BEVERLY, Mass. – Behind a suffocating defense and timely scoring, the Endicott football team defeated Rochester (N.Y.), 28-3, on Saturday afternoon at Hempstead Stadium.

Sophomore running back John Kenney (Wilmington, Mass.) highlighted the Gulls' offense with a 71-yard TD run in the first (14-0, 1:49) and an 88-yard game-clinching TD dash in the fourth quarter (28-3, 5:27). Overall, Kenney finished the contest with a career-high 191 yards on 14 carries.

Meanwhile, junior quarterback Dylan Bonfilio (Burlington, Mass.) passed for 119 yards and one score via 17 completions (24 attempts) to go along with a one-yard TD run of his own on the game's opening drive (9:12).

Bonfilio's lone TD pass was a 17-yard TD strike to Will Genaway (Hinsdale, Mass.) over the middle through the heart of the defense in the second quarter (21-0, 6:20).

Defensively, Endicott limited the Yellowjackets to just four drives inside its plus-30 out of 13 total chances and one score (field goal, 3rd quarter, 1:35) in three red zone opportunities. Of the four chances inside the Gulls' 30-yard line, Endicott forced a 37-yard missed field goal (2nd quarter, 12;18) and intercepted two passes – including one in the end zone by Tyler Davis (Bethel, Conn.) – aside from Rochester's field goal in the third quarter.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Today was the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
• With today's win, the Gulls are off to their first 2-0 start to a season since 2012.
• Rochester led the time of possession matchup, 32:54-27:06.
• Kenney also set career-highs for TDs in a game, longest rush (88 yards), and highest rushing average per carry (13.6) in a contest (min. 10 attempts).
• Gulls' junior linebacker Tim Russell (Stoneham, Mass.) paced all student-athletes with a game-high 13 tackles (four solo, nine assisted, 0.5 sacks, 1.5 tackles for a loss) in the win.
• Russell's 13 tackles are also a career-high for the junior transfer at Endicott.
• Sam Opont (Bridgeport, Conn.) ranked second on the team with eight tackles (two solo, six assisted), three shy of his single-game career-high.
• Grayson Maddux (Park City, Utah) had Endicott's other interception in the win, which occurred at 11:57 of the third quarter. The pick for Maddux was the second of his career.

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott (2-0) hosts No. 22 nationally ranked Wesley next Saturday, September 21 at 12:00 PM. Rochester (0-2) welcomes Alfred State to its campus next Saturday at 12 PM. 

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(Photo Credit - Nick Grace '20)