DANBURY, CT – Hartwick's football team, trailing 38-20 in the third quarter, rattled off the game's final 23 points, including the go-ahead touchdown with 35 seconds left to defeat Western Connecticut State on Sunday in a game resumed from last night's lightning delay.
Hartwick junior wide receiver Tanner Williams (Eagle Bride, NY/Hoosick Valley) had career-highs of 13 catches and 255 yards while scoring three touchdowns. Junior quarterback John Garcia (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) threw for a career-best 413 yards and four touchdowns on 28 completions.
The Hawks would score on their final four drives of the day to earn the win. The defense, which surrendered points on six of the Colonials' first eight possessions, came up big when it had to stopping Western Connecticut on its final four possessions of the football.
The two teams generated 983 yards of offense in the game. The Colonials registered 496 to the Hawks' 487.
On Saturday evening, Hartwick started quickly as it scored on its third play. Following a Greg Bell (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) one-yard run, Garcia connected with Williams for 34 yards and then again for a 40-yard touchdown and the seven-point lead following Sam Clark's (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic) PAT.
It would mark the last points for the Hawks for roughly 25 minutes of action as the Colonials forced four straight 'Wick punts.
Offensively, Western Connecticut would score on touchdown drives of 71, 75, and 88 yards, respectively. The Colonials added a field goal on its third drive and they led by a 24-7 margin with 10:36 left in the second quarter.
'Wick finally got a stop on the Colonials' next possession as Midnet Cantave (Spring Valley, NY/Spring Valley) picked off a Will Arndt pass on the Hartwick 35 yard-line. It wouldn't be the last big play from Cantave in the game.
Hartwick took advantage of the turnover and drove 65 yards with a Garcia to John Horner (Queens Village, NY/Fox Lane) 3-yard touchdown pass capping off the drive. After Clark's extra point, the Hawks trailed by 10 points, 24-14.
WConn quickly built its advantage back up as it marched 61 yards on nine plays to up its lead to 31-14 with less than a minute to go in the half. The Hawks had to move quickly which they did, driving 50 yards in 47 seconds with a Garcia to Williams 8-yard touchdown making it 31-20 at halftime.
Following the lightning delay and subsequent postponement, the two teams resumed on Sunday afternoon. After neither team was able to put points up on their opening drives of the second half, WConn would score on a 30-yard touchdown pass which gave them a 38-20 lead with 7:13 remaining in the third quarter.
Clark later kicked a 32-yard field goal and the Hawks' defense forced a Colonial punt. Another Williams touchdown catch for 15 yards capped a 6-play, 48-yard drive and the Hawks' deficit was down to single digits, 38-29, with 12:40 left to play in the contest.
Hartwick did not allow the Colonials a first down on their next possession and they were forced to punt once again.
Garcia moved the Hawks down the field, thanks in part to a 24-yard catch from Nicky Celestino (Poughkeepsie, NY/Spackenkill) and a 20-yard reception from Ron Richards (White Plains, NY/Woodlands). Bell gave the Hawks six with a three-yard rumble into the end zone. After Clark's PAT, the Western Connecticut lead was shaved to just two, 38-36, with under six minutes to go in the fourth.
On the Colonials' ensuing drive, a big 40-yard passing play put the ball on the Hartwick 29 with just over four minutes left and it appeared they were inching closer to victory. But on the next play, it was Cantave to the rescue as he once again intercepted Arndt giving the ball back to Hartwick with a chance to move ahead for the first time since early in the first quarter.
On a third and nine, Garcia hit Chris Spell (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas) for 10 yards to move the chains. WConn was whistled for a personal foul on the next play and the Hawks were in Colonial territory at the 49 yard-line.
Garcia then hooked up with Williams twice for 24 yards and 17 yards and the Hawks were at the hosts' 8 yard-line. Inside the 10, the Hawks went to the ground and Ryan Manning rushes for three yards and four yards, respectively, gave them first and goal from the one with 40 seconds left. Bell would finish it off with his second touchdown of the game and 'Wick had come from 18 points down to take the lead. Clark added the final point and the Hawks led 43-38 with 35 seconds left.
After a penalty on the kickoff and one completed pass, the Colonials had the ball on the Hartwick 48 with 16 seconds left, but four straight incomplete passes ended the game and the Hawks emerged with the victory.
Michael Servider (Carmel, NY/Carmel) led Hartwick in tackles on the day. Jared Morrow (Ogdensburg, NY/Ogdensburg Free Academy) and Zach Pitcher (Rhinebeck, NY/Rhinebeck) each added five. Andrew Bashford (East Rockaway, NY/East Rockaway), playing his first game at defensive end, came away with two tackles for a loss of 12 yards, including the team's lone sack.
Hartwick returns home for a September 13 home game against Morrisville State. The Hawks and Mustangs kickoff at 1 p.m.
Hartwick Rallies For Final 23 Points In 43-38 Win Over WConn
/seasons/2014/boxscores/20140906_tkt4.xml
2014
Hartwick
43
Western Connecticut
38
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartwick (1-0) | 7 | 13 | 3 | 20 | 43 |
| Western Connecticut (0-1) | 17 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 38 |
Sep 06, 2014