THROGGS NECK, NY – Nate Casaburi (Sayville, NY) tied a Maritime College football record with three touchdown receptions in a 32-27 victory over Anna Maria (1-2) at Reinhart Field on Saturday afternoon.
Steven Stassi (East Islip, NY), meanwhile, also equaled a program mark with five TD passes for the Privateers (2-1).
The first of Stassi and Casaburi's touchdown connections came on the first play of the second quarter, as the 54-yard scoring strike brought Maritime within 7-6. On their next drive, the Privateers marched 81 yards in 11 plays, with Stassi finding Casaburi for a nine-yard touchdown to make it 12-7 Maritime. After the AMCATS missed a field goal, Maritime went on an 80-yard drive.
Mario Agyen (Bronx, NY) caught the six-yard TD pass, and Stassi found
Luke Caliendo (North Babylon, NY) for the two-point conversion to extend the Privateers' advantage to 20-7 at halftime.
Maritime received the second half kickoff and kept the ball for half of the third quarter before Stassi found Casaburi from 13 yards out. His third touchdown of the game increased the margin to 26-7. Anna Maria got within 26-14 on Davien Atkinson's three-yard TD run, but the Privateers responded with their fifth consecutive touchdown drive. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Stassi connected with Caliendo from six yards to cap a 10-play, 83-yard march and give Maritime an 18-point lead, 32-14.
After Jamal Cariglia's four-yard TD run brought Anna Maria within 32-21, the AMCATS forced a punt on the next Maritime drive. An
Aidan Griffin (Queens, NY) interception ended the next Anna Maria drive, but the Privateer offense stalled on the AMCATS 12 with 1:56 left.
Anna Maria made it a one-score game on Ryan Russell's 19-yard scoring strike to Kevin Acosta Jr. with 49 seconds remaining. The AMCATS' two-point conversion was no good, however, keeping the Privateers' lead at five, 32-27.
Georgios Tsoumpariotis (Albertson, NY) then recovered the onside kick, allowing Maritime to close out the victory by taking a knee twice.
Stassi finished 27-for-41 for a career-high 360 yards and a program-record-tying five touchdowns. Casaburi had 11 catches for 136 yards and three scores, while
Devin Cline (Miller Place, NY) carried 20 times for 103 yards. Defensively,
Dylan Denicker (Queens, NY) led the Privateers with nine tackles and
Kevin Wu (Staten Island, NY) made five solo tackles to go along with two pass breakups.
For the AMCATS, Russell went 22-for-38 for 366 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw an interception. Atkinson scored two touchdowns—one rushing, one receiving—while Cariglia had 11 carries for 74 yards and a TD. Acosta led Anna Maria with seven receptions for 108 yards and a score, and Delvin Pryor made five catches for 112 yards. Kellen Palm recorded a team-high nine tackles, including a sack, to go along with a blocked extra point.
Next Saturday, the Privateers (0-0 NEWMAC) begin their New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) schedule by hosting rival Merchant Marine (2-0, 0-0 NEWMAC) at 12 p.m. It will be the Mariners' first visit to Reinhart Field since 2021.
