WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. (HamptonPirates.com) – Kenji Bahar threw for 364 yards and four touchdowns, while Pete Guerriero ran for 240 yards and two scores as 12th-ranked Monmouth defeated Hampton in the season finale on Saturday 48-13.
The first two scoring drives were basically mirrors of each other. Hampton took the first drive and the tandem of Deondre Francois and Jadakis Bonds connected on a 37-yard scoring pass to put Hampton up 7-0 early. The Pirates drive was five-plays, 75 yards in 2:14. Bonds became the single-season touchdown reception leader on that score with his 15th touchdown catch this year.
Monmouth responded with a Bahar to Lonnie Moore six-yard scoring pass to tie the game at 7-all. It was a five-play, 74-yard scoring drive for the Hawks that was eight seconds quicker.
Bahar found Guerriero for a seven-yard scoring pass with 31 seconds left in the first quarter to cap off an eight-play, 46-yard scoring drive that took 3:37. Monmouth pinned Hampton inside its ten-yardline to set up the scoring drive.
Guerriero broke off an 81-yard scoring run on its first possession of the second quarter to push the advantage to 21-7 with 13:29 left. Bahar found Quinton Parham for a 31-yard scoring pass at the 6:28 mark of the first half as Monmouth pushed the lead to 28-7.
Hampton’s defense came up big as Desmond Sturdivant deflected a Bahar pass into the hands of Tyler Frazier to set Hampton up on its 32. The Pirates got back on the board as Francois connected with KeyRon Catlett for a 23-yard scoring pass to finish a four-play, 68-yard scoring drive. McKenzie had a pair of 20+ yard runs on the drive to get Hampton inside the 25 of Monmouth.
That touchdown connection gave Francois the single-season touchdown passes record of 26 breaking the mark held by Matt Montgomery in 1992 with 25. A 23-yard run by McKenzie helped propel him into the single season top ten yards list.
Matt Mosquera with a 38-yard field goal at the halftime horn gave the Hawks a 31-13 lead. Guerriero took the lead to 38-13 on a 38-yard touchdown run on the fourth play of the third quarter.
Hampton’s first possession of the third quarter saw McKenzie break off a season best 57 yard run which moved him up to fourth on the single-season list as he finished with 1,214 yards. He also became the third running back to run for over 100 yards on Monmouth with a career-best 167 yards. That was the most yards an opposing back ran for on Monmouth this year.