DUDLEY, Mass. (Sept. 13, 2025) – The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy football team rushed for 404 yards on the ground and had six different players score touchdowns in a dominant 56-24 victory on the road at Nichols on Saturday afternoon at Vendetti Field. The Mariners improve to 2-0 on the season while the Bison drop to 0-2.
 
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• Box Score

Sophomore quarterback Bubba Mustain (Oro Valley, Ariz.) led the Blue and Gray offense with 121 rushing yards on 12 attempts and two rushing touchdowns, and added another through the air. Junior Seamus Bonte (Westerville, Ohio) also had two scores on the ground while senior Danny Ferris (Andover, Mass.) and sophomores Braden McEldowney (Spring, Texas) and Sonny Endicott (Colorado Springs, Colo.) each had one. Senior Ben Rini (Vermilion, Ohio) hauled in a 28-yard touchdown catch.
 
The Mariners' defense was led by sophomore Blayne Shiraki (Honolulu, Hawaii) and senior Caleb Green (Flower Mound, Texas), with a team-high five tackles each. Senior Stephen Scroggins (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) and sophomore Fitz Kennedy (Bertram, Texas) had one sack each and junior Armondo Orcesi (Dexter, N.Y.) recorded an interception.
 
USMMA outgained Nichols 475 to 318 on offense and earned 27 first downs compared to 22 for the Bisons.
 
Merchant Marine struck first with a 7-yard touchdown run by Bonte on a 12-play, 69-yard drive to take an 8-0 lead. Nichols responded with a 27-yard touchdown connection from Ethan LaGuardia to Jack Morvan, narrowing the score to cut the deficit to 8-6. Bonte found the endzone for the second time from a yard out to extend the Blue and Gray lead to 14-6 to cap a 9-play, 63-yard drive.
 
Merchant Marine extended their lead early in the second quarter with Ferris's 1-yard touchdown run on a quick 4-play, 63-yard drive. Moments later, Mustain broke free for an 8-yard TD run, giving USMMA a commanding 28-6 advantage. The Bison trimmed the deficit to 28-9 on a field goal from Nick Foynes that capped an 11-play, 54-yard drive.
 
Nichols managed a field goal from Nick Foynes following an 11-play, 54-yard drive to trim the deficit to 28-9. The Mariners responded immediately with a spectacular 60-yard touchdown run by Mustain, stretching the lead to 35-9, followed by a 12-yard TD run by McEldowney, increasing the lead to 42-9. Nichols added a field goal as time expired in the first half to make it 42-12 at halftime.
 
The Mariners kept their pedal to the medal in the second half. Mustain connected with Rini for a 28-yard touchdown pass to finish off a 6-play, 71-yard drive, extending the lead to 49-12. The Bison countered with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Ian Snow to Kevin Fuoroli Jr., closing the gap slightly at 49-18.
 
After a 26-yard touchdown pass from Snow to Ricardo Navedo to make it 49-24, Merchant Marine put the game out of reach with a methodical 13-play, 70-yard drive capped by a 1-yard touchdown run from Endicott, sealing the 56-24 win.
 
Nichols was led by Ian Snow, who threw for 140 yards and two touchdowns.
 
Merchant Marine opens NEWMAC play against Norwich on Saturday, Sept. 27, on the road in Northfield, Vt. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m.

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