Hartwick Stuns Salve Regina For Second Straight Season
ONEONTA, NY - The Hartwick College football team scored 14 unanswered points in the final 8:10 to secure an improbable 20-19 comeback win over visiting Salve Regina on Saturday at Wright Stadium. Quarterback Kyle Morenus' (Sidney, NY/Sidney) 8-yard keeper and subsequent Heath Dunn (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) extra point cut the Seahawk lead to 19-13 and Morenus later connected with classmate Ryan Mosack (Oneida, NY/Oneida) for a 25-yard touchdown with 3:19 to go to tie it. Dunn nailed the extra point to put the Hawks in front for good.
The victory for Hartwick marks the second straight season the Hawks have battled back from a large fourth-quarter deficit against Salve. Last season, 'Wick rallied from a 27-14 deficit with under three minutes left for another one point win, 28-27.
The Hawks could only muster five first downs over the first three quarters of play but turned it up in the fourth when it mattered with 172 yards and six first downs. Morenus finished the game with 246 yards on 12-of-32 passing and two touchdowns, including hitting Mosack for the game-tying score. Mosack made the play happen catching the ball over his shoulder and breaking two tackles to the endzone. He ended the game with five catches for 79 yards. Junior running back Anthony Casimano (Gansevoort, NY/Schuylerville) gained 88 yards on the ground to lead Hartwick's rushing game.
Tight end Grady Edwards (Stillwater, NY/Stillwater) made one catch in the early going for a 77-yard score to put the Hawks in front. The extra point was blocked, however, and the game remained 6-0.
Salve would score the next 19 points of the game through the early going of the fourth quarter. Trey Scales' 10-yard run and Jimmy Connelly kick gave the Seahawks the lead with 9:23 left in the second quarter and the visitors did not let the lead slip until the final three minutes of the game. A Mitch Roshong 27-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Keenan with 40 seconds left in the opening half gave the visitors a 14-6 edge at halftime.
Rob LaRiviere-Tougas' 8-yard run made it 19-6 in the fourth and it appeared as though it would not be 'Wick's day. After both teams punted on their next possessions, a 33-yard pass from Morenus to reigning Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week Jordan Wilkins (Portsmouth, NH/Hyde School) set up Morenus' touchdown run.
The Hawk defense stopped the Seahawks on their next possession and forced them to punt, allowing Hartwick to drive 71 yards on six plays for the game-tying score. The Seahawks had a chance to win on the final play but Roshong's pass into the end zone to an open Patrick Keenan was underthrown.
Defensively for 'Wick, senior linebacker Joe D'Alessandro (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) notched 13 tackles, including eight solo efforts, one sack, and 3.5 tackles for a loss of nine yards.