Bentley Hosts AIC on Senior Day with Eyes on Northeast-10 Championship
WALTHAM, Mass. – The Bentley University Falcons will be looking to close out the 2019 football season with a five-game winning streak, and potentially a Northeast-10 Conference championship, when they host American International College Saturday at noon on Senior Day. For those who can't make it to campus for the game, fans can view on the NE10 NOW digital network (www.NE10NOW.tv or your smart TV).
Bentley, which will be attempting to even the score with AIC following a 28-23 week two loss to the Yellow Jackets, enters the game in a four-way tie for first in the conference. A win over the Yellow Jackets, coupled by either a New Haven win over Stonehill or an Assumption loss to Saint Anselm, would secure the championship for coach Bill Kavanaugh's squad.
After setting a school record for points and a conference record for rushing touchdowns (10) in last week's 70-0 road win at Franklin Pierce, Bentley owns records of 5-4 overall and 5-2 NE10. The Falcons have averaged 42.3 points during the win streak and will be looking to string together five straight victories for the first time since 2012.
AIC is 4-5 overall and 3-4 NE10 following a 39-19 win over Saint Anselm on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets finished their home schedule at 4-2 but have fallen to New Haven, Stonehill and Pace in their three road contests.
After the game, Bentley will recognize the team's 26 seniors. It's a talented group that includes NCAA Division II receptions leader Drew Mahoney (West Suffield, Conn./Suffield Academy), three-time All-Northeast-10 defensive back Pete Thorbahn (Norwell/Xaverian Brothers HS) and one of the top scorers in Bentley history, kicker Grant Buchanan (Holliston/Holliston HS).
On offense, the Class of 2020 includes Mahoney, receiver Ryan McCarthy (Holden/Wachusett Reg. HS), running backs Jordan Artope (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson HS) and Austin Triglia (Ramsey, N.J./Saint Joseph Reg. HS), offensive linemen Matt Boyle (Duxbury/Duxbury HS), Kevin Doran (Cranford, N.J./Cranford HS) and Hudson Ressler (Cary, N.C./Green Hope HS), quarterback Will Hogan (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset HS), and a trio of tight ends: Connor Skinner (Leominster/Leominster HS), Gahrey Ovalle (Central Islip, N.Y./St. Anthony's HS) and Joe Shaughnessy (Belmont/Belmont HS).
On defense, the senior class consists of Thorbahn, defensive linemen Frank Damata (Framingham/Marian HS), Ethan Stewart (Langdon, N.H./New Hampton School) and Matt Yanes (Stewartsville, N.J./Phillipsburg HS), defensive backs Quintin-John McDermott (Franklin/Milton Academy), Derek Perkins (Milton/Milton HS), Will Sheriffs (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast HS) and Tom Sullivan (Burlington/Malden Catholic HS), and linebackers Tom Healy (Clifton, Va./Centreville HS), Travis McGee (Lecanto, Fla./Lecanto HS), Kyle O'Donnell (Seaford, N.Y./St. Anthony's HS), Eddie O'Hara (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk HS), Nnamdi Okaka (Shrewsbury/Shrewsbury HS) and Karl Schmidt (Woodridge, Ill./Benet Academy).
During the first meeting this season, Bentley controlled the ball for most than 36 minutes but AIC scored in every quarter to earn its first win over the Falcons since 2014. Quarterback Jayson Demild led the Yellow Jackets by running for two touchdowns and passing for another. For Bentley, junior QB Stephen Sturm (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley HS) completed 27 of 39 for 231 yards, Mahoney caught 13 balls for 90 yards and junior running back Andrew Brazicki (Franklin Park, N.J./St. Thomas Aquinas HS) gained 87 on the ground.
In last week's domination of Franklin Pierce, Bentley rushed for 474 yards and topped 500 yards in total offense for the second straight week, finishing with 577. Brazicki led the way with 172 yards and three scores and five other Falcons also rushed for touchdowns.
Sturm, 26 shy of 2,000 passing yards for the season, leads the Northeast-10 in that category, as well as completions, and has 13 touchdown passes and a .618 completion percentage. Mahoney has been his primary target, with his average of 8.8 catches per game best in Division II. His 79 catches is tied for the third most in program history and his yardage total is 844.
Other threats include junior Austin Ryan (Foxborough/Foxborough HS), with 35 for 403, and sophomore Noah Neville (Boston/Newton North HS), with 22 for 369. Brazicki reclaimed the team lead in rushing with 518 and Artope follows with 473 yards and eight TDs.
Saturday will mark the 41st career game for Thorbahn, a three-time All-Northeast-10 honoree who has never missed a game during his four seasons in a Falcon uniform. He has 243 career tackles with his 54 this season second to junior linebacker Marc Doran (Ramsey, N.J./St. Joseph Regional HS), who has 65.
Sophomore defensive lineman Cedric Dashiell II (Buena Park, Calif./Buena Park HS) has is tied for third in the NE10 in tackles for losses (11) and second in sacks with 7.5, including 4.5 in the last four games.
Buchanan, Bentley's leading scorer with 62 points, has scored 216 during his career, one shy of Tyler McNamara's school record for points by a kicker and eight away from tying Jeff Hill for fourth most in program history.
AIC's defense is powered by junior defensive end Isiah Tolbert, who has 18 tackles for losses, seven sacks, two forced fumbles, a recovery and one of the team's conference-high 14 interceptions.
Demild, a red-shirt sophomore, directs the offense with AIC with 1,259 passing yards and 185 rushing. The Yellow Jackets have two running backs who have over 500 yards, including Chase Speller whose 714 yards are fifth in the conference. Samad Davis follows with 516, along with eight TD, and is averaging 6.3 yards per carry.