Johnson leads Morrisville State to 35-21 win over WestConn

Sophomore quarterback Lemar Johnson (Ossining, NY) threw for 194 yards and two scores on 18-of-27 passes, added 78 yards and another touchdown on the ground, to lead the Morrisville State College football team to a 35-21 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) victory over visiting Western Connecticut State University Saturday afternoon in Morrisville.



Morrisville State improves to 1-4 overall, 1-3 in NJAC play, while WestConn drops to 0-5, 0-4 in the conference.



Johnson hit wide receiver Ricky Demers (Wappinger Falls, NY) four times for 39 yards and tight end Blake Mosley (Troy, NY) four times for 38 yards as they led the receiving unit on the day. Freshman tailback Sam Stonerock (Hornell, NY) had a collegiate best 101 yards on 15 carries for the Mustangs, while Earl Snead (Wappinger Falls, NY) added 51 yards on 10 carries and two scores.



Defensively, TJ Barnaba (Marcy, NY) led the Mustangs with eight total tackles, including two solo stops, while teammates Uhuru Abdul-Saleem (Brooklyn, NY) and Travis French (Newark Valley, NY) each had seven.



Colonial quarterback Will Arndt (Newtown, CT) completed 15-of-40 passes for 142 yards and two scores, also throwing an interception. Seven passes were to wide receiver Mark Seward (Stamford, CT) for 56 yards and a score. Dion Small (Waterbury, CT) led WestConn with 83 yards on the ground while Chris Elsner (Southbury, CT) added 77 and a score.



Bill Birdsell (Bethel, CT) had 17 stops for WestConn, including 10 solo, as Mike Macaria (Watertown, CT) added eight in the Colonial efforts.



Johnson put the Mustangs on the scoreboard first, capping off the seven play, 64-yard drive with a 24 yard scoring run with 5:31 to go in the first quarter. Juan Rios (Grahamsville, NY) completed the kick after.



On the ensuing drive, safety Jeremy Stewart (Moravia, NY) picked off Arndt on the Mustangs 21 yard line, which set up Snead nine plays later, for a three yard rushing score giving Morrisville State the 14-0 lead four seconds into the second quarter.



Arndt marched the Colonials 63 yards on WestConn's next drive to put a score on the board, hitting Seward on a 13-yard pass play for the touchdown with 10:41 to go.



Minutes into the third quarter, Arndt found Elser wide open in the end zone to even the contest at 14, but Morrisville State responded on the next drive, with a 35-yard pass from Johnson to Nate McConnell (Buffalo, NY) for the 21-14.



With 13:42 to go in the fourth, Johnson completed the 11 play, 75 yard drive by hitting wide receiver AJ Latta (Middletown, NY) for a six yard passing score to extend the Mustangs lead to 28-14.



The Mustangs defense forced a quick three and out series, followed by a 10 yard punt by the Colonials, positioning the Mustangs with a drive starting on the WestConn 47 yard line. Three plays later, Snead broke a tackle and carried the ball 20 yards into the endzone for the Mustangs 35-14 lead.



WestConn added a final score with 1:34 remaining in the contest, as Elsner carried the ball four yards into the end zone to complete the 14 play, 81 yard drive for the Colonials.



Morrisville State outgained WestConn 464 yards to the Colonials 337, while posting a season best 270 rushing.



The Mustangs held their second annual “Take A Kid to the Game” program, and hosted more than 100 children at the contest. Also, proceeds from the contest benefited the Carol M. Baldwin Reasearch Foundation of CNY, as part of the “Mustangs Against Cancer” ongoing campaign throughout the month of October.



Morrisville State returns to the field Saturday, hosting Rowan College at 12 p.m. on Drake Field on the Morrisville State campus on the 15th.