STATEN ISLAND, N.Y., September 23, 2018 – The No. 16-ranked Monroe College football team visited the Wagner College JV team at Hameline Field on Sunday, shutting out the Seahawks, 55-0. Monroe improves to 3-0 on the season with the win.
 
Wagner opened the game with a nine-play, 51-yard drive, but they were stopped on fourth down on a sack by Jason Simon, giving Monroe the ball on their own 31-yard line. The Mustangs converted for three first downs, getting to the Wagner 20-yard line. From there, Jalen Brown hit Tyler Hodge for a 20-yard touchdown in the middle of the end zone, giving the Mustangs an early 7-0 lead.
 
The Mustangs forced another stop, getting the ball back on the Wagner 48-yard line after a botched punt. It took just three plays for another Mustang touchdown, this time of the rushing variety by Brown from 19-yards out, making it a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.
 
The Mustangs took over early in the second quarter on their own 30-yard line, and quickly moved to midfield on a 20-yard run by Zaire Jones. Two plays later, Jones rushed for 28-yards down to the four-yard line. After a false start penalty, Jones then rushed it in from nine yards out, making it a 21-0 lead for Monroe, a lead they took into halftime.
 
Everything went the Mustangs' way in the second half, as they rolled to a dominant victory. Armani Bermudez returned the second-half opening kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown to make it a 28-0 lead just seconds into the third quarter. Shortly after, Tyler Bailey capped off a six-play, 60-yard drive with a 17-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 35-0. Later in the third, a seven-play, 50-yard drive finished off with a one-yard touchdown run by Bermudez, leaving the Mustangs up, 42-0, after three quarters.
 
Early in the fourth, Jarious Jones took a handoff, and broke away for a 69-yard touchdown run to make it a 49-0 game. Jones later closed things out with a 45-yard run on Monroe's final offensive drive, wrapping things up with a 55-0 win.
 
Brown completed 11-of-18 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown, adding 23 yards on two rushes for another score in the win. Kyle DeOrio got in the game late, going 4-for-5 for 31 yards.
 
Zaire Jones led the backfield with 10 carries for 139 yards and a touchdown. Jarious Jones followed with 134 yards on just five totes for two scores. Bailey and Bermudez accounted for the other two rushing scores for Monroe, who totaled six touchdowns on the ground on Sunday. Bermudez also added an 83-yard kickoff return touchdown.
 
Hodge led the receiving corps with three receptions for 36 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. Jevin Frett caught one ball for 31 yards. Keveon Clark made three catches for 29 yards, while Nyjaliek Williams hauled in three passes for 26 yards.
 
Grant Melton finished with a team-high seven tackles, including 1.5 for loss and a sack. Isaiah Forde made six tackles, with 1.5 coming from behind the line of scrimmage. Niadre Zouzoua had 1.5 sacks with four tackles and two tackles for loss. Emmanuel Appiah-Tahkyi had an interception, a pass breakup and a tackle in the win.
 
The Mustangs are scheduled to play next on Saturday, Oct. 6, when they visit Valley Forge Military College in Wayne, Pa. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 28 teams competing across nine sports. There are 18 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, and the newly added club men's volleyball team, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Monroe Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus as of the fall of 2017, has seven teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
 
For more information about the Monroe Mustangs, please visit us at www.MonroeCollegeMustangs.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe College Athletics), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs).