Morrisville, NY (9/25/10) – Junior
quarterback Tom
Fischer (Livingston, NJ / Livingston)
completed 20-of-26 passes for 199 yards and three first-half
touchdowns as 19th-ranked Montclair State rolled to its 11th
straight NJAC victory with a 42-6 triumph over Morrisville State at
Drake Field on Saturday afternoon.
Junior wide receiver Byron
Lewin (Carteret, NJ / Carteret) pulled in nine
receptions for 86 yards and a score as the Red Hawks are now 3-0
overall, 2-0 in the NJAC with the win. It is the 18th time in
program history that MSU had opened the season with three
victories.
The Red Hawks jumped out quickly in the game as a fumbled snap on
a punt gave Montclair great field position at the Morrisville 19.
After a pair runs, Fischer found his brother Vin for a 17-yard
strike and a 7-0 MSU 2:33 into the game.
Midway through the quarter the lead was extended thanks in part to
a seven-play, 74-yard drive that consumed 4:29 on the clock. A pass
interference penalty by Morrisville kept the drive going and the
Red hawks would take full advantage as Fischer and Lewin connected
from 35-yards out as Montclair State led 14-0.
A fumble by the Red Hawks would help set up the Morrisville score
as the Mustangs closed to 14-6 with 26 seconds to play in the
first. But Montclair would answer right back on its next possession
marching 58 yards in eight plays. Fischer kept the drive alive with
a third-down completion to Dan
Keegan (Fairfield, NJ / West Essex) and the possession
ended in the end zone as Chris
D'Andrea (Union, NJ / Union) scampered the final
11 yards for his third touchdown of the year Montclair State led
21-6.
The MSU defense, which allowed just 104 yards of offense in the
game, set up the final touchdown of the half for the Red Hawks.
Defensive back Chad
Faulcon (Cranford, NJ / Cranford) intercepted a pass
and returned it two yards to the MSU 48. Following an incompletion,
Fischer hooked up with Joe LaSala (Clark, NJ /
Colonia) on back-to-back plays, the final one a 37-yard
score as Montclair State took a 28-6 lead into the locker room.
Freshmen running backs A.J.
Scoppa (New Milford, NJ / New Milford) and Domenick
Coiro (Totowa, NJ / Passaic Valley) accounted for the
final two MSU touchdowns in the second half on the ground. Scoppa
ran for all 43 of his yards on a drive that finished with a
two-yard touchdown. Coiro, getting his first career carries, ran in
from two yards out to end an 80-yard possession with 4:17 to go in
the contest.
D'Andrea finished with 61 yards on 23 carries for MSU, which
churned out 143 yards on the ground and 398 yards of offense
overall. LaSala (55 yards) and Bobby
Roesing (Secaucus, NJ / Secaucus) each had three
receptions.
Defensively freshman linebacker Dan
Avento (Montvale, NJ / Pascack Hills) led the way with
seven tackles while Faulcon added five, all solo stops, in addition
to three pass breakups and his interceptions.
The Red Hawks are back in action next Friday evening, October 1 as
they head to Union, NJ to face Kean University in a 7:00 pm matchup
at Alumni Stadium. It is the first meeting between the teams since
MSU's 14-6 win over the Cougars in last year's NJAC
Championship Game at Sprague Field.