Senior defensive back/wide receiver Leondre Simmon had a pair of touchdown receptions and also had an interception to lead the St. Lawrence University Football team to a 38-21 victory over Springfield College Saturday afternoon in a Liberty League matchup at Springfield, Massachusetts.

Simmon scored his first TD midway through the first quarter on a 7-yard scoring reception, intercepted a pass to stop a Springfield (4-4 overall, 2-3 Liberty League) dive near the end of the first quarter and then caught another TD pass in the third quarter with a 1-yard pass play and the Saints (6-1, 4-0) cruised to the victory.

St. Lawrence scored on its first drive of the game after forcing a Springfield punt. Maurice Irby ran the ball on six of the first eight plays of the drive accumulating 45 yards but facing a 4th-and-4 situation on the 24 yard line, quarterback Mike Lefflbine completed a six-yard pass to Austen Lauricella for the key first down and one play later, Lefflbine connected with Simmon for the seven-yard TD pass and a quick 7-0 lead for the Saints.

The Pride answered quickly with a 73-yard scoring run on the second play of the ensuing drive to tie the score.

Lauricella returned the kickoff 27 yards and had an extra 15 yards added to the return as a result of a facemask penalty giving the Saints great field position. On the first play from scrimmage, Lefflbine connected with Vincenzo Ferraro on a 41-yard pass and catch moving the ball inside the 10-yard line and Lefflbine punched it in from two yards out for the 14-7 St. Lawrence lead.

On the next possession, Springfield put together another drive but facing a 3rd-and-17 from the 36 yard line, Pride quarterback Jake Eglintine attempted his first pass of the game and Simmon intercepted to stop the threat.

The St. Lawrence could not move the ball and after a short punt, Springfield took over and Eglintine capped a seven-play drive with a 1-yard scoring run to knot the game at 14-14.

After a St. Lawrence punt, Springfield started a drive deep in its own end and fumbled inside the 10-yard line and Skyler Williamson recovered for the Saints setting up a 21-yard field goal by Andrew Carvalho as St. Lawrence took the lead for good at 17-14.

The Saints added to the first-half lead with a scoring drive near the end of the first half. James Holley-Grisham set up the drive with a 52-yard punt return giving the Saints field position at the Springfield 26.

Lefflbine completed three consecutive passes with the third one going to tight end Mitch Gallagher for an 18-yard TD and the Saints took a 24-14 lead into the halftime intermission.

Springfield opened the second half with a short kickoff and Lefflbine engineered a drive with four complete passes in the first five plays to move the ball inside the 10-yard line before he found Simmon for a 1-yard TD pass and catch to extend the Saint lead to 31-14.

Springfield did not surrender and scored quickly on its next possession with another long run, this time a 68-yard rush by Eglintine that trimmed the lead to 31-21.

The teams exchanged punts for the next three drives before Springfield threatened again late in the third quarter. The Pride drove down the field for seven plays but faced a 4th-and-1 at the St. Lawrence 24 yard line. Eglintine ran the ball but Holley-Grisham was there to make the stop at the line of scrimmage leaving the Pride short of the first down and giving the ball back to St. Lawrence.

On the first St. Lawrence drive of the fourth quarter, Lefflbine drove the team inside the 20-yard line again and connected with Matt Gardiner for a 10-yard scoring pass to make it a 38-21 lead for the Saints.

On the ensuing drive, Holley-Grisham intercepted a pass on a fourth-down play to keep the Springfield offense off the field.

After a five-play St. Lawrence drive consumed some of the remaining clock, Springfield was forced to punt on its last drive giving the Saints the ball with 1:08 left to play and Lefflbine was able to take a knee for the final plays of the game to secure the victory.

It was the sixth straight win for the Saints and the 10th Liberty League win in the last 11 league contests.

Lefflbine finished 21-for-37 for 220 yards and four TDs and also ran one in to be a part of all five St. Lawrence touchdowns. Irby had 65 yards on 12 carries and Ferraro led the receivers with 71 yards on five receptions. Simmon had two catches – both for scores.

Ryan Byrne led the defense with 12 tackles while Alec Dietsch and Nick Barclay had nine stops each. Holley-Grisham finished with seven tackles, an interception, a forced fumble and 96 yards on three punt returns.

The Saints return home Saturday to face WPI at 1 pm at Leckonby Stadium on Halloween afternoon.