Football | 11/1/2025 9:21:00 PM
ONEONTA, N.Y. – The Hartwick Hawks returned home to Wright Stadium for the first time since October 11th and delivered a hard-fought 24-13 victory over the Morrisville Mustangs, securing their first Empire 8 win of the season.
THE BASICS
-
Final Score: Morrisville 13 Hartwick 24
-
Location: Oneonta, N.Y. | Wright Stadium
-
Records: Morrisville (0-8, 0-5 Empire 8) Hartwick (2-5, 0-5 Empire 8)
BY THE NUMBERS
-
Benjamin Kirkland (Buffalo, N.Y.) spearheaded a stout Hawk defense, soaring all over the field with 15 stops.
-
Akil Williams (Chester, N.Y.) made the most out of a heavy workload, finding the end zone twice.
-
After three consecutive losses with allowing 30+ plus points, the Hawks got back in the win column, shutting down the Mustang attack.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Mustangs nearly opened the game with a bang, taking the opening kickoff 80 yards before a holding penalty brought it back. Morrisville still found the end zone on their first drive with a 40-yard touchdown run to take an early lead. Hartwick's offense stumbled out of the gate with a fumble on its opening series, but the defense immediately stood tall. Colby Phraner (Walton, N.Y.) swung the momentum back in the Hawks' favor with a 13-yard sack that forced a Mustang punt.
The Blue and White responded with a statement drive, marching 66 yards over 13 plays. Quarterback Dennis Riordan (New City, N.Y.) led a balanced attack, connecting on short completions before handing off to Akil Williams and Nick Massaregli (Pelham, N.Y.) to keep the chains moving. Williams capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown plunge to even the score.
Hartwick's defense continued to set the tone in the second quarter, stuffing Morrisville on a 4th-and-4 in Hawk territory thanks to key stops from Kirkland and James Bender (Schenectady, N.Y.). Another long drive ended the half as Matteo Broun (Fishkill, N.Y.) nailed a 16-yard field goal to give Hartwick a 10-7 lead at the break.
Both defenses dug in after halftime before Riordan found Jackson Dorf (Leland, N.C.) for a highlight-reel back-shoulder touchdown on 4th and 21 to extend the advantage. The Mustangs answered late in the third but missed the extra point, keeping the Hawks ahead 17-13 entering the fourth.
With under four minutes to play, Hartwick's defense delivered another stop to set up the offense deep in Mustang territory. Williams sealed the win with his second rushing touchdown of the day, a six-yard score that closed the door on Morrisville and locked in the Hawks' first conference victory of the year.
COMMENTS FROM HEAD COACH MATT ROGERS
"Our guys showed a ton of resilience bouncing back from last week. It was a total team effort and I'm so proud of our guys for earning a big conference win. A ton of different guys stepped up in big moments for us."
UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS
The Hawks will head to Utica for their final Empire 8 road contest of the season, taking on the Pioneers on Saturday, November 8th at 1PM.