SPARKILL, N.Y. – Opening the season with two wins in three games, the Mansfield University sprint football team are set for two straight Collegiate Sprint Football League (CSFL) North games, starting Friday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. on the road at Saint Thomas Aquinas College.

The Mounties (2-1, 1-0 CSFL North) are fresh off a 31-14 victory over Chestnut Hill College last Friday.

The Mounties avenged a 55-28 loss to University of Pennsylvania in their previous contest. The Mounties opened the season with a convincing, 48-3 win over Cornell University, before splitting with Penn and Chestnut Hill. However, Chestnut Hill and Penn reside in the CSFL South, making the Mounties 1-0 in the North and in a first-place tie with Caldwell University.

QUICK HITS
The 2021 Mounties have opened the season full steam ahead, featuring an offense averaging 35.7 points per game and 402.3 yards per game, both ranking second in the CSFL. The Mounties have also totaled the second-most red zone scores (nine) and first downs (48), while their 1207 yards are the most by any team through three weeks.

Freshman quarterback Cahsid Raymond has been the most exciting player in the conference and has been rewarded with three straight CSFL Rookie of the Week Honors, while bringing home two out of the three Offensive Player of the Weeks.

Raymond is on pace to break all of the program records for rushing and passing in a season, while even flirting with some career records through just his first year. Raymond has a touchdown of over 50 yards in every game and has thrown and rushed for over 100 yards in each contest. Through the first three games of his career, Raymond has an unprecedented 574 yards passing, 464 yards rushing and 11 total touchdowns.

Raymond ranks first in the CSFL in rushing yards per game (158.0), rushing touchdowns (five) and total touchdowns (11), fourth in passing yards (192.3) and second in passing touchdowns (six).

Freshman Bryan Bogaczyk is second on the team in rushing with 91 yards on 34 carries, adding a touchdown. Bogaczyk also has four receptions, totaling 54 yards and a touchdown. Freshman Dominic Cherry had a breakthrough game last week, rushing six times for 47 yards at a 7.8 yard per carry clip.

Freshman Isaiah Grundon (eight receptions, 160 yards) and LaTrenton Randle (six receptions, 153 yards) are leading the team in receiving, while Eugene Haynes is having a break out senior season, carrying seven receptions for 90 yards and two scores into Friday.

The defense has wreaked havoc through three games and is has been creating turnovers at a record pace. The Mounties have eight interceptions which is double the next highest team, while their four fumble recoveries rank second.

Five different players have picked off a pass, while freshman Nakiem Scott (three) and senior Kayin Berger (two) both have multiple INTs. Berger notched both his interceptions against Chestnut Hill, earning him CSFL Weekly Honor Roll.

Freshman Nick Zeigler has come onto the scene in the Mountaineer secondary during his rookie campaign, recording his first interception against Chestnut Hill, while leading the team with five pass breakups.

Junior linebacker Matt Robert is leading the team with 23 tackled with freshman Gage Aumick behind him at 22 (18 solo, 1st). The defensive line has been able to control the line of scrimmage and are led by junior Brenden Sofo and sophomore Shaun Dishon, who combine for three forced fumbles and 8.5 tackles for loss to net 70 yards lost.

Senior defensive tackle Chase Moser returned last week after missing a game, finishing with four solo tackles, while blowing up the backfield consistently throughout the night.

MEET THE SPARTANS
Record: 1-2, 0-1 CSFL NORTH
Last Time Out: W, 37-0 vs. Alderson Broaddus University
Head Coach: Matt Barry
Years in the CSFL: 2018 (Third Season)
 
Saint Thomas Aquinas joined the CSFL in 2018 and after the hiatus season in 2020, enter their third season.

The Spartans are coming off a 37-0 victory over Alderson Broaddus after losing their first two games of the season to Navy and Caldwell University.

STAC quarterback Dennis Riordan finished the afternoon 11-of-15 for 183 yards and four touchdowns, with a long pass of 43 yards. Seven different players finished with a carry, led by Bo Maroney, who rushed eight times for 43 yards and a score.

The matchup pins the CSFL Offensive Player and Rookie of the Week (Raymond) against the Defensive Player of the Week, Spartans' Tyreke Smith. Smith led the Spartans' defensive unit to a shutout of Alderson Broaddus, finishing with a game-high 16 tackles (12 solo, four assisted), seven coming for a loss of a total of 46 yards, a forced fumble and 3.5 sacks.
 
The Spartans 278 yards per game give them a No. 6 ranking in the conference in total offense, while their 30.0 points allowed per game also rank sixth.
 
THE SERIES
The Mounties are 2-0 against STAC, defeating the Spartans 31-6 in Mansfield in 2019 after winning the inaugural meeting, 33-12 in New York.

The Mounties are outgaining the Spartans, 609-394 in the series, accounting for 309 yards on the ground to STACs 91 and 78 more yards through the air.

COVERAGE
Live stats will not be available, but the live stream video can be found under the sprint football schedule at gomounties.com.

ON THIS DATE
10/8/2011: Mounties Push Navy to Edge -- Midshipmen rally for 20 Fourth Quarter Points to Stave Off Upset

MANSFIELD – With less than six minutes to play, Mansfield was on the cusp of one of the greatest upsets in CSFL history holding a 19-17 lead over undefeated Navy.

But the Midshipmen, who rallied for 20 fourth quarter points, scored a 3-yard touchdown run by Marty Meehan with 5:20 to go to take a 23-19 lead and Samuel Gedeon intercepted a Mike Maniscalco pass and returned it for a 40-yard touchdown to rally Navy to a 30-19 CSFL win over Mansfield before more than 3,400 sun-drenched Homecoming fans.

"Mansfield played a heck of a ball game," said Navy head coach Major Mitch Maury. "They gave us all we could handle and they have lot to be proud about."

NEXT UP
Sprint football returns to the Mountain on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 16 when CSFL North foe Army comes to town for a 1 p.m. kickoff.