Football | 9/10/2022 9:37:00 PM
MORRISVILLE, NY – Host SUNY Morrisville football shocked visiting Hobart College Saturday afternoon as the Mustangs took down the No. 23 nationally ranked Statemen 24-13 on Drake Field in front of the homecoming weekend crowd in Morrisville.
THE BASICS:
- Final Score: Morrisville 24, #23 Hobart 13 (halftime: Morrisville 21-3)
- Location: Drake Field, Morrisville, N.Y.
- Records: Morrisville 2-0, Hobart 1-1
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- Visiting Hobart College entered the Mustang Valley with a national ranking and win under their belts Saturday afternoon, but the host SUNY Morrisville defensive unit took the wind out of their sails as they forced key turnovers in a 24-13 win over the Statesmen in non-conference action.
- Morrisville, who possessed the ball for just 21 minutes of the contest on offense, got a total 80 yards from junior quarterback Steven Frerichs (Wilson, N.Y.) in both the passing and running game.
- Frerichs connected with Justin Adams (West Babylon, N.Y.) for the longest reception of the game for the Mustangs, albeit a scoring touchdown in the second quarter, while adding a total 39 yards on the ground.
- Morrisville's Alex McBurnie (Brooklyn, N.Y.) posted a team best 66 yards on 12 total attempts.
- Adams caught one pass for 28 yards and a touchdown score.
- Defensively, the Mustang linebacker duo of Ernesto Mitchell (Wheatley Heights, N.Y.) and Joe Miller-LaBar (Groton, N.Y.) combined for 22 total tackles, while Mitchell added a forced fumble to his totals on the day.
- Will Brown (Amherst, N.Y.) added nine stops to the defensive efforts, registering a half sack alongside Miller-LaBar for a loss of a yard.
- Morrisville got as much of a star effort from it's secondary unit, including Dante McGowan (Rochester, N.Y.) who registered seven total stops to go along with an interception returned for 39-yards and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
- Anai Brake (Carteret, N.J.) had an outstanding game for Morrisville as well, posting five tackles while adding a 76-yard fumble recovery score.
- Both teams held possession just once in the opening quarter, but neither were able to find the end zone until the Mustangs broke through early in the second frame off the 28-yard scoring pass play from Frerichs to Adams to compete the 12-play, 81-yard drive.
- Within minutes, with Hobart threatening to score, Mitchell punched the ball free from the Statesmen running back and Brake scooped up the ball, racing down the near sideline 76-yards for the defensive score and 14-0 host lead.
- Hobart added a 32-yard field goal by Tobias Wefering at 4:20 in the second to put numbers on the board and breathed some life after forcing the Mustangs to punt on the ensuing drive.
- Hunter Regels (Gansevoort, N.Y.) booted the ball back to the Hobart two-yard line to a waiting Marcus Lenz who was signaling for a fair catch, but muffed the ball into the waiting hands of McGowan who reined in the loose ball in the endzone for the second defensive score for the Mustangs.
- Morrisville headed into the halftime period leading 21-3 and came out of the locker room looking to maintain their defensive stance.
- Hobart was able to put another field goal on the board late in the third, their lone score of the quarter, with Wefering nailing the 30-yarder to cut the lead to 21-6 with 24 second showing on the clock.
- Out of the gates, the Mustang defense maintained momentum and on the first Hobart drive, stopped the Statesmen short as McGowan picked off Colombi, returning the ball 39-yards to the Hobart six to set up a field goal on the ensuing Morrisville possession.
- Morrisville regained the three-possession lead midway through the final quarter with a 22-yard field goal from Owen Cole (Maspeth, N.Y.), but Hobart struck back quick, reaching the endzone for the first time on the afternoon as Johnny Colombi found Peyton Cayea in the right back corner for the score with 7:53 to go.
- That's as close as the Statesmen would get, though, as the Mustang offensive unit ate up the clock for the remainder eight minutes of the quarter to maintain the lead and secure the win.
- Hobart collected a total 349 yards total offense but turned the ball over three times to the Mustang defense, giving Morrisville their first series win.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE MUSTANGS:
- Morrisville returns to the field Friday at St. Lawrence University for a 7 p.m. kick-off in Canton.
- Prior to the contest for the Mustangs, two alum from the Class of 1972 served as special guests for coin toss, celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Title IX.
#RunAsOne
http://www.morrisvillemustangs.com
Box score:
https://morrisvillemustangs.com/sports/football/stats/2022/hobart-college/boxscore/3114
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