WEST HAVEN, Conn. — New Haven football (1-0) edged Marist (0-1) in a nail-biting 22-21 victory on Friday at Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium. The Chargers secured the win with a strong defensive performance, allowing only 160 total yards and sacking the Marist quarterback twice.
The game commenced with New Haven deferring the kickoff, allowing Marist to start on offense. The Blue & Gold's defense quickly halted Marist's initial drive, forcing a punt after a series of incomplete passes. On their first offensive possession, New Haven advanced effectively down the field, with key contributions from
AJ Duffy (St. Augustine, Fla./Rancho Verde) and
Zaon Laney (Hoboken, N.J./Rahway). This drive culminated in a successful 38-yard field goal by
Liam Quigley (Berkeley Heights, N.J./Govenor Livingston), giving them an early lead.
Marist responded late in the period with a touchdown drive capped by a 5-yard run from Sonny Mannino, followed by a successful extra point, putting them ahead. As the first period concluded, New Haven trailed Marist 7-3.
New Haven's second quarter was marked by a pivotal interception return for a touchdown by Marist's Jordan Caldwell at 13:46, extending Marist's lead. Duffy responded by guiding the Chargers on a 59-yard drive, culminating in a 39-yard touchdown pass to
Issac Glaudin (Queens, N.Y./Holy Cross High) at 3:58. Quigley's successful extra point brought the score to 14-10 in favor of Marist. Glaudin's performance was impressive, recording a season-high of seven receptions.
New Haven's defense limited Marist's offensive progress, forcing them into multiple negative plays and preventing further scoring.
The Blue & Gold faced a challenging start to the third quarter, as a blocked punt by Dylan Gilmore was recovered by Zach Garmont, leading to a Marist touchdown at 14:11. Despite this setback, New Haven responded with a strong offensive drive, highlighted by a 50-yard pass from Duffy to Thomas Troy, setting up a successful 35-yard field goal by Quigley, closing the gap to 21-13 at 10:57.
Later, New Haven's offense ignited once more when Duffy connected with
Nate Burleson II (Franklin Lakes, N.J./Ramapo) for a 46-yard touchdown pass at 1:32, narrowing Marist's lead to 21-19. Despite the missed extra point attempt, the Blue & Gold's defense held firm, with
Irv Briggs (Queens Village, N.Y./Holy Trinity) sacking Marist's Sonny Mannino for an 8-yard loss as time expired. This marked Burleson's first time reaching 78 receiving yards and recording a season-high one receiving touchdown.
As the fourth quarter began, New Haven demonstrated resilience with Duffy completing a critical 11-yard pass to Dom Grguric, securing a first down from their own 32-yard line. This was a breakout performance for Grguric, achieving five receptions for the first time this season. Despite facing a determined Marist defense, Duffy later connected with Burleson for a 32-yard gain, advancing to Marist's 25-yard line, although the drive concluded with a missed 41-yard field goal attempt by Quigley.
The Blue & Gold continued to pressure Marist with a series of successful plays, highlighted by Duffy's precise 27-yard pass to Glaudin. The drive culminated in Quigley converting a pivotal 19-yard field goal, putting New Haven ahead 22-21 with 4:07 remaining. Marist's subsequent efforts were thwarted, including a crucial sack by
Israel Bey (Manville, N.J./St. Thomas Aquinas), leading to a turnover on downs. The Chargers maintained possession and ran out the clock, securing the victory with a final score of 22-21.
Duffy led New Haven with a season-high 311 passing yards and two touchdown passes on 22-of-37 attempts, marking his first occurrence of two touchdown passes this season. Additionally, Duffy gained 35 rushing yards, marking the first occurrence of rushing yards this season. He also achieved a career milestone by surpassing 2500 passing yards, totaling 2710. Burleson contributed significantly with two receptions totaling 78 yards, including one touchdown. Glaudin was the top receiver, collecting seven catches for 99 yards and a touchdown. On defense,
Frederick Borkey (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Thomas More) stood out with seven total tackles.
Up Next, New Haven will host Stonehill College on Saturday, Sept. 5, at Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium in West Haven, Connecticut.
