LOUISBURG, Pa., September 28, 2019 – In its longest road trip of the season so far, it was business as usual for the No. 9-ranked Monroe College football team, as the Mustangs took down Louisburg College, 44-7, at Louisburg High School. The Mustangs improve to 4-0 on the year with Saturday's victory, while the Hurricanes fall to 1-2.
 
The Mustang defense stepped up as it has done all season long on Saturday, forcing three turnovers while also picking up three sacks and 12 tackles for loss. Tim Donnahue, Tyrik Carter and Charles Amankwaa each had an interception in the game, but it was Amankwaa's pick that did the most immediate damage, as he returned it 30 yards for a touchdown late in the first quarter to give Monroe a commanding 24-0 lead.
 
The Mustangs methodically worked their way up the field on the opening possession of the game, running the ball on five of their first six plays. On 2nd-and-10 from Louisburg's 41-yard line, the Mustangs chose to throw, and Dominique Shoffner hit Jevin Frett for a 41-yard touchdown to put the Mustangs ahead, 7-0.
 
The defense forced a quick three-and-out for the Hurricanes, forcing the home team to punt. Lucas Nunez returned the 34-yard punt to the Hurricanes' 40-yard line for a 15-yard return, setting up the Mustangs in great field position for their second drive of the game.
 
It did not take long for the Mustangs to double the score. On the third play of the drive, Shoffner threw another deep ball, this time connecting with Nunez for a 43-yard touchdown to make it a 14-0 game early in the first quarter.
 
Louisburg had a drive going on their next possession, going 50 yards on seven plays to reach the red zone. It was there that quarterback Nate Harden was picked off by Donnahue, giving the Mustangs the ball back on their own 19-yard line.
 
Clayton Scott got the Mustangs to midfield with a 31-yard run on second down. A penalty had the Mustangs looking at 2nd-and-15, but a 13-yard completion to Frett gave the Mustangs 3rd-and-short. Another penalty gave the Mustangs a long third down, but some penalties by the Hurricanes bailed them out and set them up in the red zone. The Mustangs stalled on the 10-yard line, but Idrissa Nikiema converted a 27-yard field goal to make it a 17-0 game.
 
On the second play of the ensuing drive, Amankwaa picked off Harden and took it 30 yards to the house to push the Mustangs' lead to 24-0 at the end of the first.
 
The Mustangs got the ball back after a punt with 13:02 left in the second quarter. It was the ground game once again that helped Monroe move the ball up the field, but on 3rd-and-9 on the 37-yard line, Shoffner and Frett hooked up once again for a 37-yard score. A botched snap on the extra point resulted in Monroe's lead moving to 30-0 after the score.
 
Monroe once again took over with 5:51 left in the half and was gifted short field position on the 30-yard line. It took six plays, but a three-yard touchdown run by Scott capped off the drive to put the Mustangs on top, 37-0, which eventually was the score heading into the half.
 
Louisburg received the kickoff to open the second half, but was forced to punt after another three-and-out. It took just a few seconds for the Mustangs to score their final touchdown of the game, as Clayton Scott took off for a 45-yard touchdown run on the first play of the drive to give the Mustangs a 44-0 advantage.
 
It was not until there were just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter that the Hurricanes got on the board. Vincent Murphy completed a 55-yard pass to Christopher Coleman for the score, cutting Monroe's lead to 44-7.
 
The Mustangs were unable to get anything going on the next drive, but a 40-yard punt by Jonathan Cardoza-Chicas left the Hurricanes on their own 27-yard line with 1:54 remaining. Three plays into the drive, Tyrik Carter picked off Murphy at Monroe's 35-yard line and returned it 33 yards to Louisburg's 32 to ice the game.
 
Shoffner completed 10-of-20 passes for 174 yards and three scores, adding 53 yards on eight carries. Scott rushed eight times for 83 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Frett finished with three receptions for 91 yards and two scores, his second straight two-touchdown game. Nunez took his lone reception to the house for 43 yards.
 
The Mustangs' pass defense was nearly unbeatable on Saturday, holding Louisburg quarterbacks to just six completions on 22 attempts for just 102 yards. Despite rushing the ball 37 times, the Hurricanes averaged just 2.4 yards per carry and totaled 90 yards.
 
David Drouet led the team with eight tackles on the day. Nick Evans registered five tackles with a sack and a team-high three tackles for loss. Guirvenson Guillaume had a sack, two tackles for loss and seven total tackles in the game. Jahron Gayle also registered a sack. Heath Stephen II made five tackles in the game, including 2.5 behind the line of scrimmage. Nadir Pineda made two tackles, including a half tackle for loss.
 
Cardoza-Chicas punted five times in the win, averaging 41.2 yards with a long of 61 yards. He also averaged 58.9 yards on seven kickoffs. Idrissa Nikiema was good on 5-of-5 extra point attempts, as well as a 27-yard field goal. Lucas Nunez totaled 31 yards on two punt returns, and added a 23-yard kickoff return.
 
The Mustangs totaled 425 yards of offense in the win, including 251 yards on the ground. The defense held the Hurricanes to just 192 yards from scrimmage. Monroe converted 6-of-14 third downs, while the Hurricanes were able to convert 4-of-14. The Mustangs held a slight edge in time of possession, holding the ball for 32:19.
 
The Mustangs finally return home next weekend for their annual Homecoming game, as well as First Responder Appreciation Day at Joseph F. Fosina Field in New Rochelle. The Mustangs host Valley Forge Military College that day for a 2 p.m. kickoff.
 
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).