DULUTH, Minn. – For the second time this season, the Macalester College football team erased a late two-score deficit against the College of St. Scholastica, only to come up short in the end, as the Scots lost to the Saints, 44-41 on a field goal in overtime Saturday afternoon at Public School Stadium. The final game of the 2024 season was a part of the MIAC's Championship Week, which pits the Skyline Division teams against the Northwoods Division teams in the order of finish in the divisional standings.
Down 41-26 late in the fourth quarter, Macalester cut the deficit to eight when first year quarterback
Jack Scully (Menlo Park, Calif./Sacred Heart Prep) hit senior receiver
Gabe Kasper (Shoreview, Minn./Irondale) with a 23-yard touchdown pass with five minutes remaining. Desperate to get the ball back, the Scots' defense stopped the Saints on fourth down at the Macalester 39-yard line with 1:01 on the clock. Scully completed a 12-yard pass to Kasper, ran for a 9-yard gain and threw a 4-yard pass to senior receiver
Henry Clymer (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Washington) before connecting with Kasper on a 35-yard touchdown pass with 41 seconds left. Needing the two-point conversion to tie the game, Scully found first year receiver
Paxton Boyd (Newton, Mass./Newton South) in the end zone to make the score 41-41 with 41 seconds left.
The game eventually went to overtime, and Macalester had the ball first but could not score. A 25-yard field goal attempt was blocked, leading the score knotted at 41-41. On the Saints' overtime possession, the Scots' defense held again, actually backing St. Scholastica up one yard to the 26-yard line over the first three downs. Jacob Andrews, who kicked a 21-yard field goal as time expired to beat Macalester, 30-28 on Oct. 5, came on to attempt another game-winning field goal. His kick from 43 yards bounced off the cross bar and went through, giving the Saints a 44-41 win.
A 33-yard touchdown pass from Scully to Boyd and a 1-yard run by junior running back
Vasco Sierra (Chicago, Ill./DePaul College Prep) helped the Scots take a 14-7 lead in the second quarter. St. Scholastica tied the score with a touchdown on the next possession, and the teams went into halftime tied 14-14. After the Saints scored on a 5-yard pass from Donald West to Ricky Weber early in the third quarter, sophomore receiver
Brian Maddox (Alexandria, Va./Georgetown Preparatory School) returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. Maddox answered another St. Scholastica touchdown with a 7-yard touchdown reception, but the extra point was no good, leaving the Saints with a 27-26 lead heading to the fourth quarter.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, West connected with Andrew Burgess for a 54-yard touchdown pass. An interception on Macalester's first offensive play following the score gave the ball to St. Scholastica on the 7-yard line. Nick Schlender ran it in from there for what seemed to be a comfortable 41-26 lead, setting up another thrilling finish.
Scully had his best game as a Scot, throwing for 302 yards and four touchdowns on 21 completions in 42 attempts. First year quarterback
Deijon Feliciano (Evergreen Park, Ill./Evergreen Park) also threw for 88 yards on seven completions. Kasper caught 10 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns, while Maddox had seven receptions for 104 yards and a score. He also had 135 yards on kick returns. The defense was led by junior defensive back
Jacob Degnan (Kansas City, Mo./The Pembroke Hill School), who had eight tackles and three pass breakups, and senior defensive lineman
Max Menache (Beverly Hills, Calif./Beverly Hills) with seven tackles and two sacks.
Schlender rushed for 242 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, while West threw for 331 yards and two touchdowns. Burgess caught 10 passes for 170 yards and a score.
The game marked the final contest as a Scot for 16 Macalester seniors.
