The special feeling of winning on Homecoming can never be underestimated, and Montclair State delivered as they took down Union College 17-15 on Saturday night at Sprague Field.
Head coach Mike Palazzo said he had no doubt that his Red Hawks would come out victorious.
“Oh, we don’t lose on Homecoming,” Palazzo said.
It was not all sunshine and rainbows for Montclair State during the contest. With rain pouring down from start to finish, this game brought a whole new meaning to the term “weathering the storm.”
Montclair State improved to a 2-1 record after winning on Saturday.
Qadir Branch | The Montclarion Photo credit: Qadir Branch
The first quarter was stagnant in the scoring department, with both teams still trying to get a feel for one another. Montclair State was fortunate enough to march downfield toward Union’s 11-yard line, but were halted from there.
The field goal unit then began to make their way on the gridiron for what fans believed could potentially be the first points of the game.
Instead of taking the three points on fourth down, the Red Hawks made the decision to fake the field goal with seven minutes left in the first.
It was a bold, but ultimately unsuccessful attempt. The game remained scoreless.
Fortunately for the Red Hawks, the defense forced a punt from Union College after only a minute, immediately winning possession back for Montclair State.
There was a little bit of confusion offensively as Montclair State was forced to punt once again, and the ball deflected off an opposing player, allowing junior wide receiver Jayden Brimage to jump on and win the ball back for the offense.
This call was then overturned by the officials. Union junior Guy Bellingrath was fouled before the Red Hawks gained possession.
Union quarterback Patch Flaningan was nearly picked off by junior defensive back Ryan Visalli. The officials determined that the ball had hit the ground before Visalli gained complete possession.
It was the same for the rest of the first quarter and the second as both teams remained scoreless. Questions arose about who would finally break open the scoring.
Freshman receiver Jaden Peart was the answer, as he saw himself open down the left sideline and was found by junior quarterback Aidan McLaughlin for the 29-yard touchdown pass.
The lead was short-lived, as the Garnet Chargers marched down the field and scored with 52 seconds left in the half. A strong pass to senior running back Michael Fiore put Union on the board.
Union successfully scored on a two-point conversion to gain the lead.
With limited time left in the half, Montclair State converted a field goal on the final play as time expired to pull ahead.
The party didn’t stop there, as the Red Hawks found the end zone once again late in the third quarter. Sophomore running back Christopher Arnold, who stepped in for Junior Henry Lewis this game, stepped up to the plate with the game-winning touchdown for Montclair State.
Sophomore running back Christopher Arnold found the endzone during the homecoming game.
Qadir Branch | The Montclarion Photo credit: Qadir Branch
Arnold humbly thanked the men in the trenches for powering him to a victorious night.
“It’s a blessing to be able to experience that on homecoming,” Arnold said. “Shout out to the offensive line. It’s impossible to do it without them.”
Saturday’s win marked the 500th win all-time for the Red Hawk football program. Montclair State first took the field in 1928 and this accomplishment adds to the legacy of this storied program.
The victory was the 500th in program history.
Qadir Branch | The Montclarion Photo credit: Qadir Branch
The Red Hawks will now look to continue their momentum as they head down to Ewing this Saturday for a matchup against The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) at 3 p.m.
