Graduate student running back/return specialist Zach Switzer and the Pioneer Football League powerhouse Presbyterian Blue Hose took down the Marist Red Foxes at home in the final game of the PFL season by a score of 29-25.
Switzer now holds the record for scrimmage yards in a single season at Presbyterian College with 1323, and continued his dominance today, tallying 194 total yards.
Presbyterian prides itself on big plays, and they attempted one early, but sophomore captain defensive back Nate Robinson Jr. intercepted the first-drive deep ball.
The San Antonio native has been elite for the Red Foxes’ defense this year, ending his sophomore campaign with four interceptions and eleven pass break-ups, the latter putting him in the top-10 out of all eligible FCS defenders.
The first half saw no offensive action; Marist finished under 100 yards of total offense and Presbyterian edged the Red Foxes with just 140 of their own, yet the Blue Hose led 13-0 headed into the break. The lone touchdown came from senior wideout Dom Kibby when he high-pointed the ball on a beautifully executed receiver fade route.
A major development in the first 30 minutes of play was an injury to redshirt junior quarterback Sonny Mannino. Mannino has battled the injury bug all year, but this one was jarring. He took a QB-designed run up the middle and took a hit straight to the helmet.
The game stopped as Marist players, as well as the Blue Hose defense, looked at the trainers tending to the star signal caller. He did not return to the game, and there is no update on his injury at this time.
This thrust true freshman quarterback Will O’Dell into the game, and he showed out. The backup QB finished with 180 yards and two touchdowns, and looked as poised as a graduate student in the pocket.
The momentum started to shift towards Marist’s side after a third-quarter touchdown thrown by O’Dell. Graduate student tight end Connor Hulstein, who has been a revelation in Poughkeepsie after playing at Princeton for the previous four seasons, reeled it in.
On the ensuing Presbyterian drive, sophomore cornerback Tyell “Tank” Powell lived up to his nickname, as he laid a huge hit on a Blue Hose ball-carrier, forcing the ball loose. Graduate student linebacker Garrett Carter scooped it up and set up a Samer Layous field goal, making the score 13-10.
After another Jackson field goal that made the score 16-10, O’Dell fired a missile down the sideline and found redshirt freshman wideout Lance Martinez for a gain of 60 yards.
This set up a Marist touchdown, as O’Dell rolled out and put Marist in front by one, 17-16, with 30 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Presbyterian took their inefficiency on the defensive side of the football and turned it into an extraordinarily efficient offense.
Hurst and his unit absolutely dominated the start of the fourth quarter with a seven-and-a-half-minute drive that forced the Red Foxes to only send three pass-rushers on every down, but even with eight people in coverage, they failed to contain the Blue Hose. Senior tight end-receiver hybrid Nathan Levicki hauled in his sixth touchdown of the year.
The Blue Hose went for two but could not convert, putting the ball back in Marist’s hands, leading 22-17.
O’Dell and the Marist offense had plenty of time – 10:03 left in the game—trying to play spoiler to the PFL’s top-dog, and the gameplan was evident: run the life out of the pigskin.
After a 22-yard scramble, the Red Foxes converted a crucial fourth down thanks to tough running from graduate student running back Tristan Shannon, and he followed it up with a 19-yard carry off-tackle that brought Marist to the Presbyterian four-yard line.
Redshirt junior power-back Carter James punched it in, and Marist led 25-22 after a successful two-point try.
Presbyterian got the ball back with 2:00 on the clock and marched down the field with authority. An eight-play 65-yard drive ended in fireworks, as sophomore running back Justin Montgomery broke several tackles en route to a Blue Hose touchdown. This put them up 29-25 with 46 seconds left to play.
The remaining time was not enough, and Marist dropped a heartbreaker on the road. The Red Foxes finish their season with a record of 5-7, four more wins than they had in 2024 and provides this squad with a legitimate stepping stone heading into the offseason.
As for Presbyterian, they ended a historic season; undefeated at home, ranked nationally for a period of time and a 10-2 record. All signs point to them taking home the PFL Championship.
Edited by August Lieberman
Graphic by Xavier Angel
Photo by Jaylen Rizzo
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