The Anna Maria College Amcats and Husson Eagles combined for 1,060 yards of total offense on Saturday afternoon in their non-conference Division III football matchup at the Winkin Complex in Bangor, with Husson stopping a two-point conversion late to hold on for a 50-49 homecoming victory.
The final numbers from the game were staggering, but in what was a back and forth contest the entire afternoon it was Husson that got some separation with a 14-point lead in the third quarter. A 61-yard touchdown connection between quarterback Nic Visser and wideout Ja’Quan Myles, and a 1-yard scoring run by Elijah Garnett made it 36-22 Eagles with 8:30 to go in the period. Anna Maria College (2-2) would tie it up though on a 50-yard TD pass from Ryan Russell to Mark Johnson-Morgan, and a 14-yard run into the endzone by Jamal Cariglia with just 34 seconds left in the quarter. Garnett gave his team the lead again early in the fourth on a 20-yard run, before the Amcats answered back 3:39 later on a 23-yard scoring pass from Russell to DeAndre Wallace. Garnett did it again with just 2:33 to play, scoring on a 10-yard run for a 50-43 advantage. Anna Maria answered just as they had the entire game, getting a sixth touchdown pass from Russell to Wallace for 44 yards with just 52 seconds remaining. The Amcats chose to try for the two-point conversion and the possible win, but the attempted pass by Russell fell incomplete. The ensuing onside kickoff was recovered by Husson, who then was able to kneel down in victory formation.
Visser went 21-25 passing for 239 yards with one touchdown and one interception, also adding in a rushing score in the win for 3-1 Husson. Garnett rushed for 159 yards on 29 carries with four touchdowns. Cullen Casey had nine receptions for 98 yards, and Myles caught four passes for 91 yards and a touchdown. Casey also recovered the onside kick late to seal the victory. Tucker Buzzell had 14 total tackles, one tackle for loss, and a half sack to lead the defense. Russell would go 30-40 passing for an astounding 539 yards and six touchdowns in the loss for Anna Maria College. Cariglia had 93 yards rushing and a touchdown. Wallace and Johnson-Morgan had huge games to lead the receiving core of the Amcats. Wallace had nine receptions for 205 yards and three touchdowns, while Johnson-Morgan reeled in eight catches for 128 yards and a score. Husson will have one more non-conference game before opening conference play, as they will host Dean College under the lights at the Winkin Complex next Friday at 6 p.m.
Recap by Chris Lessner
