Late defensive stand seals Valpo win

FB: Lendino and Johnson make crucial plays as Beacons beat Marist 17-14 in New York

Landon Fox knew that Marist was a desperate football team that would do anything to win on Saturday afternoon.

Nic Lendino, Mark Johnson and the rest of Valparaiso’s defense were ready for whatever the Red Foxes were going to throw their way.

Lendino broke up what would’ve been a Marist touchdown on a third down late in the fourth quarter. Johnson followed that up with a game-sealing pass breakup on the next play after Marist dialed up a flea flicker on fourth-and-1 and then threw the ball long.

With the defensive stand, Valparaiso held on for a 17-14 win at Tenney Stadium in Poughkeepsie, New York, bringing an end to a 10-game road losing streak that dated back to 2022.