SPRINGFIELD, Mass. The American International College football team squandered an 18-point halftime lead in a tough Northeast-10 loss to Saint Anselm at Abdow Field Saturday afternoon, 26-20.
With the loss AIC falls to 1-3 overall and 1-2 in league play, while St. A's moves to 2-2 this season and improves to 2-1, in the NE-10.
The Yellow Jackets received the opening kickoff and drove into Hawk territory, but starting quarterback, Kwame Jarvis (Schenectady, N.Y.) launched a ball into the end zone that was picked off by Elijah Thomas and St. A's was awarded the touchback.
On the ensuing drive, the Hawks drew senior linebacker Demetrius Steed (Boston, Mass.) offsides on fourth-and-one to move the chains and keep the drive alive. Two first downs later and on the AIC 26-yard line, the Hawks once again went for it on fourth-and-short, but Cam McLevedge missed his intended target, Ryan Monette, and the Jackets took over on downs.
American International used a heavy dose of senior running back Maurice Easterling (Yonkers, N.Y.) on the next drive. Easterling opened the drive with a 23-yard scamper just outside of Hawk territory. He carried the ball five of the nine plays and ended in the end zone with a one-yard scoring run. The Chris Boteler (Manassas, Va.) point after attempt was blocked and AIC took a 6-0 lead late in the first quarter.
Each team punted or turned it over in their next four possessions including three three-and-outs. St. A's made it on the scoreboard off a major AIC mistake. With Shawn Brathwaite (Brooklyn, N.Y.) in under a backup center, the ball was snapped above Brathwaite's outstretched arms and out the back of the end zone for a Hawk safety.
Saint Anselm was awarded the ball back, but squandered the opportunity to capitalize when AIC senior defensive end Andrew Justice (Brooklyn, N.Y.) stripped Hawk quarterback Cam McLevedge and junior linebacker Jerrod Shelby (Brockton, Mass.) picked up the loose ball.
The Yellow Jackets struggled to move the ball and were forced to punt, but once again St. A's blew an opportunity, muffing the Boteler punt and Yellow Jacket special teamer and safety Lorenzo Melchiorre (East Stroudsburg, Pa) was there to scoop it up deep in St. A's territory.
Brathwaite took two shots at the end zone towards junior receiver Evan Graham (Springfield, Mass.) and on the second attempt connected with the local guy for a seven yard touchdown strike. The Boteler kick soared through the uprights and put AIC up, 13-2 late in the half.
The Hawks had one final chance in the first half, but third string quarterback, freshman Eric Fairweather fumbled a snap forced out by Steed and gave the Jackets possession in St. Anselm territory with just over a minute on the clock.
Brathwaite first sent one in freshman Kyle Boyer-Tucker's (Edison, N.J.) direction, but it fell short. He next targeted classmate Lennox Green Jr. (Stoughton, Mass.) in the back of the end zone and connected for Green's first career touchdown, a 26-yarder to put AIC on top going into intermission, 20-2.
The Yellow Jackets outgained St. A's by nearly double, 185-92 with 115 yards on the ground. Easterling had 92 yards on 12 carries to pace the AIC offense.
Out of the break, the Hawks made quick work of erasing a poor first half, capping an eight play, 57-yard drive with a Fairweather five yard scoring scamper. St. Anselm cut the deficit to 11, 20-9 early in the half.
On AIC's first possession of the third, Easterling got going again, rushing four times on a nine play drive including breaking away for 42 yards to the Hawk eight yard line. St. A's tightened the defense in the red zone, bullying Brathwaite with a nine-yard sack and dropping him on a run attempt when his receivers were tightly covered in the end zone. AIC was forced to settle for a long 41-yard field goal attempt. Boteler's kick had the distance, but just missed wide right.
The two teams traded interceptions late in the frame. Brathwaite ended a drive with a pick thrown to Hawk Carroll Bailey and Melchiorre returned the favor with his interception of Fairweather at the AIC 34-yard line.
Despite dominating the possession battle by over five minutes, AIC came away empty handed in the third with the Hawks ready to swoop in.
Saint Anselm leaned on Elad Covaliu with four straight rushes, setting up a Shane Grayson 22-yard field goal attempt that was good to bring St. A's within eight, 20-12 early in fourth.
Brathwaite gave it back to St. Anselm on the ensuing drive, setting up a Hawk scoring drive capped by a Covaliu touchdown. Fairweather stayed in for a the tying two-point attempt, but was picked by AIC ball hawk, junior safety Daquan Holmes (Troy, N.Y.), his fourth of the season.
With 3:48 left in regulation, AIC just needed a few first downs and kneel on the ball, but the first play on the drive, Easterling made his only mistake of the day, losing the ball only to be picked up and run back 27 yards for the Hawk defensive touchdown and their first lead of the day, 26-20.
With one final drive, Brathwaite moved the ball into St. A's territory with completions to Easterling and Graham , but when forced to throw on the run out of the pocket, Brathwaite threw it away to Bailey for his third pick of the day and St. Anselm secured their first win over American International since 1941.
AIC dominated possession, 36:47-22:51, but could not overcome sloppy play.
Brathwaite completed 7-19 for 87 yards with two touchdowns. Easterling ended with 143 yards on 24 carries for an average of 6.0 yards-per-carry.
A week after a career 15 tackle performance, Shelby notched 16 tackles. In his last two games against St. A's, Shelby has 30 total tackles. Steed finished with 14 while Ray Durrett (Hillside, N.J.) tallied 13 tackles.
AIC returns home next Saturday, Oct. 3 when LIU Post comes to Abdow Field for a rematch of the 2014 NE-10 Championship. Kickoff is slated for 12 p.m.
