Marist Red Foxes Suffer Defeat to Drake, 19-14

POUGHKEEPSIE – The Marist football team fell to Drake, 19-14, in a Pioneer Football League matchup on Saturday at Tenney Stadium. With the loss, the Red Foxes are 3-5 overall and 2-3 in PFL play. Drake improved to 4-3 and 3-1 in conference competition.

Junior wide receiver Juston Christian finished the day with 75 yards on five receptions to become Marist’s all-time receiving yards leader. Christian surpassed James LaMacchia, who had held the record since 2010, on a 12-yard reception for a Red Foxes’ first down late in the second quarter. LaMacchia had 2,485 receiving yards in his career, and Christian’s career total currently stands at 2,525.

There were several key plays in the game. Drake’s first drive covered 18 plays, 87 yards and 9:20 of game time. It ended in a two-yard rushing touchdown from senior Brock Reichardt. Although that was Drake’s only touchdown of the game, Danny Donley was 4-for-4 on field goal attempts, which covered 20, 30, 27, and 22 yards.

The Red Foxes got in the board with a two-yard touchdown run by red-shirt senior running back Marcellus Calhoun with 5:54 left in the second quarter. It was set up by a 40-yard completion from red-shirt junior quarterback Mike White to senior wide receiver Lawrence Dickens.

Trailing 19-7 with 1:23 to play, Marist took over at its own 35. White completed a 52-yard pass to Dickens, and then a 13-yard touchdown pass to Christian with 1:01 to play.

However, Drake’s Steven Doran recovered the ensuing onside kick. The Bulldogs then ran out the clock.

“I was proud of the way our guys fought until the end,” head coach Jim Parady said. “I thought our defense bent a little bit, but once they got down in the Red Zone, they stiffened up. … We had too many penalties that cost us field position, and we had some opportunities that we left on the field.”

The Red Foxes will have their bye week before traveling to Dayton, Ohio, to face off against the Flyers. Kickoff for the PFL match-up will be 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4.