Ave Maria scored all 22 of its points in the second quarter and defeated Fort Lauderdale 22-3 on Sept. 20, 2026, in Hollywood, Florida. The victory was Ave Maria’s first of the season and improved the team to 1-2.
The game was scoreless after the first quarter before Ave Maria’s offense and defense took control. Jake Matigian opened the scoring with a 38-yard field goal, and he remains 3-for-3 on field-goal attempts from 30 to 39 yards this season.
Ave Maria then forced a turnover when Elijah Douge forced a fumble and Alfred Taylor IV recovered it. Reggie McBride finished the ensuing drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, giving Ave Maria a 10-0 lead after Matigian’s successful extra point. McBride led Ave Maria with 28 rushing yards and one touchdown.
Sean Battle returned a punt 16 yards on the next Fort Lauderdale possession, setting up Ave Maria’s offense. Domenico Berlingieri then connected with Logan Howard for a 20-yard touchdown, the freshman quarterback’s first collegiate passing touchdown. The extra point failed, leaving Ave Maria ahead 16-0.
Ave Maria added its final touchdown on the next Fort Lauderdale possession. Christian Lozada blocked a punt and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown, putting Ave Maria ahead 22-0 before halftime. Ave Maria attempted a two-point conversion after the score but did not convert.
The defense recorded three interceptions, tying Ave Maria’s 2025 season high. Nate Harrison made the first interception of his career on a pass picked off at the Ave Maria 38-yard line, while Adam Denver and Sean Battle also intercepted passes in the second quarter. Denver and Battle each recorded the second interception of their respective careers.
Fort Lauderdale scored its only points on Jefferson Ramirez’s 28-yard field goal in the third quarter. Ave Maria’s defense forced two punts and a turnover on downs in the fourth quarter to preserve the 22-3 result.
Ave Maria finished with six tackles for loss, including two sacks. Douge led the team with 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack, while the teams combined for 467 total yards, with Fort Lauderdale recording 269 and Ave Maria 198.
Joseph Thole completed 6 of 17 passes for 101 yards to lead Ave Maria’s passing attack. Berlingieri completed 1 of 4 passes for 20 yards, with his lone completion accounting for the touchdown to Howard. Mitchell Soltau led Ave Maria in receiving with two catches for 48 yards.
What comes next for Ave Maria
Ave Maria will host the Trinity Tigers on Sept. 26 in its final non-conference game of the season. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. kickoff at Gyrene Field and will be streamed live on the Sun Digital Network.
The game is designated Faith, Family and Community Night at Gyrene Field. Trinity is playing its inaugural season as a football team.
FSB Take
Ave Maria turned a scoreless opening quarter into a decisive victory with 22 points in the second quarter. The defense supplied three interceptions, a forced fumble, a blocked punt returned for a touchdown and six tackles for loss. That performance moved Ave Maria to 1-2 ahead of its Sept. 26 home game against Trinity.
Source: Original report