ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy sprint football team (1-0) travels to Hillburn, N.Y. to take on St. Thomas Aquinas (1-0) on Friday, Sept. 26, at 6:00 p.m. at the Torne Valley Sports Complex. The game will be live streamed on FloCollege and live stats will be available.
 
All-Time Series
The game between St. Thomas Aquinas and Navy will mark the fourth meeting between the two teams. The Midshipmen hold a 3-0 all-time record against the Spartans. Navy defeated STAC, 42-17, in the inaugural meeting in 2019 in Annapolis, before posting a 55-7 victory against the Spartans in Hillburn, N.Y. in 2021. In the last meeting, Navy claimed a 27-14 win against STAC on the road in 2023.
 
Scouting the Midshipmen
Navy enters the weekend 1-0 on the season after cruising to a 40-7 victory over Cornell last weekend. The Midshipmen offense scored six touchdowns in the first two quarters, while the defense forced five first-half turnovers. The Navy offense amassed 332 total yards, including 294 yards in the first half. The Mids finished the game with 231 yards through the air with 101 yards on the ground.
 
Starting quarterback Luke O'Connell finished the game 7-for-9 for 209 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing the ball once for 48 yards and a TD. J.P. Bobo completed four passes in relief for 24 yards, while Rhett Sypult had one completion in his first collegiate game.
 
Grant Sterchi made the most of his first collegiate game, hauling a pair of passes for 145 total yards and a pair of touchdowns. Sterchi had touchdown receptions of 66 and 79. Jake Berger also added a pair of receptions, finishing with 54 yards. Broderick Freeman added 19 yards on a reception with Ibi Denson notching a pair of grabs for nine yards.
 
O'Connell's 48 yards led the Midshipmen rushing attack. Hunter Gennicks followed with 45 yards on nine carries – all in the first half – with a pair of touchdown runs. Wyatt Keyt found the end zone on one of his two one-yard carries. Sypult finished with 11 yards, while Freeman added 10 yards.
 
Defensively, the Mids held the Big Red to 212 total yards on 158 yards passing and 54 yards on the ground and one touchdown. Navy limited Cornell to just 97 yards in the first half. The lone Big Red score came on a 96-yard touchdown drive that was assisted by a pair of pass interference calls against the Mids to extend the drive.
 
Navy finished the game with 11 tackles for loss, including a sack, while forcing two fumbles and recovering three loose balls. The Midshipmen intercepted three passes, while breaking up an additional two attempts. In addition, Navy blocked a Cornell punt.
 
Connor Miltenberger led the way with 11 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss, half a sack, and a forced fumble. Sam Stotler followed with eight stops, including a pair of TFLs with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Tucker Opdahl added seven tackles with an interception and a blocked punt. Jake Wolinski added six stops, including a pair of tackles for loss, while Nathan Keast and Jake Rodriguez followed with four tackles each. Owen Erker recorded a pair of interceptions, while Seamas Carrasco and Mick Tabor both recovered fumbles with Tabor returning it 45 yards to set up a Navy touchdown.
 
Scouting the Opponent
St. Thomas Aquinas College opened its 2025 season with a thrilling 14-13 victory over Molloy at the Torne Valley Sports Complex in Rockland County.
 
Eric Neal, Jr. led the Spartans' offense with four receptions totaling 45 yards and a score. His longest catch went for 17 yards. Tynez Harp and Aaron Cruz drove the maroon and gold ground game, with Harp running for 31 yards and Cruz rushing for 30 yards on six attempts with a touchdown. His largest run was for 13 yards. Harp completed 7 of 8 passes, for 64 yards, while throwing for a touchdown.
 
On the defensive side of the ball, Ethan Hence recorded 9 tackles (4 solo, 5 assist), while Brandon Jimenez made 8 stops (4 solo, 4 assist) and forced a fumble. STAC forced four Molloy fumbles and broke up six passes in the contest.
 
CSFL Players of the Week
The Collegiate Sprint Football League (CSFL) announced its weekly accolades and Navy student-athletes Luke O'Connell and Grant Sterchi were recognized for their efforts in the Mids' 40-7 victory over Cornell over the weekend. O'Connell was named Offensive Player of the Week, while Sterchi was tabbed Rookie of the Week.
 
O'Connell finished the game 7-for-9 for 209 yards passing with a pair of touchdown passes. Additionally, he added one rush for 48 yards and a touchdown, breaking out of a group of defenders to scamper past the defense into the end zone. O'Connell directed six total touchdown drives all in the first half – did not play in the second half, giving way to reserves J.P. Bobo and Rhett Sypult – leading the Navy offense to 294 yards in the first half.
 
Sterchi made his sprint football debut count as the first-year player caught two passes for 145 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He finished the game with touchdown receptions of 66 and 79 yards – all in the first half.
 
The Midshipmen started the game off strong as O'Connell hit Sterchi along the left side on third down and Sterchi took the pass 66 yards down the sideline for the Mids' first touchdown of the 2025 season. Following an interception by Tucker Opdahl at the 21-yardline, O'Connell quickly hit Sterchi for 79-yards on the first play for the rookie's second touchdown of the first quarter to make the score 20-0.
 
O'Connell called his own number on a fourth and one, rushing up the middle; breaking free of the pile of defenders; and sprinting into the end zone for a 48-yard TD rush.
 
Last Time vs. St. Thomas Aquinas (Sept. 16, 2023)
Navy trailed St. Thomas Aquinas, 6-3, early at the Torne Valley Sports Complex in Hillburn, N.Y., but three first-half touchdown passes by senior quarterback Brandon Atwood gave the Midshipmen a lead they would not relinquish as the Mids posted a 27-14 win to start the 2023 season.
 
Atwood finished the game with three touchdown passes to three separate receivers – Kai Sasaki, Tyron Francis Jr., and Andrew Margiotta. Placekicker Mychal Golden added a pair of field goals to go with his three PATs to finish with nine points in the game.
 
After surrendering an early first-quarter touchdown, the Midshipmen defense clamped down and did not allow the Spartans to score until the final minute and a half of the game. The Midshipmen defense recovered a muffed punt, while also recovering a fumble and intercepting a Spartan pass.
 
Up Next
Following the game with STAC, Navy will have a bye week prior to the home opener against Mansfield on Friday, Oct. 10 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The game will be live streamed on the Navy Athletics YouTube Channel and live stats will be available.