HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — The Ave Maria Football team did all of their scoring in the second quarter as the Gyrenes put up 22 points against the Fort Lauderdale Eagles. Combined with a great performance on defense, the Gyrenes notched their first win of the season with a 22-3 victory over the Eagles Saturday afternoon.
The first quarter was empty offensively for both teams as they played each other to a 0-0 tie after the first 15 minutes. Defensively, the Gyrenes logged their second interception of the season on the Eagles' second possession. After Fort Lauderdale moved the ball to around midfield, junior Nate Harrison picked off a deep shot from UFTL at the Ave Maria 38 and returned it 11 yards. It is the first career interception for Harrison.
After a couple more punts, the Gyrenes finally got on the board at the start of the second quarter with a 38-yard field goal from Jake Matigian. The sophomore from Michigan is still perfect on field goal attempts between 30 and 39 yards this season, sitting at 3-for-3.
On the ensuring Fort Lauderdale drive, the Ave Maria defense forced another turnover, this time on the ground. Elijah Douge pried a ball free from the Eagles' running back and it was recovered by Alfred Taylor IV. For the senior Douge it was his second career forced fumble at Ave Maria and the first career recovery for the freshman Taylor IV.
The turnover led directly to points as the Gyrenes scored their first touchdown of the game just a few plays later. A Fort Lauderdale pass interference call moved the ball inside the 5-yard line for the Gyrenes. After a couple more penalties and a complete pass, Reggie McBride pounded the pigskin over the goal line for a touchdown. A successful PAT put the Gyrenes up 10-0.
The Ave Maria defense forced a Fort Lauderdale three-and-out on the next drive. A short punt and a 16-yard return from Sean Battle set the Gyrenes up just outside the red zone. This time, Ave Maria needed just three plays to gain 22 yards and put another six points on the board. Logan Howard caught the 20-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Domenico Berlingieri, who logged his first collegiate passing score. A failed PAT kept it a two-score game as the Gyrenes went up 16-0.
The following Fort Lauderdale drive brought the most exciting play of the game. The Gyrene defense forced another Eagle punt but this time they got back to the punter and blocked the kick. Junior Christian Lozada was the Gyrene who got in the punter's face and snatched the ball out of the air. Lozada not only blocked the punt but returned it 40 yards to the house for a touchdown. It is the first blocked punt returned for a touchdown in Ave Maria history since Bryan Stiemke blocked and Ray DeSanto returned a punt against Florida Memorial October 30, 2021.
Ave Maria tried to make up for the missed PAT with a two-point conversion but were held short.
The Gyrene defense intercepted two more passes in the second quarter, but neither led to a score. Adam Denver snagged the first one and Sean Battle picked the second. Both interceptions were the second of their respective careers.
With an exciting second quarter in the books, Ave Maria took a 22-0 lead into the break.
Things slowed down in the second half as the Gyrenes protected their lead. The Ave Maria defense forced two punts from the Eagles. Fort Lauderdale did get on the board with a 28-yard field goal to score their lone three points of the game.
Both offenses were quiet in the fourth quarter as well. The Gyrene defense forced two more punts and a turnover on downs in the final frame. The Eagles had the ball for the final 49 seconds of the game and tried to put together one final drive to score some points, but Ave Maria was able to keep them out of the end zone by time the clock hit triple zeroes.
Joseph Thole was leading quarterback for the Gyrenes, completing 6-of-17 passes for 101 yards. Berlingieri completed one pass on four attempts, the one completion being the 20-yard touchdown strike to Howard.
McBride was the leading rusher, netting 28 yards on the ground and one touchdown.
Mitchell Soltau was the leading receiver with two catches for 48 yards.
Defensively, Ave Maria compiled three interceptions, tying their 2025 season high, a mark they hit three times. The Gyrenes also logged six tackles for a loss, with two of them being sacks. Douge led the team with 2.5 TFLs and one sack.
With the win, Ave Maria improves to 1-2 on the year.
The Gyrenes are back home Saturday, September 26, for the final non-conference game of the season. Ave Maria will host the Trinity Tigers, who are playing their inaugural season as a football team. The game has been designated Faith, Family and Community Night at Gyrene Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on the Sun Digital Network.
