20-Point Fourth Quarter Keys Hartwick 27-12 Win Over Mount Ida on Senior Day
ONEONTA, NY - Hartwick College (4-5) scored 20 fourth quarter points and rang up 298 rushing yards on Mount Ida (6-4) on Saturday at Wright Stadium in the final game of the season for the Hawks. Senior running back Nate Rockefeller (Delhi, NY/Delaware Valley) led the way with a career-high 181 rushing yards, which included over 100 yards and two touchdowns in the final 3:15 of the game. The game is the second straight win for the Hawks and their second in row in come-from-behind fashion.
Hartwick trailed the Mustangs 12-7 with under eight minutes to play in the game before a Dan Brainard (Owego, NY/Owego) touchdown pass to Jordan Wilkins (Portsmouth, NH/Hyde School) for 29 yards gave the Hawks a one-point lead. Hartwick went for two but the play failed leaving the score at 13-12 Hartwick's favor with 7:17 left.
The Mustangs drove into Hartwick territory on the ensuing possession but linebacker Jordan Spirou (Westbury, NY/W.T. Clarke) intercepted quarterback Scott Drosendahl on the 'Wick 20 with 4:14 remaining. Rockefeller ran for five yards and then on second and five, he broke free for a career-best 74-yard touchdown run to give Hartwick some breathing room. Senior kicker Heath Dunn (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) tacked on the extra point to make the score 20-12.
The Hartwick defense held up on Mount Ida's next possession, stopping the Mustangs at midfield. After several timeouts to stop the clock, Rockefeller ran for 19 yards with under two minutes left to essentially put the game on ice, but he wasn't done as three plays later he broke the line again and bulled through several Mustang tacklers to make it to the end zone once again from 34 yards out. Dunn's extra point brought about the final score line of 27-12.
Junior running back Anthony Casimano (Gansevoort, NY/Schuylerville) joined Rockefeller as the Hawks' second rusher to break the 100-yard mark for the game. He finished with 134 yards and a second-quarter touchdown. Brainard connected on 8-of-16 passes for 151 yards, including the go-ahead strike in the fourth quarter. Wilkins made six catches for 138 yards and the touchdown to take the lead.
Mount Ida took a 6-0 lead as it scored on its opening possession of the game. The Mustangs drove 60 yards on 11 plays capped by a Paul Shaughnessy 1-yard run. The extra point was missed and the Mustangs led 6-0 after the first 15 minutes.
The Hawks attempted a field goal on their next possession but Dunn's effort was blocked and the Mustangs marched 80 yards on 12 plays for their next score. Drosendahl found Nick Lynch for a 9-yard touchdown reception and the Mustangs' two-point conversion failed making the score 12-0.
The Hawks finally got on the board on their next possession. Brainard twice connected with Wilkins in the drive. The first catch was for 37 yards and the second was for another 21 and Casimano ran it in from one yard out later in the drive. Dunn's extra point made it 12-7 at the half.
The third quarter was scoreless before Brainard and Wilkins put the Hawks up for good midway through the fourth.
Defensively for Hartwick, Spirou had eight tackles and the big fourth-quarter interception. RJ Roth (Cornwall, NY/Cornwall) recorded seven hits, one sack, and one tackle for loss. Pete Jackson (Groton, NY/Groton), Davionne Price (Bloomville, NY/Delhi), Chad Rockefeller (Delhi, NY//Delaware Valley), and Bryan Schweitzer (Babylon, NY/Babylon) each notched six tackles. Rockefeller also forced a fumble, and Schweitzer recovered the fumble, and added an interception and broke up three passes.
Prior to the game, Hartwick honored its senior class of Dunn, Chad and Nate Rockefeller, quarterback Kyle Morenus (Sidney, NY/Sidney), wide receivers Ryan Mosack (Oneida, NY/Oneida), Jonny Kravetz (East Syracuse, NY/ESM), and Alan Uryniak (Montvale, NJ/Pascack Valley), defensive linemen Tim Martin (Garden City, NY/Garden City), and Dave Stevens (Spencerport, NY/Spencerport), linebackers Dan Contrastano (Hastings-on-Hudson, NY/Hastings), and Joe D'Alessandro (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna), defensive backs Kevin Lee (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) and Stephen Leisenfelder (Wynantskill, NY/Troy), and offensive lineman Chad Cassidy (Troy, NY/LaSalle).