ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy sprint football team (7-0) posted a second-half shutouts, while erupting for 35 points in the final two quarters as the Midshipmen posted a 56-14 victory over Caldwell (4-4) on Friday night at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
 
Prior to the game, the Midshipmen recognized its 16 senior players – Julian Armstrong, Jensen Boyt, Elijah Brown, Seamas Carrasco, Owen Erker, Brandon Fletchall, Aaron Harris, Kerry Johnson, Peter McKissack, Tyler Meisenzahl, Jake Rodriguez, Bobby Rudzki, John Sheddy, Grant Sterchi, Manny Walt, and Jake Wolinski – for Senior Day.
 
Additionally, student support staff members – Richard Brown, Jacob Cahill, Adam Schweitzer, and Tyler Turner – were also recognized.
 
"Tonight was a good night," head coach Major Carter Reading, USMC said. "We were able to send our seniors out the right way in their final game in Navy-Marine Corps. It wasn't always perfect tonight, but we were able to put it together when it mattered. Our second-half defense played really well and our offense started clicking. We are going to celebrate this one tonight, but then we are turning our attention to Army. Go Navy!"
 
Trailing 14-7, the Mids responded with 49 straight points to earn the 42-point victory, holding the Cougar offense scoreless over the final 40 minutes of the contest.
 
Navy finished the game with 4.0 tackles for loss, including three sacks, recovering three fumbles while picking off a pair of passes – returning one for a touchdown. Seamas Carrasco and Mick Tabor led the team with seven tackles apiece. Tabor led the team with 2.5 TFLs with 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and a pair of quarter back hurries. Carrasco added a fumble recover and a pass break up. Sean Bettwy had five tackles and a 68-yard interception return for a touchdown. Owen Erker recovered a fumble and picked off a Caldwell pass, while Bobby Rudzki finished with a sack and a fumble recovery.
 
Offensively, Hunter Gennicks rushed for 131 yards on 25 carries with three touchdowns. He was joined in the end zone by Wyatt Keyt, Luke O'Connell, and Simmarion Threet. Threet finished with 60 yards while Keyt added 53 and O'Connell added an additional 37.
 
O'Connell went 7-for-10 passing for 56 yards, while Ryan Sypult was 2-for-2 for 11 yards in relief. Gennicks, Jake Berger, and Biamungu Nkere finished with two receptions apiece. Gennicks led the team with 22 yards with Berger following with 19 and Nkere adding 14.
 
Jacori Sutton and Aaron Harris handled the kicking duties for the Mids on the night. Sutton finished a perfect 8-for-8 in extra points, while Harris booted four punts for 180 yards (45.0 avg.) with a long of 59 and three inside the 20.
 
Navy started with the ball on the Caldwell 19 yardline as Erker recorded an interception on the first play from scrimmage, returning it 21 yards. The Midshipmen needed just three plays for Gennicks to find his way into the end zone from two yards out. The play was set up by a 12-yard pass from O'Connell to Nkere to put the Mids on the doorstep.
 
Caldwell countered with a touchdown. The visitors worked their way down the field, driving 80 yards for the score on nine plays, spanning three minutes. The Cougars capped the drive with a 23-yard td pass from Cael Zebrowski to Darius Harrison to lock the game at seven.
 
The road team took the lead with a 10-play drive that resulted in a Zebrowski touchdown pass to Josh Smith to put Caldwell in front, 14-7, with just over 10 minutes to play in the second period.
 
The Blue and Gold were able to tie the game up in the second quarter. Tabor forced f fumble that Estes recovered at the Caldwell four yardline. Three plays later, O'Connell scampered around the right side and dove for the pylon to lock the game at 14.
 
Navy thwarted the ensuing Caldwell drive as Christian Conley forced another fumble that was recovered by Erker. The Midshipmen were forced to punt, but Harris penned the Cougars inside the six yardline. Caldwell moved ahead 20 yards, but on fourth and five, the Cougars lined up to punt. The snap was over the punter's head and Carrasco recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown to go ahead, 21-14, just before halftime.
 
On the opening drive of the second half, the Midshipmen marched down the field 65 yards with Gennicks breaking off a 33-yard jaunt into the end zone for his second score of the night.
 
The Mids increased their advantage later in the third as Gennicks once again found his way into the checkerboard end zone with 6:53 remaining in the quarter, plunging two-yards to cap a six-play drive that spanned 36 yards Navy benefited from a short field as Caldwell went for it on fourth and one and were stopped as Tabor and Gabriel Arriola combined for a sack to give the Midshipmen the ball.
 
A little under a minute and a half later, Bettwy picked off a Caldwell and returned it 68 yards into the end zone to put Navy in front 42-14.
 
The Midshipmen closed out the third quarter with a 60-yard drive that lasted six plays. Keyt closed the drive with a 20-yard rush into the end zone for the score.
 
The home team added one final score in the fourth quarter as Threet capped a seven-play, 58-yard drive with a seven-yard rush for a score. The defense stood tall, recording a stop of fourth down in the final minutes and pushing the Caldwell out of bounds as time expired to prevent any possible scoring opportunity by the Cougars in the final quarter.
 
Up next, Navy concludes the season in West Point as the Midshipmen take on Army in the annual Star Game, which is part of the overall Army-Navy Star Series, presented by USAA. The game is set for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15 at Shea Stadium.