Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind. – Saint Xavier University football (3-4/1-0 MSFA Midwest) started Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) Midwest League competition with a 30-0 triumph over Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (Ind.) Saturday afternoon at McMahon Field in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind. The Cougars rushed for a season-high 203 yards as nine ball-carries rushed 38 times with three rushing touchdowns, as well as throwing for 229 yards (22-for-34) with three quarterbacks, for 24 first downs and 432 yards of total offense. Graduate student quarterback
Dominic D'Ambrosio (Oak Forest, Ill./Andrew) rushed for two scores and redshirt freshman running back
Kendall Netters (Dunlap, Ill./Peoria) ran for a career-best 51 yards on just four carries, including his first collegiate touchdown on an 18-yard run. The SXU defense limited the Pomeroys to eight first downs, 168 yards of total offense and forced two turnovers on a pair of fumble recoveries. It was almost one year to the day since the last shutout for Saint Xavier after they defeated University of St. Francis (Ill.), 10-0, on October 18, 2025.
- Senior quarterback Blainey Dowling (Chicago, Ill./Eastern Illinois/Mount Carmel) completed 16 of his 24 pass-attempts for 180 yards and a touchdown.
- D'Ambrosio was 3-for-6 passing for 46 yards, finishing the game with five rushing attempts for 15 yards.
- Senior quarterback Barah Abad (Chicago, Ill./Quincy/Taft) made his season debut, going 3-for-4 for three yards with three rushing yards on one carry.
- Senior running back Jacob Fisher (Medora, Ill./Southwestern) posted a career-best, and game-high, 73 rushing yards on 12 carries. He added two receptions for 20 yards.
- Senior running back Caden Brann (Valparaiso, Ind./Monmouth/Wheeling) also ran for a career-high 50 yards on eight carries.
- Freshman wide receiver Antonio Benson (South Holland, Ill./Thornwood) caught three passes for a game-best 60 yards.
- Freshman wide receiver Coen Demack (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bishop McNamara) tied for the team-lead with five catches for 53 yards.
- Redshirt senior wide receiver Mario Price (Chicago Heights, Ill./Calumet New Tech) also snagged five passes for 46 yards.
- Freshman wide receiver Jayden Armstrong (Romeoville, Ill./Joliet Catholic Academy) recorded his second touchdown reception of the year on a 14-yard pass.
- Sophomore kicker Christian Casillas (Alsip, Ill./Eisenhower) was 3-for-4 on extra-point attempts, and he kicked a 37-yard field goal.
- Graduate student linebacker Carter Wynn (Greenfield, Wis./Whitnall) came away with six tackles (four solos), 1.5 tackles for loss (TFL) for two yards, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.
- Freshman defensive lineman Gavin Farley (Mokena, Ill./Providence Catholic) registered six stops (four solos), 2.0 TFL for 10 yards, a sack for three yards and a quarterback hurry.
- Senior defensive lineman Semaj Williams (Chicago, Ill./King College Prep) was credited with five tackles (four solos) with 2.0 TFL and 2.0 sacks for 14 yards.
- Redshirt junior defensive lineman David Burton (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway West) totaled four tackles (one solo), 1.5 TFL for six yards, a sack for five yards and two pass breakups.
- Junior linebacker Denym Sykes (Romeoville, Ill./Plainfield East) tallied four stops (three solos), two QB hurries and a sack for three yards.
- Junior linebacker Kyle Boelkens (McHenry, Ill./McHenry Community) also collected four tackles (three solos) with a fumble recovery.
- The team's traded three-and-out possessions to start the game. On their second drive, the Cougars marched 77 yards on 10 plays, ending with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Dowling to Armstrong with 6:54 left in the first quarter.
- Two plays later, SXU forced a fumble that Wynn pounced on at the SMWC 33-yard line. D'Ambrosio capped a short six-play drive with a four-yard rushing touchdown to take only 1:49 off the clock, putting Saint Xavier up 14-0 with 4:24 to play.
- Wynn forced a fumble, again two plays later after the change of possession, that was recovered at the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods 34-yard line. D'Ambrosio picked up his second rushing score of the game from two yards out, ending a five-play drive to extend the advantage to 21-0 with 1:27 left in the opening frame.
- Netters burst through the line for an 18-yard rushing touchdown after SXU went 85 yards on 11 plays. The extra-point attempt was blocked, giving Saint Xavier a 27-0 lead late in the second quarter at 4:52.
- The Cougar defense forced a three-and-out and took over at their own 20-yard line after a 43-yard punt just before the two-minute warning at 2:41. SXU used just 1:31 off the clock on a seven-play 60-yard drive, and Casillas nailed his fourth field goal of the year, a 37-yarder, to go up 30-0.
Saint Xavier (3-4/1-0 MSFA Midwest) returns to Bruce R. Deaton Memorial Field to host St. Francis (Ill.) in an MSFA Midwest league contest on Saturday, October 24. The game is set for a 12:00 pm start in Chicago, Ill.
