Paxton, Mass. – The Spartans were unable to generate consistent offense and turned the ball over four times as they fell to Anna Maria 42-14 on Saturday afternoon at AMCAT Field. 

Castleton recorded 13 first downs in the contest while the Spartans totaled 171 rushing and 118 passing yards as they fell to 1-7 overall and 0-5 in the ECFC. The AMCATS picked off Castleton three times and totaled 506 yards of offense as they improved to 2-6 overall and 1-4 in conference play. 

Freshman Doug Saffo led the rushing attack for the second straight week, going for 80 yards and a touchdown on just five carries. Elias LaCount rushed for 73 yards on seven attempts as both broke off 56-yard runs. Kyle Kianpour went 10 of 24 for 87 yards behind center and Tyler Combs led the receiving corps with 40 yards on five catches. Freshman Tyler Bartro added three receptions for 49 yards. 

Robert Small demonstrated why he is one of the top rushers in the ECFC, scoring three times and rushing for 225 yards on 29 attempts for a 7.8 average per carry. Gregory McGoldrick was solid, throwing for 229 yards on 13 completions while tossing two touchdowns and one interception. William Ricard was his primary target on the day, catching six passes for 147 yards and both scores. 

Neither team was able to get its offense going, until an eight-play drive by the Spartans midway through the quarter. However, Tyler Higley was picked off at the Anna Maria eight-yard line and eight plays later McGoldrick found Ricard for a five-yard touchdown. 

In the second quarter, Robert Small made it 14-0 at 7:08 on a 44-yard scamper. The teams then traded turnovers, before a five-play 70-yard drive by Anna Maria. Small capped off the drive with a three-yard score to extend the AMCAT lead to 21-0 with 1:22 left. 

The Spartans made it all the way down to the Anna Maria 16-yard line on their next drive, however, a false start and consecutive incompletions turned the ball over on downs with seven seconds left in the half. 

The AMCATS received the ball to open the second half and marched down the field in seven plays, capped off by a 29-yard scoring strike from McGoldrick to Ricard with 11:41 left. 

Castleton opened its next possession on its own 27-yard line. Michael Toczko started the drive with a rush, and after an incomplete pass, Kianpour found Soren Pelz-Walsh for an eight-yard gain. On first down, Saffo took the handoff and went 56 yards to the endzone to make it 28-7. 

Anna Maria needed just four plays on its next drive as Jafar Ashshaheed rushed for a 23-yard touchdown with 9:35 left in the third quarter for the 35-7 advantage. Kyle Kianpour brought the Spartans back within three scores as he rushed for a two-yard score with 3:10 left in the third. 

The AMCATS managed to keep Castleton off the board in the final quarter and Small ended the game's scoring with a four-yard touchdown in the final three minutes for the 42-14 result. 

Sophomore Jay Morgan led the Spartan defense with nine tackles, including 1.5 for a loss while Nick Romeo also had nine and the team's lone sack. Leo Audy had a team-high seven solo stops and 1.5 tackles for a loss while Isiaih Jackson had a tackle and the team's lone interception. 

Castleton returns to action next Saturday when the team hosts Becker at 12 pm in Spartan Stadium.