X-Men shutout Mounties 34-0 in home opener

ANTIGONISH, NS - The STFX X-Men are now 2-0 on the season after a 34-0 shutout of the Mount Allison Mounties on Saturday afternoon at STFX Stadium in front of 1450 fans.

Najuan David got the X-Men on the board in under a minute, intercepting a Nicolas Chabot pass on the Mounties 33-yard line and running it in for a pick-six.

X-Men QB Silas Fagnan then found an open Ben Harrington for a five-yard pass and catch, with Payton Plesh kicking the extra point late in the first quarter. 

Plesh hit a 12-yard field goal after a long STFX drive halfway through the second quarter, and running back Malcolm Bussey added another six with a one-yard run in the final minute and Plesh again converted the XP before hitting a rouge to make the game 25-0 at half. 

The Mounties conceded a safety six minutes into the third quarter.

Fifth year X quarterback Silas Fagnan set an AUS record in the game, surpassing former Acadia quarterback Larry Jusdanis as the AUS career leader in pass completions. His 17-yard pass to Zach Houde in the third quarter surpassed Jusdanis' record of 592 set 30 years ago as his career spanned five seasons (1991-95). Fagnan would finish the game 22-33 with 286 total yards. He is also chasing Jusdansis' AUS career records in passing attempts and total passing yards this season.

Fagnan closed out the third quarter scoring by rumbling into the endzone for an eight-yard rushing touchdown with Plesh converting.

The teams were scoreless in the fourth quarter, with David snatching another interception late in the game to preserve the shutout for the STFX defense.  Owen Watrych, with 9 tackles, picked up the Gabriel Pizza Player of the game award for the X-Men. 

The X-Men are on the road next weekend to Quebec for a visit with Bishops (1-1) on Saturday, September 13 for a 1:00 pm EST kick-off.

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Recap courtesy Matt Draper, STFX Athletics