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Kings Point, NY - The United States Merchant Marine Academy football team fell to Liberty League opponent Rochester, 52-21. Rochester’s defense was able to force six turnovers that they converted into 24 points. Sophomore Michael Mitchell led the Mariners receiving core as junior Karl Heimbrock led the ground attack.

 

USMMA falls to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the Liberty League while the Yellowjackets improve to 2-4 overall and 2-2 in the Liberty League. 

 

Quarterback Derrick Ventre (16-27) was good for 198 yards and two touchdowns on the afternoon. Heimbrock finished with 71 rushing yards and one touchdown to lead the ground attack. He also grabbed six passes for 46 yards. Mitchell led the receiving core with six catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns. Mitchell also added 114 kick-off return yards. Junior Marcus Broeder finished with 11.5 tackles with one being for a loss to lead the defense while senior Calder Kaatz added eight tackles. Barry Preusch added 7.5 tackles. 

 

Clarence Onyiriuka led Rochester with 135 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Braezen Subick finished the game with 289 yards and two touchdowns. Mike Coolbaugh led all receivers with 11 catches for 169 yards. Brendan Pidgeon led the defense for Rochester with 7.5 tackles and a 32-yard interception returned for a touchdown while Trenten Tully added 6.5 tackles and two sacks. The Yellowjackets defense finished the game with six sacks, six forced fumbles and three interceptions.

 

In the first quarter, the Mariners took a 7-0 with 6:29 left. Heimbrock capped a 10 play, 73 yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to take their only lead of the game. With 1:37 left in the quarter, Rochester answered the Mariners touchdown as Onyiriuka put the Yellowjackets on the board with a 10-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7-7.

 

At the end of the first quarter, Rochester was able to recover a Mariners fumble in which they converted into a 39-yard field goal by Zach White to start the second quarter, 10-7. After a Mariners punt, Rochester took only seven plays to travel 73-yards for a touchdown. Adam Barrett caught a 33-yard touchdown pass from Subick to go up 17-7. The Mariners would answer right back as they went 68 yards on six played for a touchdown with nine seconds left in the half. Ventre connected with Mitchell on a 9-yard pass play to head into halftime down 17-14.

 

Rochester scored the only touchdown in the third quarter when Onyiriuka rushed for 17-yard touchdown to give the Yellowjackets a 24-14 lead with one quarter left to play.

 

The Yellowjackets started the scoring in the fourth quarter when Onyiriuka rushed for his third touchdown of the game with a two yard run, 31-14. USMMA would punt on their next possession but the Yellowjackets return man fumbled the ball and Heimbrock recovered to give the Mariners the ball back on the Rochester 22 yard line. The very nice play, Ventre threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Mitchell to make the score, 31-21. Rochester was able to respond to the Mariners touchdown with another of its own. Subick threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Corey Brizzee that put the Yellowjackets up, 38-21. Rochester was able to get two more touchdowns before the game ended off of two Mariner turnovers. Pidgeon returned an interception for a touchdown and Nick Fillion was able to recover a Mariners fumble in the endzone for the final score of the game and give the Yellowjackets a 52-21 lead that they would not lose.

 

The Mariners will return to action on Saturday, October 24th when they travel to Hobart.  Game time is slated for 12:00 pm in Geneva, NY. Last time the two teams met, the Statesmen won, 24-0. Hobart leads the series 5-4.