UTICA, NY – Hartwick battled back from a 21-7 second-half deficit to take the lead deep in the fourth quarter, but a Utica (2-3, 1-2 E8) touchdown with just 28 seconds on the clock would vault the Pioneers over the Hawks, 28-24, on Saturday in Empire 8 Conference football at Charles Gaetano Stadium.
Brian McGovern (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) connected on a 19-yard field goal to cap off 17 consecutive Hartwick points to put the Hawks up 24-21 with 3:20 remaining in the game. On Utica's final possession, the Pioneers faced a fourth and 5 from their own 44 yard-line but came up with a critical 12-yard pass for a first down to keep the game alive. Later, a big Vinny Aloi pass to Donovan Brunson for 29 yards would set up an Aloi 8-yard rushing touchdown to put UC up to stay.
The Hawks got the ball back with just 28 seconds to play. After Koree Reed (Baldwinsville, NY/Baldwinsville) returned the kickoff 22 yards, he caught a Billy Pine (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls) pass for 34 yards to the Utica 38 with 15 ticks left. Pine converted to Connor Vlasaty (Yorktown Heights, NY/Somers HS) for another 10 yards to push the ball to the UC 28 with 10 seconds showing on the clock. After an incomplete pass with two seconds to go, Pine looked for Reed in the end zone as time expired, but the Hawks couldn't convert and the Pioneers escaped with the win.
Pine connected on 21-of-35 passes in the game for 302 yards. Reed made game-highs of six catches and 135 receptions yards. Ronald Ballard (Deposit, NY/Deposit HS) made five catches for 71 yards. He was also the Hawks' leading rusher with 64 yards and one touchdown on 11 carries.
Aloi went 14-for-21 with two picks and two scores through the air for the Pioneers. He also gained 94 yards on the ground. Nicodemus Gambill registered 87 yards rushing and Brunson finished with five catches for 89 yards and two touchdowns on five receptions.
A Tito Pichardo (Washingtonville, NY/Washingtonville) two-yard touchdown run on the Hawks' second possession would put 'Wick on top eight and a half minutes into the contest. UC answered on the ensuing drive on a two-yard Lindell Reed 1-yard touchdown run.
After a Hawks' punt, the Pioneers drove 92 yards on nine plays to take the lead in the second quarter on an Aloisi to Brunson 13-yard score. UC came close to adding to their advantage as they drove deep into Hartwick territory late in the half but a Vlasaty interception thwarted the opportunity and the half ended 14-7 in UC's favor.
UC received the kickoff to start the second half and it cashed in to increase its advantage to 14 points 21-7.
Hartwick came back to cut the deficit in half, with Ballard doing much of the damage, on the Hawks' next drive. He caught a 28-yard pass and rushed four times for 39 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown run, and the Hawks trailed 21-14 with 8:02 left in the third quarter.
The Hawks got the ball back but following a 79-yard drive to the Utica 17, a lost fumble gave the ball back to the hosts. Two plays later, David Van Alstine (Otego, NY/Unatego Central) intercepted Aloisi for a 25-yard pick-six and McGovern's PAT tied the game at 21-21 with 1:41 elapsed in the fourth quarter.
The Pioneers missed a 45-yard field goal attempt to take the lead with 9:50 remaining. The Hawks then drove 70 yards on 12 plays in a six-minute, 35-second drive to set up McGovern's go-ahead field goal with 3:20 left.
Mark Hackett (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls HS) tied for a game high 13 tackles for Hartwick. Joe Tecklenburg (Washingtonville, NY/Washingtonville HS) and Tom Peabody (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls HS) each recorded eight hits. Nick Richard (Greenwich, NY/Schuylerville) and Josh Wilcox (Ithaca, NY/Candor HS) had seven tackles apiece, including 1.5 tackles for loss.
Hartwick, now 2-3 on the season and 1-2 in the Empire 8, welcomes Morrisville State on True Blue Weekend on Saturday, October 7. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.