PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – The inaugural Westchester Gridiron Classic belonged to Pace University Football in record-setting fashion Saturday afternoon, as the Setters delivered a dominant 59-3 victory over Monroe University at Northwell Stadium.
Pace matched the varsity-era program record for points in a game, tied another with six touchdown passes and established a new varsity-era mark with a 56-point margin of victory. The Setters improved to 1-1 in front of 1,576 fans in the first meeting between Westchester County's two NCAA Division II football programs.
The Setters established control from the opening possession. Tray Mauney capped an eight-play, 75-yard drive with a 21-yard touchdown pass to John Nasky Jr. before adding a one-yard rushing score late in the first quarter to make it 14-0. Mauney needed just one play to extend the advantage early in the second, finding Kyler Robinson for a 48-yard touchdown.
Marc Malandruccolo connected on a 32-yard field goal before Monroe scored its only points of the afternoon. Pace answered just before halftime when Mauney connected with Nasky for an 80-yard touchdown, sending the Setters into the break with a 31-3 advantage.
Pace continued to pull away in the second half. Anthony Robinson finished a 48-yard drive with a one-yard rushing touchdown before Luke Porcaro connected with Hayezon Tobe for an 89-yard score. Porcaro added touchdown passes to Ian Adrien and Michael Tales in the fourth quarter to complete the scoring.
Mauney finished 13-of-21 for 242 yards and three touchdowns, while Porcaro went 5-of-6 for 130 yards and three scores. Nasky led the receiving corps with 107 yards and two touchdowns on three catches, while Anthony Robinson paced the ground game with 68 yards and a touchdown. The Setters finished with 520 total yards, including 414 through the air, and averaged 8.5 yards per play.
The Setters were just as commanding defensively, limiting Monroe to 110 total yards and only one rushing yard on 21 attempts. Nathen Choute led Pace with nine tackles, Jayson Chavous recorded a sack, Travis Osterhout intercepted a pass, and Sven Chuppa recovered a fumble. Monroe finished with just seven first downs and was held without a touchdown.
The offensive performance also made its mark in the Pace record book. The 59 points matched the varsity-era single-game record set against Marist in 1978, while the six touchdown passes equaled the record established against Trenton State in 1987. The 56-point margin surpassed the previous varsity-era record of 45, accomplished against Franklin Pierce in 2019 and Brooklyn in 1982.
The victory secured the first Westchester Gridiron Classic trophy for Pace, opening the annual series between the two Westchester County programs in emphatic fashion.
The Setters return to action Saturday, Sept. 19, traveling to Worcester, MA, to face Assumption University at 12:00 p.m.
