Football’s Historic Winning Streak Ends At Castleton

CASTLETON, VT : The Anna Maria College football team saw their five-game winning streak – the first such streak in program history – come to an end at Castleton University in Eastern College Football Conference (ECFC) action on Saturday afternoon in Castleton, Vermont, with a 38-31 loss.

THE BASICS:                                     

Date: Saturday, October 30, 2021
Score: Anna Maria 38, Castleton 31
Records: Spartans of Castleton (5-3, 3-1 ECFC) | AMCATS of Anna Maria (5-2, 3-1 ECFC)

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Anna Maria senior quarterback Alex Cohen (Plymouth, MA) threw for a career-high 511 yards on 38 of 64 passing, throwing for three touchdowns and rushing for one more on the ground.  
• Anna Maria grad student wide receiver Hayden Braga (Foster, RI) caught a career-high 12 receptions for 158 yards, along with a 15-yard kickoff return. Braga also covered the punting duties for the AMCATS, averaging 33.8 yards off four punts.
• Anna Maria junior wide receiver David Robinson (Boston, MA) caught seven passes for 142 yards and one touchdown while senior wide receiver Justin McMillian (Middletown, CT) had his best game as an AMCAT, tallying seven receptions for 119 yards and a touchdown. McMillan's 56 yard touchdown reception with 3:00 left in the third started the Anna Maria comeback.
• Anna Maria sophomore wide receiver Deandre Wallace (Waterbury, CT) continued to produce one of the best rookie seasons in the nation, with five receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown. Wallace also returned two kickoffs for 61 yards. Wallace's 12-yard touchdown reception from Cohen with 1:39 remaining in the game tied it up at 31-31, after the AMCATS had trailed for most of the second half.
• Anna Maria senior defensive back Armstrong Antoine (Stratford, CT) led the AMCATS with 10 total tackles, a forced fumble and a pass breakup.
• Anna Maria senior defensive lineman Alvin Martin (Philadelphia, PA) had his best game of the season with nine tackles and a pass breakup.
• Anna Maria junior defensive back Lamar Wilkes (Philadelphia, PA) finished with a forced fumble and a pass breakup.
• Castleton senior wide receiver Anthony Martinez (Brattleboro, VT) caught nine passes for the Spartans, totaling 70 yards and two scores, including a game-winning touchdown with 1:04 to go in the game was the difference maker.
• Castleton junior running back Devin Wollner (Keyport, NJ) rushed for 70 yards on nine carries with two touchdowns.

TURNING POINT:

• Down 31-17 late in the fourth quarter, Cohen found Robinson for a 19 yard strike to pull the AMCATS to within a touchdown with 2:47 to go. Anna Maria sophomore Drew Sinclair (Maplewood, NJ) then placed a perfect on-side kick for the AMCATS, recovered by the visitors and giving Cohen another shot. The senior quarterback needed just four plays to find Wallace for a 12-yard score, tying it up at 31-31. But Castleton's Jacob McCarthy tossed a screen pass to Simon Davis Jr., who maneuvered his way 47 yards down the field, carrying the ball all the way to the AMCATS' 22-yard line. McCarthy spiked the ball to stop the clock, and Castleton gained only one yard on second down to bring up a 3rd-and-9 with 1:09 remaining. After an Anna Maria timeout, McCarthy found Martinez down the seam for a 21-yard touchdown and a 37-31 lead. Cohen was intercepted on the ensuing drive, ending Anna Maria's rally.

UP NEXT:

Anna Maria will be back on the field next Saturday when they host Gallaudet University in a critical ECFC contest kicking off at 12:00 p.m.  

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