Nov 23, 2019
CORTLAND, N.Y. – Ryan Hofmann completed 24-of-36 passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns and game MVP Rayshawn Boswell returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown as Hobart defeated host Cortland, 30-10, to win the 2019 New York Bowl.
The bowl features top non-NCAA qualifying teams from the Liberty League and Empire 8. Hobart, which tied for second in the Liberty League, finishes the year with a 9-2 record. Cortland, the Empire 8 co-champion, closes with an 8-3 mark. The Red Dragons earned their fifth straight postseason berth and 24th overall.
Cortland tailback Zach Tripodi (New Fairfield, CT) ran 23 times for 92 yards, in the process becoming the ninth player in school history to reach the career 2,000-yard rushing mark (2,063). Brett Segala (Webster/Webster Schroeder) completed 17-of-32 passes for 163 yards, including a TD pass to Ricky Chenard (Ardsley) and five passes to Angelo Foster (Newburgh/Newburgh Free Academy). Segala finishes as Cortland's career leader with 467 completions, 6,518 passing yards and 59 touchdown passes.
Bryan Aguilar led Hobart's defense with 12 tckles and a forced fumble. David McCarthy and Jayson Prince each intercepted passes, with McCarthy also registering seven tackles. Stone Murray (Latham/Shaker) finished with 10 tackles, an interception and a pass breakup for Cortland. John Manganella (Milford, PA/Delaware Valley) made nine tackles, eight solo, including three for losses, and Marc Anthony Dalce (Queens Village/St. Francis Prep) ended with seven tackles, an interception and a pass breakup.
Hobart led 10-0 after one quarter on a Kyle Hackett 29-yard field goal and a one-handed catch in the back right corner of the end zone by Mike Giacobbe for a 5-yard TD reception from Hofmann. Cortland missed two field goals in the first quarter, and its first possession of the second quarter ended when Prince intercepted a pass in the end zone on a 3rd-and-goal play from the 4-yard line.
After a Dalce interception later in the second, Cortland drove 66 yards on just five plays for its lone touchdown of the afternoon. Foster caught a 33-yard pass to the Hobart 28-yard line on 3rd-and-5, and two plays later Chenard turned a medium-range catch into a 22-yard touchdown and Cortland trailed 10-7 at the half.
The Statesmen mounted an 80-yard drive to start the second half, highlighted by a 44-yard pass from Hofmann to Boswell and capped by a 4-yard slant to Ray Conley for a touchdown. The extra point failed and Hobart led 16-7.
Midway through the third Cortland started a drive at the Hobart 25-yard line after a short punt and moved to the 7-yard line before settling for a Nick Mongelli (Marlboro) 24-yard field goal to close within 16-10 with 4:57 left. On the ensuing kickoff, the ball bounced and was fielded by Boswell at his own 5-yard line. He crossed over to the left side of the field, found a seam and broke free down the left sideline for a 95-yard kickoff return and a 23-10 lead.
Cortland looked like it had a prime opportunity to get back in the game early in the fourth quarter when Tripodi blocked a punt deep in Hobart territory – extending Cortland's school single-season record to 13 blocked kicks. The Red Dragons returned the ball to the Hobart 9-yard line, but Collin Urie forced a fumble on the tackle and the Statesmen recovered.
Hobart was able to burn more than five minutes on its ensuing drive before punting. Cortland drove from its own 27-yard line to the Hobart 38 before coming up short on a 4th-and-6 play when Aguilar forced a fumble. Hobart sealed the win on an 8-yard TD pass from Hofmann to Conley on 4th-and-1 with 44 seconds left.
Conley led the guests with seven receptions for 51 yards and two scores. Boswell caught two passes for 95 yards in addition to his kickoff return touchdown.