MILTON, Mass. (Nov. 21, 2025) – The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy football team ended the 2025 season with an exciting 27-24 road victory over Curry in the Fusion Bowl on Friday night up at the Colonels' Katz' Field. With the win, the Mariners close out their campaign with an 8-2 record, their most wins since getting nine in 2021, and the most under fourth-year head coach Jameson Croall. Curry ended its season 8-3.
 
Sophomore quarterback Bubba Mustain (Oro Valley, Ariz.) was named the Fusion Bowl MVP after he ran for 151 yards on 35 carries with three touchdowns, while also completing five passes for 94 yards. Senior Danny Ferris (North Andover, Mass.) was second on the squad with 70 rushing yards on 15 carries, while junior Seamus Bonte (Westerville, Ohio) had 11 carries for 45 yards and one touchdown. Sophomore Sonny Endicott (Colorado Springs, Colo.) caught two passes for 66 yards to lead all receivers.
 
Defensively, sophomore Colin Best (Portland, Ore.) led the Mariners with six tackles and two pass break-ups. Classmate Blayne Shiraki (Honolulu, Hawaii) and junior Zatyk Holub (Mount Vernon, Iowa) both had five tackles each, with Shiraki recording a half-tackle for loss and Holub with one TFL. Sophomore Jonathan Wheeler (Golden, Colo.) and junior Armondo Orcesi (Dexter, N.Y.) both had one sack apiece.
 
All of Merchant Marine's scoring came in the first half, and the defense allowed just eight points to Curry in the final 30 minutes, holding off the hosts for the victory. The Mariners also led in time of possession, 38:31 to 21:29, and had a huge 428-259 advantage in total offense.
 
USMMA's first half was a tale of steady offensive pressure and key defensive stops that helped the Mariners take control heading into halftime. After Curry opened with a short-field touchdown drive following a long kickoff return, Kings Point responded with a balanced series featuring runs by Endicott, Mustain, and Ferris before the defense delivered its first stand, with Holub and Best highlighting an early stop to force a punt. The Mariners flipped momentum on their next possession when junior Jake Kenney (Lisbon, Conn.) burst for 28 yards to start a 76-yard march capped by a five-yard touchdown run from Bonte that cut the deficit to 7-6 late in the first quarter.
 
Early in the second, another methodical 81-yard USMMA drive, powered by consistent gains from Ferris, Endicott and Mustain, ended with a two-yard scoring run by Mustain to give Kings Point a 14-7 lead. Curry answered with a long possession of its own and closed the gap with a field goal, but the Mariners countered once more before the break. Endicott and Mustain teamed for a key 36-yard connection, and after Curry's pass interference penalty extended the series, Mustain punched in his second short touchdown run with eight seconds left in the half. A quick completion to sophomore Angelo Cimino (Salinas, Calif.) positioned USMMA for a long field-goal try on the final snap, but the 51-yard attempt fell short, sending the Mariners into halftime with a 21-10 advantage.
 
USMMA opened the second half with a deliberate, run-heavy march that chewed nearly eight minutes off the clock, as Endicott, Mustain and Ferris steadily pushed the ball across midfield before the drive stalled on a long field-goal attempt. Curry immediately struck back with a quick three-play scoring drive, pulling within 21-16 on a 64-yard catch-and-run. The Mariners answered with another grinding possession, with Mustain converting multiple short-yardage plays and senior Ben Rini (Vermilion, Ohio) hauling in a key third-down completion to move USMMA inside the Curry 30 before the quarter ended.
 
Early in the fourth, Bonte sparked the offense with a pair of strong runs, setting up a sequence of downhill carries that ended in a six-yard quarterback keeper by Mustain to extend the lead to 27-16. Curry responded with its most sustained drive of the half, mixing short passes and interior runs to pull within 27-24 on an eight-yard touchdown by Depina before attempting an onside kick that USMMA recovered. From there, the Mariners leaned again on Ferris and Mustain to burn the remaining clock, converting a crucial fourth-and-one at the Curry five-yard line and sealing the win by keeping the ball away until time expired
 
The Colonels were led by quarterback Anthony Santino, who completed 10-of-20 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, Jordan Depina amassed 73 yards and scored one TD. Kareem Chaplin led all wide receivers with 79 yards and a score, while Wesley Williams also found the end zone and finished with two catches for 26 yards. On defense, Shane Field recorded 17 tackles, including two for losses, while Domenic Papa made 13 stops.
 
This game ended the 10th-straight season that the Mariners have registered a winning record, which continues to be a program record that they'll look to continue in 2026. The seniors of the Class of 2026 will graduate with a total of 26 wins.

About the NEWMAC

The NEWMAC is an association of 12 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with eight Associate Members: Brandeis University (Women's Lacrosse, 2026-2027), New York University (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), SUNY New Paltz (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), and Vassar College (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), while sponsoring 20 sports.