The Monmouth University football team will bring a lot of momentum with it when the Hawks make their Big South Conference debut.
Monmouth is off this week after giving fans a lot to cheer about at Homecoming, beating Columbia University, 61-28, in West Long Branch on Oct. 11. The win improved Monmouth’s non-conference record to 5-1.
After the week off to prepare, the Hawks will play their first Big South Conference game in Clinton, S.C., against Presbyterian on Oct. 25.
“Being part of a conference is something exciting for our team,” Hawks’ coach Kevin Callahan said before the start of the 2014 season. Monmouth played an independent schedule in 2013.
Monmouth heads into conference play behind an offense that has scored 50-plus points in three games.
Against Columbia, quarterback Brandon Hill (Audubon) set a school record for most 300-yard passing games. The 6-5 senior threw for 301 yards on 18-24 passing, and four touchdowns, as Monmouth improved to 3-0 at Kessler Field this year.
Hill tossed a pair of TD passes to Lamar Davenport (Asbury Park) of 18 and 25 yards, as well as a 23-yarder to Eric Sumlin (Dover, Del.) and a 31-yarder to Darren Ambush (Dickerson, Md.). Hill also caught a touchdown pass from Lavon Chaney (South River), a six-yard scoring play.
Running back Chaney ran for 108 yards and one TD, and threw a pair of touchdown passes, one to Hill and the other to Zach Fabel (Brigantine), a two-yarder.
Ed Royds (Shawnee/Navy) led the Hawks’ running attack with 119 yards.
Monmouth raced out to a 40-0 lead at the half against its Ivy League foe. Monmouth’s offense totaled 602 yards and 33 first downs in the win.
On defense, Payton Minnich (Central Dauphin East, Pa.) had three interceptions in the second quarter that all led to Monmouth touchdowns. His three picks were a new school record.
John Sieczkowski (Manalapan), Mike Basile (Brick Memorial), Teddie Martinez (Baltimore) and Kevin Butler (Piscataway) shared the team lead with four total tackles each.
For the season, Hill has thrown for 1,713 yards and 15 touchdowns. He has completed 138 of 216 passes.
Chaney leads the team in rushing with 496 yards and he has run for six scores. He has a team-high 992 all-purpose yards.
Royds has the longest gain from scrimmage, at 44 yards.
Neal Sterling (Manasquan) is the leading receiver with 34 catches for 569 yards and three scores.
Sieczkowski is the leading tackler for the Hawks with 44 stops. Basile is second, with 36 tackles.
Basile and Minnich share the lead in pass interceptions with three.
Presbyterian is currently 3-3.
Monmouth’s first home Big South Conference game will be on Nov. 1 against Charleston Southern (5-1). Kickoff is at 1 p.m. in West Long Branch.
Monmouth has beaten Delaware State, 52-21; Wagner, 21-16; Lehigh, 28-21; Robert Morris, 51-20; and Columbia. The Hawks lost to Duquesne, 30-21.