HUTCHINSON, Kan, December 7, 2019 – Playing in their second-ever NJCAA bowl game, the 11th Annual Salt City Bowl at Gowans Stadium in Hutchinson, Kan., the No. 18-ranked Monroe College football team dropped a 45-23 final score to host No. 3 Hutchinson Community College. The Mustangs finish the year with an 8-3 overall record, while the Blue Dragons wrap things up at 10-2.
 
Despite being on the losing side of the final score, a great story for the Mustangs came out of Saturday's contest. In a terrific story of redemption, Monroe's Tim Donnahue was named the Salt City Bowl Defensive Most Valuable Player. In last year's Graphic Edge Bowl, Donnahue suffered an unfortunate leg injury on the opening kickoff and was unable to play, or even stay in the stadium, for the rest of the game, missing out on the bowl-game experience. Donnahue led all players on Saturday with 11 tackles in the game, also breaking up three passes and recording a quarterback hurry, making a significant impact on defense for the Mustangs.
 
The Blue Dragons got off to a quick start on their home turf on Saturday. Tiyon Evans returned the opening kickoff 47 yards to Monroe's 43-yard line. Two plays into the drive, Mark Wright completed a 41-yard touchdown pass to Karim Brown, putting the Blue Dragons on top, 7-0, 46 seconds into the game.
 
The Mustangs responded admirably on their first drive of the day. Dominique Shoffner got the team going with back-to-back completions to Lucas Nunez and Idrissa Nikiema to move the chains. After facing a long 3rd-and-14, Shoffner tossed it deep down the left sideline to Nunez, and put dropped it right in his bread basket, allowing him to sprint 57 yards for the score to tie the game at 7-7. That was Nunez's ninth touchdown reception of the season, setting a new program record.
 
It did not take long for the score to change once again. Two plays into Hutchinson's next drive, Wright hit Erin Collins deep up the seam for a 74-yard score, putting the Blue Dragons back up, 14-7, with 11:15 still to play in the first quarter.
 
The defenses started to get become a factor on the fourth drive of the day. After a Mustang punt, the Blue Dragons drove the ball down to Monroe's 25-yard line, but a big sack by Heath Stephen II and a near interception by Donnahue forced Hutchinson to punt.
 
The Mustangs were then unable to get the chains moving, but on their punt, Marquise Cooper knocked the ball loose and Suquan Stays jumped on it to get the ball back for Monroe. The Mustangs were unfortunately once again unable to get anything going and turned the ball over on downs just past midfield.
 
Special teams stepped up again for the Mustangs after another stop by the defense. Isaiah McNeil got into the backfield and blocked the punt, allowing Stays to grab it and take it down to Hutchinson's nine-yard line to set Monroe up with first-and-goal. The Mustangs were unable to move the ball, but Nikiema drilled a 27-yard field goal to get the Mustangs within four at 14-10 with 2:19 left in the first quarter.
 
Hutchinson's special teams made the big play on the next drive. With fourth down on Monroe's 43-yard line, the punter completed a 20-yard pass on a fake to get the first down. On the 17th play of the drive, Evans punched it in on fourth-and-goal, putting the Blue Dragons up, 21-10, seven minutes into the second quarter.
 
The Mustangs were pinned on their own 12-yard line and were forced to punt. Thomaz Whitford booted it into the wind, where the ball hit a wall of wind and went straight down, bouncing backwards where it was downed on Monroe's 26-yard line. The Mustangs made a stop, but Hutchinson's Nolan Arrington was successful on a 30-yard field goal, pushing the home team's lead to 24-10 with 6:18 left in the half.
 
With time running low in the second quarter, the Blue Dragons pulled off another fake punt to convert a first down. Seven plays later, on 3rd-and-10, a broken coverage led to Jonathan Wright running wide open on a wheel route, where Wright found him for a 12-yard score to push the lead to 31-10 with just 23 seconds left in the half, leaving the Blue Dragons up by 21 heading into the break.
 
The Mustangs took the opening kickoff of the second half and were efficient with their first drive of the third. Shoffner took off for an 18-yard run to start the possession, and then he floated one in to Nunez for 27 yards down to the Hutchinson 30. Shoffner kept the chains moving on a fourth-down play, completing a 10-yard pass to Jevin Frett to keep the drive alive. Nikiema then won a jump ball on an 18-yard fade down to the two-yard line, and then Clayton Scott punched it in from two yards out to get the Mustangs back within two scores, taking just 1:50 off the clock on the eight-play drive. Scott's score was his 14th of the year, tying Shoffner for the program's single-season rushing touchdown record.
 
The Mustangs dominated time of possession in the third quarter, and were in position to score twice more in the period. A nine-play, 67 yard drive saw the Mustangs stopped on the 13-yard line, but kicking into the wind, Nikiema missed his first field goal of the season to leave the score at 31-17. After another stop, Monroe was pinned on its own one-inch line following a 63-yard punt. The Mustangs went 12 plays and 94 yards, but turned it over on downs on the five-yard line to keep the Mustangs in a 14-point hole.
 
Two plays into the fourth quarter, Evans took off for a 70-yard touchdown run for the Blue Dragons to push their lead to 38-17 with just 14:02 left in regulation. Later in the quarter, Evans ran one 50 yards to get Hutchinson down to Monroe's 30. Two plays later, White took it in from 28 yards out to push the lead to 45-17 with 7:41 to go.
 
The Mustangs were still battling late in the game. With just under four minutes to play, Kolby Ortiz blocked a punt deep in Blue Dragon territory, and D'Andre Satchell scooped it up and brought it into the end zone for a touchdown, making it a 45-23 contest, but that capped off the scoring for the game.
 
Shoffner finished with 183 passing yards and a touchdown, adding 16 rushes for 53 yards. Scott rushed 12 times for 36 yards and a touchdown in the game. Lucas Nunez led all players with five receptions and 116 yards while scoring the Mustangs' first touchdown of the day.
 
Stephen had a big defensive game for the Mustangs on defense. He finished second among all players with nine tackles and led the field with two sacks in the game. He also forced a fumble. Zharrel Walker finished with eight tackles in the game. Malik Gibson and Kolby Ortiz each registered a tackle for loss, while Ortiz and McNeil both blocked punts in the game. Satchell returned Ortiz's blocked punt for a touchdown. Stays had two tackles and a fumble recovery. Emmanuel Appiah-Takyi registered a pair of pass breakups, while Charles Amankwaa, Jeremiah Bryant and Jamelle Ryals also had a breakup apiece.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 31 teams competing across nine sports. There are 19 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has 12 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).