Xavier football just crushed East Haven 27-2 in their season opener on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, but let me tell you, it didn’t start pretty. Falcons quarterback Maxwell Murphy admitted he was “hyper” in the first quarter, summarizing a shaky beginning that saw East Haven actually get on the board first. Not with an offensive touchdown, mind you, but a high snap on a Xavier punt that sailed out of the end zone for a safety. Yeah, 2-0 East Haven. What even *was* that? Coach Sean Marinan later talked about “inexperienced guys in new positions” and “trying to find the right mix,” and it definitely showed early.
Murphy Shakes Off the Nerves and Falcons Explode
Seriously, for a minute there, it felt like the Falcons were tripping over their own feet. But once Murphy settled down, he completely lit it up, responding “really well” to that early hiccup. The guy threw two of his three touchdown passes in the second quarter alone, completely flipping the script! First, Murphy connected with Eli Halvorsen on a clutch 17-yard touchdown pass to finally put Xavier on the board. East Haven’s offense literally only gained two yards on their *next* possession. Then, after Matthew Roby busted a monster 20-yard run, Murphy found Evan McKee for a 9-yard scoring pass. Roby, who absolutely tore it up with 109 yards on eight carries for the night, wasn’t done, punching in a 14-yard run late in that same quarter to push the lead to a commanding 20-2 by halftime. And just to keep the foot on the gas, Milo Chandler hauled in a huge 26-yard touchdown catch on Xavier’s first drive of the second half, making it 27-2. That’s a serious offensive clinic after a rough start!
Defense Delivers a Masterclass, Shuts Down Yellowjackets
While Murphy and the offense were figuring things out, the defense was an absolute brick wall, a total masterclass in shutting down an opponent. East Haven coach Scott Benoit was blunt, saying his team “couldn’t get anything going offensively” and “were playing defense way too long.” He wasn’t kidding. After that initial safety, the Yellowjackets picked up just two yards on their next possession. They had one real shot in the second half after quarterback Anthony Fowler hit Kayden Staron for a 40-yard completion, but Lonzell Barnes came up with a massive sack to squash that drive. Eli Halvorsen was everywhere, leading the team with seven tackles and two tackles for loss. Jacob Barnhart, Joey Zappulla, and Liam Lefebvre each added two tackles for loss themselves, with Lefebvre even recovering a fumble that led directly to a Xavier touchdown. Charles Bussert fought hard for East Haven with four tackles, and their Charles Fowler and Lucien Moran grabbed interceptions, but the Falcons’ defense was just on another level. Coach Marinan’s reputation as a “good defensive coach” clearly showed through.
Yeah, Coach Marinan admitted they “shot ourselves in the foot” with “one dumb thing after another” at times, but he also said they “settled down and started playing football.” Hopefully, as he put it, “we got the jitters out.” If this is how they play when they’re still “finding the right mix” and shaking off opening-game nerves, then the rest of the league needs to watch out. Xavier 27, East Haven 2. What a way to kick off the season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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