Anthony Cancellare threw for three touchdowns and Lawrence Howard V ran for two scores as the Chestnut Hill College Sprint Football team won their first road game of the season and third overall, defeating Mansfield University 42-35 at Katl Van Norman Stadium in Mansfield, Pennsylvania Saturday afternoon.
The Griffins improve to 3-2 on the season while Mansfield falls to 1-4.
Cancellare completed 11 of 12 passes for 168 yards while tossing three touchdowns. His 91.7% completion rate and his 291.77 passing efficiency rating are both school records. His longest toss of the day was a 42 yard touchdown pass to Miles Coates late in the fourth quarter.
Howard's 166 yards rushing was one yard shy of the school record set by Dasantae Callis in 2015 against Post (167 yards). Howard carried the ball 27 times with a long run of 32 yards in the third quarter. He scored two touchdowns on runs of one and eight yards.
Kyree Griffin caught six passes for 85 yards while Coates caught two, both of them touchdown scores (42 yards, and four yards). Tight end Anthony Droege caught the other touchdown pass in the first quarter.
On defense, Justin Oppong led all players with ten tackles while Cam Goldsmith added six, including a sack. Elijah Bey had an interception.
Mansfield took the early lead , scoring on their first possession before the Griffins got on the board in the opening minute of the second quarter, driving the ball 85 yards downfield with Xavier Limehouse picking up 23 yards on the ground and Griffin adding a 34 yard catch before Cancellare found Droege for a five yard touchdown reception to tie the game at 7-7.
The Mountaineers regained the three minutes later with a touchdown score at the 11:06 mark before the Griffins countered with a six play 60-yard drive, culminating in an eight yard touchdown run by Howard to tie the score at 14-14.
On Mansfield's next possession they ran one play a pass that was intercepted by Bey on the Griffins' own five yard line. Cancellare and the offense proceeded to eat up the clock, using a little over seven minutes to score the go-ahead touchdown (a four yard pass to Coates) with just 11 seconds left in the first half.
Mansfield struck first in the third quarter to tie the game at 21-21 before Folley Tarley scored from three yards out to give the Griffins a 28-21 lead. Howard scored his second touchdown of the game with 8:38 left in the fourth quarter, boosting the Griffins' advantage to 35-21. Mansfield cut the deficit in half with a late score with just 2:23 remaining to pull within seven 35-28.
The Griffins needed just three plays to produce their final score. After recovering an onside kick, the Griffins got three yards from Howard before Cancellare found Coates open for a 42-yard catch and run for CHC's final score and a 42-28 lead.
Mansfield scored once more to make the final score 42-35 before the Griffins were able to run out the clock.
The sprint football team returns to action on Saturday, October 26, 2024, when they host Saint Thomas Aquinas College at A.A. Garthwaite Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m.
