springfield, Mass. (Abdow Field)
-The Lead: The Assumption College football team edged the Yellow Jackets of American International College in Northeast-10 Conference action, 28-14, on Saturday afternoon. The Hounds improve to 5-2 in the conference while the Yellow Jackets slip to 1-3.
HOW IT HAPPENED
-Assumption got on the board in their first drive of the game, gaining 99 yards in 17 plays over 7:54 of play. Senior Doug Santos (Peabody, Mass. / Peabody Veterans Memorial) rushed for a total of 22 yards in the drive to bring the Hounds to the AIC 30-yard line. First year quarterback, Jordan McAfee (Peabody, Mass. / Everett) rushed for a combined 35 yards including a 13-yard carry to the AIC 26-yard line. Senior Khaleed Exum-Strong (Norwichtown, Conn. / Norwich Free Academy / Trinity Pawling) added five carries for 24 yards including a two-yard rush for the touchdown. Freshman kicker, Patrick May (Boylston, Mass. / Tahanto Regional) made the extra point to put Assumption up 7-0 in the first quarter.
-With just 1:25 remaining before the half McAfee connected with first year Brevin Easton (Odenton, Md. / Archbishop Spalding) for a 93-yard touchdown on the first play of the drive. The Hounds took a 14-0 lead heading into the halftime break.
-The Yellow Jackets came alive in the third quarter with a 10-yard rushing touchdown by sophomore quarterback, Jayson Demild. Demild completed four passes for a gain of 48 yards in the drive. AIC went for the two-point conversion and Demild found his teammate, Kyle Boyer-Tucker in the endzone to bring the score to 14-8.
-Assumption responded with their very next possession as McAfee carried the ball 10 yards into the endzone to complete the six-play, 52-yard drive, and extend their lead to 21-8 heading into the final quarter.
-AIC used an early touchdown in the fourth on a three-yard rush by red-shirt junior Sama Davila to pull within seven. The Hounds, again, responded on their very next possession, with a 10-yard rush by Exum-Strong to take the final 28-14 victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
-The Hounds finished with 381 yards of offense with 146 yards coming in the air and 235 rushing yards. AIC gained a total of 299 yards of offense with 174 passing and 125 rushing in the setback.
-McAfee finished 6-for-13 in passing attempts with 146 passing yards, 52 rushing yards, and two touchdowns. Santos led the rushing game for Assumption with 91 yards in 18 attempts while Exum-Strong finished with 56 yards on 12 attempts and two touchdowns.
-Easton made two catches for a gain of 106 yards and one touchdown for the Hounds. May went 4-for-4 in extra point attempts and senior Seamus Wallace (Pawcatuck, Conn. / Stonington) punted five times for a total of 208 yards, pinned three within the AIC 20-yard line, and one touchback.
-Demild was 12-for-33 in passing attempts for AIC, gained 174 yards passing, eight yards rushing, and scored one touchdown. Red-shirt sophomore Chase Speller led their rushing game with 21 carries for 113 yards. Davila made five catches for 76 yards, rushing twice for a gain of four yards, and scored one touchdown for the Yellow Jackets.
-Junior Antoine Williams (Springfield, Mass. / Springfield Central) led the Assumption defense with nine total tackles and one sack for a loss of three yards. Graduate student Elijah Riley (Hartford, Conn. / Northwest Catholic) also led the defense with eight tackles including 1.5 sacks for a loss of 18 yards. The Hounds finished with 62 total tackles, five sacks for a loss of 39 yards, and six tackles for a loss of 41 total yards.
-Junior Jaysen Thompsen led the AIC defense with 10 total tackles. His classmate, Isiah Tolbert added eight tackles including 1.5 sacks for a loss of six yards.
UP NEXT
-The Hounds are back at home next weekend when they host Stonehill College for Homecoming Weekend on October 26th at 1:00 p.m.
