ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy sprint football team (2-1, 2-0 CSFL South) continues its two-game road swing in West Caldwell, N.J. as the Midshipmen take on Caldwell (1-2, 0-0 CSFL South) at Bonnel Field on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 6:00 p.m. The game will be live streamed and live stats will be available.
 
All-Time Series
Navy leads the all-time series between the two teams, 7-0. The Midshipmen are 3-0 against the Cougars at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and 4-0 in Caldwell, N.J. Last season, Navy 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 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The last time the two teams met in New Jersey, the Mids topped the Cougars, 28-14, in 2024.
 
Scouting the Midshipmen
The Navy Sprint Football team has opened its 2026 campaign with a 2-1 overall record, standing undefeated at 2-0 in conference play. The Midshipmen started the season with a 27-6 victory over Penn, fell 21-12 to Army, and bounced back with a 41-14 win at Chestnut Hill. Over these three matchups, Navy has outscored opponents 80-41 and controlled the yardage battle, generating 1,141 total yards of offense while limiting opponents to 617 total yards.
 
Quarterback Luke O'Connell anchors the aerial attack, completing 63.2% of his passes for 622 yards and six touchdowns. His top targets are Andrew Daly, who leads the team with 12 receptions for 199 yards and a touchdown, and Ibi Denson, who has eight catches for 113 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Jon Malatesta has also contributed heavily to the scoring with two touchdown receptions.
 
On the ground, Hunter Gennicks powers the rushing game with 251 yards and three touchdowns on 48 carries (averaging 5.2 yards per attempt), leading a Navy rushing offense that averages 169.7 yards per game.
 
Defensively, Navy has shut down opposing rushing attacks, holding opponents to just 177 total rushing yards on 1.9 yards per carry. Sam Stotler paces the defense with 20 total tackles, followed by Tucker Opdahl and Christian Conley with 16 tackles each, and Drake Murrell, who has registered 15 tackles along with a team-leading 4.5 tackles for loss. The defense has also generated 5 sacks for 43 yards and secured three interceptions, credited to Opdahl, Hagen Holley, and Lexington Megerle.
 
Scouting the Opponent
Caldwell holds a 1-2 record through its first three games of the year. The Cougars earned a 29-19 victory over D'Youville but suffered defeats against Army (41-10) and Mansfield (41-20). Over this stretch, Caldwell has been outscored 101-59, averaging 19.67 points and 286.7 total offensive yards per game, compared to 33.67 points and 397.0 yards surrendered to opponents.
 
The Caldwell offense is heavily driven by its passing game, which accounts for 741 of the team's 860 total yards. Quarterback Cael Zebrowski leads the aerial attack with 423 passing yards and three touchdowns, while versatile playmaker Josh Smith has added 200 passing yards and a pair of TDs. Joey Ciccotelli is the top target, hauling in 19 receptions for 227 yards and 2 touchdowns, followed closely by Smith, who has also caught 13 passes for 209 yards and 2 scores. The ground attack has been largely stifled, netting just 119 total yards, with Ali Hillman (47 yards) and Smith (23 yards) serving as the primary rushers.
 
Defensively, Hector Lopez III anchors the unit with a team-high 26 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and a sack. Christian Brewton is a close second in production, recording 23 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and a 51-yard interception return for a touchdown. On special teams, kicker Nic Mallon has converted 6 of 7 extra-point attempts and a 25-yard field goal, while Emanuel Laluz provides a spark in the return game, averaging 19.89 yards across 9 kickoff returns.
 
Last Time vs. Caldwell (Nov. 7, 2025)
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy 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 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.
 
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 recovery 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.
 
Athlete of the Week
The Collegiate Sprint Football League (CSFL) announced its weekly award winners and Navy wide receiver Jon Malatesta was selected as the conference Special Teams Player of the Week. Malatesta helped lead Navy to a 41-14 road victory over CSFL South Division rival Chestnut Hill on Saturday. The sophomore led Navy's return game, returning three kickoffs for a total of 44 yards with a long of 18. Additionally, the wide receiver was productive in the offense, registering three receptions for 50 total yards and a pair of touchdowns.
 
Up Next
Following the game with Caldwell, the Midshipmen will have a bye week before hosting Cornell. The game is slated for Friday, Oct. 23 at 3:00 p.m. at Navy-Marines Corps Memorial Stadium.