Nathaniel Ford :: September 24, 2023
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It was a night of firsts for Endicott football: the first matchup against a Texas opponent, the first Friday night game in years, and the first win over a nationally ranked team in the program’s history.
The Gulls steamrolled No. 5/5 nationally ranked Hardin-Simmons 37-10 in their white-out game under the lights on Friday. Endicott played a complete and dominating game from start to finish. Four turnovers were forced by the defense, and the offense was efficient, scoring the most points all season for the Gulls.
Hype had been building for the game all week. A home matchup against a strong opponent under the lights is a dream for a football player. Over 2,200 people showed up to the game, and a sea of white filled the home stands.
Strong defensive play by the Gulls in the first half set the tone for the rest of the game. Hardin-Simmons was held to just three points in the half, while having to punt four times and throwing an interception to Endicott DB Michael LeFebre (#21).
This stellar defensive performance set up the offense to succeed. The duo of QB Clayton Marengi (#11) and Shane Aylward (#8) connected for two first half touchdowns to propel the Gulls to a 17-3 lead at halftime.
Endicott’s strong start sparked energy in the crowd. Despite the cool temperatures, most faithful fans stayed through. The Gulls had energy and momentum going into the second half, and they did not lay off the gas.
Endicott’s third quarter was nothing short of unbelievable. They came in looking to end any hope Hardin-Simmons had of coming back, and they did just that, winning the quarter 20-0 and extending the lead to 37-7.
This third quarter offense was propelled by the Endicott rushing attack led by Yavier Cosme-Diaz (#18) scoring twice and Anthony Caggianelli (#2) scoring once.
The Gulls killed the clock in the fourth quarter, and they closed out the game 37-10 in a huge win. In his postgame speech, Endicott head coach Paul McGonagle summed it up best, saying, “Everybody in this room just was part of the biggest win in this program’s history.”
The Gulls look to carry the momentum from this huge win into their matchup at Hilbert on Saturday September 30th.
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