Oct. 4, 2003

Final Stats

FAIRFIELD, CT - Senior tailback Jason Bonadies (Southbridge, MA) ran for a career-high 139 yards and three touchdowns, while freshman QB Robert Ammel threw two TD passes in his first career start to lead Sacred Heart University to a 56-28 win over Marist College in a non-conference football game on Homecoming Weekend. The 56 points was a school record, eclipsing the 55 scored against Assumption College at the start of the 2000 campaign.

Marist, 3-2, got on the board first with 8:33 left in the first quarter when defensive lineman Willie Mosa picked off an attempted screen pass by Ammel and rumbled 63 yards for a touchdown.

Sacred Heart, 4-1, responded with a 22 unanswered points. After a bad snap on a Marist punt attempt, the Pioneers got the ball at the Red Fox five. On the first play Bonadies took it in for the touchdown to tie the score.

On the first play after the ensuing kickoff, Marist QB James Luft was intercepted by Pete Athans. Ammel made the Red Foxes pay again by connecting with senior wide out Marlon Ward on the first play after the interception for a 57-yard scoring strike. The Pioneers faked the kick on the conversion attempt and kicker Greg Tonzola lofted a pass to Jason Healy in the endzone for two and a 15-7 lead with 3:00 to go in the first.

Midway through the second, SHU made it 22-7 when senior Mike Scott (Groton, CT) picked off a Luft pass and ran 33 yards for a touchdown. Marist would get a one-yard run from Luft with :22 left in the half to make it 22-14 at the intermission.

Sacred Heart put the game away in the third quarter thanks to a pair of TD runs by Bonadies from two and 19 yards. The Pioneers forced Luft to cough up the football midway through the quarter, and Ammel threw his second TD of the game - this one to senior Steve Clayton- on the first play after the miscue.

Sophomore Mike Penta got his first career touchdown on a three-yard run with 11:19 left in the game that gave the Pioneers a 49-14 lead. Marist answered with a 24 yard TD pass from backup QB Brian Kiraly to Prince Pempeh with 7:13 left.

The Red Foxes tried an onside kick after the score. The kick sailed in the air to SHU's Zack Kepner, who raced untouched 42 yards for a touchdown that ended the Pioneer scoring.