CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. – Quarterback
Luke O'Connell threw two touchdown passes and running back
Hunter Gennicks rushed for two scores to power Navy sprint football to a 41-14 victory over Chestnut Hill on Saturday afternoon at A.A. Garthwaite Stadium in Conshohocken, Pa.
Navy (2-1, 2-0) dominated the stat sheet, generating 489 yards of total offense – including 269 yards on the ground – while converting 8 of 12 third downs.
"We're almost on track," head coach
Major Carter Reading, USMC said after the game. "We've still got work to do. Not there yet. The guys fought hard. Chestnut hill made some big plays at the end of the first half, we can't let that momentum build."
O'Connell completed 16 of 26 passes for 220 yards, connecting twice in the first half with wide receiver
Jon Malatesta for touchdowns of 21 and 18 yards. Gennicks anchored the primary rushing attack with 116 yards on 23 carries, scoring on a 30-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter before adding a 7-yard touchdown plunge early in the fourth quarter. With his two touchdowns, Gennicks is now the all-time leader in Navy history in rushing yards with 29, passing Alex Totta (2019-22) and Eric Wellmon (2012-15), who finished their careers with 28.
Chestnut Hill (2-1, 1-1) trimmed Navy's 20-0 lead to 20-14 right before halftime with two touchdown passes in the final minute of the second quarter. However, Navy pulled away with 21 unanswered points in the second half.
Broderick Freeman extended the lead in the third quarter with a 10-yard touchdown run and added a two-point conversion rush to make it 28-14. Freeman finished with 59 rushing yards on eight carries along with a 42-yard reception. Running back
Wyatt Keyt capped the scoring late in the fourth quarter with a 3-yard touchdown run, set up by a 40-yard run from backup quarterback
Rhett Sypult, who totaled 64 rushing yards on six carries.
Wide receiver
Andrew Daly was O'Connell's primary target, catching five passes for 73 yards.
Biamungu Nkere chipped in four receptions for 31 yards.
Defensively, linebacker
James Wright led Navy with six total tackles (five solo) and a tackle for loss. Defensive backs
Drake Murrell and
Angelo Pearson added four tackles each.
Tucker Opdahl and
Hagen Holley each intercepted Chestnut Hill quarterback Griffin Walter to seal the defensive effort.
Navy was the first team to score, getting into the end zone on its second possession. O'Connell capped a three-play, 53-yard drive with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Malatesta to take the early lead. The extra point was no good, leaving the score 6-0.
The duo connected once again for their second TD of the game. The Midshipmen drove 70 yards on 11 plays with O'Connell hitting Malatesta in the flat for an 18-yards touchdown pass. Gennicks rushed up the middle for the two-point conversion to push the advantage to 14-0 early in the second quarter.
The Mids pushed the advantage to 20-0 with just over a minute remaining in the first half. On third and 20, Gennicks rushed around the right side for 30 yards and a touchdown, tying Totta and Wellmon for the program record with 28. The nine-play, 91-yard drive was highlighted by a 42-yard reception by Freeman and Gennicks' TD scamper.
The Griffins wasted little time chipping into the Midshipmen lead as Chestnut Hill completed a 60-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the ensuing drive. The PAT was no good, leaving the score 20-6 with a minute to play before halftime.
With 35 seconds remaining in the first half, Chestnut Hill picked off a Navy pass attempt, returning the ball down to the 10 yardline. On the first play from scrimmage, the Griffins scored on a 10-yard pass and was able to convert the two-point try to close the gap to 20-14 with 31 ticks on the game clock.
In the third quarter, the Midshipmen extended their advantage to 14. Freeman rushed for 10 yards into the end zone to conclude a six-play, 45-yard drive. The junior plowed up the middle for the two point conversion to put Navy in front 28-14 with just under two minutes to play in the period.
Navy took advantage of a short field thanks to an interception by Holley. Gennicks plunged up the middle for seven yards for his second rushing score of the game. The rushing TD gave him the all-time school record for rushing touchdowns and put the Mids in front, 34-14.
The Midshipmen added a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Keyt rushed up the middle for three yards for his first touchdown of the season. The Mids held the ball for over five minutes on the 11-play, 90-yard drive, which was highlighted by a 40-yard scamper by Sypult down to the Chestnut Hill 10 yardline.
Up next, the Midshipmen travel to Caldwell, N.J. to take on Caldwell in a CSFL South Division game. The game is slated for Saturday, Oct. 10 at 6:00 p.m. The game will be live streamed and live stats will be available.
