NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., November 13, 2021 – The No. 8-ranked Monroe College Mustangs football team fired on all cylinders on Saturday, defeating Hocking College by a score of 49-3 in the Mustangs' final home game of the season at Joseph F. Fosina Field. The Mustangs remain unbeaten at 9-0 with the win, while Hocking falls to 5-5.
 
Monroe's second drive of the day got the scoring started. On 3rd-and-5, Shelton Applewhite Jr. hit Rashann Tompkins for 14 yards to keep the drive going, and then Kimon O'Sullivan ran for 20 yards to set Monroe up at the four-yard line. He took it again on the next play and punched it in for a four-yard score to put the Mustangs up, 7-0.
 
Late in the first quarter, a few penalties on the Mustangs allowed the Hawks to get near the red zone before the defense made a stop on third down. Jeri Velasquez made a 39-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to 7-3.
 
Four plays into Monroe's next drive, Applewhite found Rose-Hannah with a head of steam, allowing him to sprint 58 yards for the score to put Monroe up, 14-3.
 
Monroe then took advantage of a short punt after the ensuing possession for Hocking, getting the ball on Hocking's 42-yard line. A pass interference penalty on the Hawks put the Mustangs in the red zone. Two plays later, Applewhite and Rose-Hannah connected for 14 yards to put Monroe on the one-yard line. O'Sullivan finished it from there to make it a 21-3 game with 9:51 left in the first half.
 
Hocking converted a fourth down on its next possession after the Mustangs jumped offsides. Monroe quickly made up for it when Andrew Hardin made a spectacular interception on a pass over the middle. He deflected the pass, and then snagged it with one hand from around the receiver's helmet, pulling it in and returning it for 15 yards to Hocking's 38-yard line. The Mustangs were unable to get anything going on the drive, but Bailey Marzola dropped a punt down to the one-yard line to spell trouble for the Hawks.
 
Two plays into the next possession, Hocking fumbled the ball on a handoff that was recovered by Douglas Blue-Eli on the two-yard line. One play later, Troy Booker burst through a whole and into the end zone to make it a 28-3 game with 5:20 still left in the half.
 
Hocking tried a trick play on fourth down on the ensuing drive. Velasquez faked the punt and went to run it instead, but was stopped in the backfield for a six-yard loss, setting up Monroe on the 18-yard line. Two plays later, a pass interference penalty put Monroe on the three-yard line. Halim Dixon-King then caught a three-yard touchdown from Applewhite to leave the Mustangs up, 35-3, taking that score into the halftime break.
 
The Mustangs started their first possession of the second half with 13:03 on the clock. A 17-yard pass to Tompkins converted a third down, and then Applewhite and Dixon-King connected once again for a 13-yard score, quickly putting the Mustangs up, 42-3.
 
Monroe had a long drive on its next possession, but turned the ball over on downs on Hocking's 20-yard line. Two plays into the next drive, Jakai Coker intercepted Alex Short and returned it 26 yards for a pick-six to make it a 49-3 game with 3:07 to play in the third quarter.
 
With 2:58 on the clock in the third, lightning caused the game to go into a delay, resuming roughly an hour later.
 
After returning to play, both teams brought in their second team offenses and defenses to close out the game. Neither team managed to score the rest of the way, leading to the 49-3 final score.
 
Applewhite got back on track, completing 14-of-21 passes for 189 yards and three scores in the win, adding another 15 yards on the ground. Monroe totaled 150 yards on 32 carries in the game. O'Sullivan led the team with 47 yards on 11 carries, scoring twice in the game while also adding a six-yard reception. Booker rushed for 39 yards and a touchdown on nine attempts, adding a six-yard catch of his own.
 
Rose-Hannah had a team-high 96 yards on four receptions, scoring a touchdown as well. Dixon-King hit paydirt twice in the win, finishing with three receptions for 28 yards.
 
Hardin and Coker each came away with an interception in Saturday's conquest, with Coker taking his to the house. Hardin also made four tackles. Orin Ormsby and Sverri Finsson led the team with five tackles apiece, with Ormsby also making a tackle for loss. Johnathon Weir was disruptive all game, tallying a sack and 3.5 tackles for loss. Guirvenseont Guillaume, Samuel Ntui-Ebob, Michel Lucien, and Tyee Martin Jr. all registered a tackle for loss in the game. Nick Evans and Douglas Blue-Eli combined for a sack, while Blue-Eli also recovered a fumble.
 
The Mustang defense had a day from years past, holding the Hawks to a total of eight rushing yards on the afternoon. Hocking was also held to 79 yards in the air in a dominant performance by the Monroe defense. Monroe held a 21-7 edge in first downs, a 339-87 advantage in total offense, and Monroe converted 6-of-10 third downs, while Hocking managed to convert just 3-of-15.
 
Monroe has just one game left on the schedule before learning of any potential postseason action. The Mustangs take a short trip down to Newton, N.J. on Saturday, Nov. 20, to take on Sussex County Community College. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 39 teams competing across nine sports. There are 21 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, the Monroe College marching band, and the newly added esports and men's volleyball programs, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has 18 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 Mustangs Athletics), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs).