A Fourth-Quarter Collapse in San Diego
The Toreros sealed the narrow victory with just 2:48 remaining on the game clock when quarterback Dom Nankil punched in a 4-yard run to cap a nine-play, 65-yard possession.
Early Scoring Volleys and Red Foxes Momentum
San Diego struck first with 8:40 left in the opening quarter when Nankil connected with Elijah Taylor on a 9-yard touchdown pass, capping an exhaustive 14-play, 90-yard drive that consumed over six minutes of game time.
Marist responded before the first quarter expired. Sonny Mannino engineered a 12-play, 76-yard march, finding Lincoln Cardillo for a 5-yard scoring pass. Moments later, Isaiah Simmons stunned the home crowd with a blistering 35-yard touchdown run, vaulting the Red Foxes ahead 13-7.
A Wild Seesaw Before Halftime
The visitors extended their advantage early in the second quarter. Mannino targeted Jayden Taylor for a 43-yard touchdown strike, capping an 85-yard drive to make it 19-7. San Diego clawed back before halftime as Nankil threw two more scoring passes—a 10-yarder to Christopher Hall and a 4-yarder to Cole Monach—shifting the halftime score to 21-19 in favor of the Toreros.
Trading Punches in the Second Half
The momentum seesawed wildly through the second half. Adam Criter pushed San Diego’s lead to 28-19 with a 1-yard plunge in the third quarter. Mannino answered with a 4-yard keeper for Marist, but Nankil struck again right before the period ended, lofting a 38-yard touchdown pass to Luke Morgan to stake the Toreros to a 35-26 cushion.
Late Heroics Leave Marist Out of Time
Marist mounted a furious rally in the final frame. Mannino scored on a 1-yard sneak with 9:03 remaining, and Simmons tore through the defense for a 51-yard touchdown run shortly after, vaulting the Red Foxes back in front 40-35 with 6:17 left. That set the stage for Nankil’s game-winning heroics, leaving Marist out of time.
