FOOTBALL OFF TO BEST START SINCE 1980 WITH 21-18 WIN OVER BENTLEY
PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS BY RICHARD ORR SPORTS
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (September 16, 2006) - Marlon
Beckles (Brooklyn, N.Y.) carried the ball 20 times for 179
yards and ripped off a 82-yard touchdown moments into the second
half as American International College improved to 3-0 for the
first time since 1980 with a 21-18 Northeast-10 football victory
over Bentley College Saturday afternoon at John Homer Miller
Field. The Yellow Jackets are 3-0 overall and in the league,
while the Falcons are 1-2 overall and 0-2 in NE-10 play.
Beckles, who now has 3,224 career rushing yards, moved into second place on the school's all-time rushing list, passing Rashid Thomas, who had 3,093 yards over his career. The win over Bentley is the Yellow Jackets' first since the 2000 season.
AIC received to open the second half and it took Beckles just two plays to run 82 yards for paydirt. He found a hole in the middle of the Bentley defense and cut to the left, outracing a pair of Falcon defenders to reach the end zone. Justin Sokoloff's (Cherry Hill, N.J.) extra point made it 21-7.
Bentley would respond with a 13-play, 60-yard drive that resulted in a 32-yard field goal by Tyler McNamara (Medway, Mass.) at the 7:15 mark to make it 21-10. After the two teams traded three-and-outs, AIC would drive to the Bentley 36, but a Jared Corbin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) pass was intercepted in the end zone by Sean Smith (Andover, Mass.), his third interception of the day.
Starting their next drive at the start of the fourth quarter, the Falcons would march 73 yards to the AIC 3-yard line, 63 of those yards coming on a pass completion from John White (Kingston, Mass.) to Todd Norley (Sudbury, Mass.). Bentley would rush on 2nd-and-goal from the AIC 3 and Luis Cotto (Waltham, Mass.) was pushed back two yards by Terrence Holley (Bronx, N.Y.). On third down, White's pass into the end zone would be picked off by Holley, who had a substantial return negated by a personal foul penalty.
Bentley would score its final touchdown with 14 seconds left when a 13 yard pass from White to Norley capped a eight play, 66 yard drive. White would find Mike Griggs (Hudson, N.H.) for the two-point conversion to make it 21-18. McNamara would attempt an onsides kick but it was covered up by Charles Revis (Brooklyn, N.Y.).
AIC opened the scoring with 4:19 left in the first quarter when Corbin would keep it and run 12 yards to make it 7-0. White tied the game with 4:11 left in the second quarter when his one-yard run capped a six play, 53 yard drive. The Yellow Jackets would make it 14-7 41 seconds before the break when Kertis Hussey (Paterson, N.J.) made a diving catch of a Corbin pass in the left corner of the end zone.
Corbin was 9-25 through the air for 101 yards but was intercepted three times. Hussey had four grabs for 66 yards. White threw for 339 yards on 24-47 passing, but was sacked five times. Griggs caught eight balls, while Norley and Kevin Doherty (Kingston, Mass.) had six catches apiece.
The AIC defense, which limited Bentley to one
yard rushing, was led by Jason Dominique
(Roselle, N.J.), who had 11 total tackles and four
sacks. Brian Kelly (Springfield, Mass.) had
10 stops, while Holley and Brian Destephano
(Brooklyn, N.Y.) were each in on two sacks. Carlos
Cataquet (Brockton, Mass.) had nine tackles and recovered
a Bentley fumble. Smith led the Falcons with 11 tackles,
while his three interceptions tied a Bentley record.
AIC returns to action Friday, September 22, when it travels to Southern Connecticut State University for a 7:00 game at Jess Dow Field. The Yellow Jackets do not return home until Saturday, October 21, when they host Pace for Homecoming.
Kertis Hussey makes a 28-yard
touchdown reception in the second quarter of Saturday's win (photo
by Richard
Orr)