United States Merchant Marine Academy

MONTCLAIR, N.J. (Sept. 3, 2026) – The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy controlled the football for a staggering 41:15 and piled up 334 rushing yards as the Mariners opened the 2026 season with a convincing 41-24 road victory over Montclair State on Thursday evening at the Red Hawks' Sprague Field. USMMA (1-0) scored 21 unanswered points in the opening quarter and never trailed, while junior quarterback Bubba Mustain (Oro Valley, Ariz.) accounted for four touchdowns in the victory.
 
Game File

• Box Score
• Extensive Coverage From The Field On In The Huddle Podcast's Twitter Page 

Mustain completed 6-of-9 passes for 114 yards and three touchdowns while also leading the Mariners on the ground with 85 yards and a score on 18 carries. Junior Angelo Cimino (Salinas, Calif.) was his top target, hauling in three passes for 79 yards and two touchdowns, including scoring receptions of 39 and 29 yards in the opening quarter. Sophomore Harrison Garrido (St. John's, Fla.) rushed seven times for 58 yards and a touchdown, while classmate Joshua Lock (Coppell, Texas) added 54 yards and a score on 10 carries. Junior Sonny Endicott (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and sophomore Mason Wilson (New Orleans, La.) each rushed for 48 yards, and senior Caleb Callahan (Poulsbo, Wash.) caught two passes for 21 yards, including a nine-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
 
Defensively, senior Aidan Graham (Allen, Texas) and junior Jonathan Wheeler (Golden, Colo.) tied for the team lead with six tackles apiece. Graham finished with two tackles for loss, while Wheeler recorded a five-yard sack. Senior Zatyk Holub (Mount Vernon, Iowa) turned in a standout all-around performance with a sack, forced fumble, interception and quarterback hurry, while senior Brooks Rohe (Yulee, Fla.) added two tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble. Junior Trent Sterner (North Kingstown, R.I.) also picked off a pass, and senior Armondo Orcesi (Dexter, N.Y.) recovered a fumble as the Mariners forced three turnovers. On special teams, sophomore Karson Bye (Liberty Hill, Texas) converted five extra points, recorded two touchbacks on seven kickoffs and handled USMMA's lone punt.
 
Merchant Marine dominated the statistical battle, outgaining Montclair State 448-248 overall and 334-75 on the ground. The Mariners registered 27 first downs compared to 15 for the Red Hawks, ran 70 offensive plays to Montclair State's 51 and averaged 6.4 yards per play. USMMA converted 6-of-10 third downs and both of its fourth-down attempts while holding the ball for more than twice as long as Montclair State's 18:45. The KP defense also recorded three sacks while allowing none.
 
USMMA set the tone immediately, marching 85 yards on eight plays on its opening possession before Mustain connected with Cimino for a 39-yard touchdown. Holub then stripped Montclair State quarterback Luke Henrich on a sack, and Orcesi recovered the loose ball at the Red Hawks' 20-yard line. Garrido needed just two carries to cover the remaining distance, scoring from six yards out to make it 14-0. After Montclair State missed a 34-yard field goal, the Mariners drove 80 yards in seven plays, with Mustain finding Cimino for a 29-yard touchdown on the final play of the first quarter to send USMMA into the second with a 21-0 advantage. Montclair State got on the board with Jahmir Beal's 34-yard interception return for a touchdown, but the Mariners answered with a methodical 13-play, 75-yard drive that consumed 8:23 and ended with Lock's three-yard touchdown run. A 38-yard field goal as time expired sent USMMA into halftime leading 28-10.
 
The Mariners delivered an even more punishing possession to open the second half, taking 10:59 off the clock on a 17-play, 72-yard drive. Kings Point converted twice on fourth down during the march, including Mustain's four-yard touchdown run that extended the lead to 34-10. The defense then forced a turnover on downs on Montclair State's next possession. After a fourth-quarter USMMA fumble at the Red Hawks' two-yard line, Holub immediately returned the favor with an interception at the Mariners' two. Montclair State eventually cut the advantage to 34-16 with 4:41 remaining, but KP responded with a six-play, 44-yard drive capped by Mustain's nine-yard touchdown pass to Callahan to put the game away. The Red Hawks added a touchdown and two-point conversion with 21 seconds remaining for the final margin.
 
For Montclair State, Henrich completed 17-of-29 passes for 173 yards but was intercepted twice and did not throw a touchdown. Diante Wilson rushed for 77 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries, while Ali Lee Jr. caught a game-high nine passes for 84 yards. Defensively, Beal recorded a game-high 15 tackles and returned an interception 34 yards for a touchdown, while William Canavan finished with 10 tackles.
 
Up next, the Mariners return home to Brooks Stadium for their Parents Weekend matchup against Nichols on Saturday, Sept. 12. Kickoff is scheduled for noon. The contest will also serve as the Academy's Fifth Annual First Responders Game, held on the weekend commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
 
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