ONEONTA, NY – The Hartwick football team ran into a very talented opponent on a soggy Saturday afternoon, falling to #18/19 Cortland by a 48-3 score on the Wright Stadium turf. The loss drops the Hawks to 1-4 overall and 0-3 in the Empire 8, while the Red Dragons stay on track and move to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in conference.
After going three-and-out on the game's opening drive, 'Wick got a break in the form of a fumble by the returner on the ensuing punt (fumbles would be a theme on the very rainy day). CJ Messina could not handle Nick Andrade's (Shelton, CT/Shelton) 42-yarder, and Nelon Priest (Schenectady, NY/Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons) jumped on the loose ball to set the Hawks up at the Cortland 29. They could not take advantage, however, eventually winding up with 4th and 22 at the Cortland 41 and punting.
The Red Dragons did what they do best on the next drive, relying on running backs Jaden Alfanostjohn and Jahon Moore to move them down the field. Quarterback Brees Segala then kept the ball on a play action play from the 20 and was able to beat the Hartwick defense to the end zone for the game's first score with 4:20 remaining in the quarter. The Red Dragons doubled their lead to 14 with a special teams touchdown next time out, taking advantage of an Andrade fumble off the snap by blocking his desperation punt attempt and returning it to the end zone. Stone Murray had the block, and Mike Pellittiere scooped and scored with 58 seconds remaining in the quarter.
After the sides traded possessions a few times to begin the second, Cortland's special teams struck again. On a 4th and 11 at the Hartwick 38, Andrade's punt was once again blocked, this time by Dylan Dubuque and returned by Tommy Heuer for the touchdown with 4:11 to go in the half. The Red Dragons managed to all but put the game away on their final drive of the opening 30 minutes. They began with the ball at their own 42, and on the first play Alfanostjohn ran up the middle for 17 yards to the Hawks' 41. Cortland went for it all on the next play, and Segala found JJ Laap for a 41-yard touchdown reception to close the half's scoring. The scoreboard read 28-0 at the break.
The third quarter became turnover central to start off, as after Jeremy Gerdvil (East Northport, NY/Northport) forced Alfanostjohn to fumble and Bryan Grimes (Albany, NY/Colonie) recovered, Jason Garcia's (Yonkers, NY/Yonkers Montessori Acad.) pass on 3rd and 9 went off the hands of the Hartwick receiver before being picked off by Cortland's Joshua Cordero. The Red Dragons turned it over on downs on the next possession (Jack Colbath (Monroe, NY/Monroe Woodbury) had the crucial stop on 4th and 1). The Hawks could not take advantage, though, as on the third play of the next drive Devin Smith forced a Garcia fumble on a ten-yard sack, and the loose ball was recovered by the Red Dragons' Justin Wheeler at the Hartwick 32.
Cortland secured the quarter's only points on the ensuing possession, dumping one off on 4th and 3 at the Hartwick 25 to tight end Mike Eglintine. Eglintine made a couple 'Wick defenders miss before rumbling in for the score.
Colbath had another big 4th and 1 stop to end the quarter on Cortland's next drive, and the home side picked up their only points of the day on the following drive. The big play was a 37-yard Garcia toss to Logan Mullane (Goshen, NY/Goshen Central) on the first play of the drive, bringing the Hawks down to the Cortland 11. After two incomplete passes and a sack,Kevin Roberts (Montgomery, NY/Valley Central) drilled a 33-yard field goal with 13:10 on the clock.
The Red Dragons scored twice more in the fourth, with one missed extra point putting the score at 48. Dom Gombetto popped it in from one yard out with 5:32 remaining, and backup quarterback Zac Boyes faked the handoff to Gombetto and ran it in from 43 yards out down the left sideline with 1:24 to go.
Garcia threw 37 times on the day, completing 14 passes for 165 yards, with a long of 37. Justin LoBasso (Honesdale, PA/Honesdale) led all Hawks with 41 receiving yards for the day on three catches, while Nate Rath (Newport, NY/West Canada Valley) had four receptions for 30 yards.
Defensively, Gerdvil led with 10 tackles (six solo) as well as the forced fumble. Colbath had eight tackles (six solo), and Grimes had seven tackles as well as a fumble recovery and two pass breakups. Jake Ely (Fulton, NY/G. Ray Bodley) had seven tackles on the day, as well.
Cortland massively outgained the Hawks for the game, 370-152, including 252 to -13 on the ground. Hartwick had the time of possession lead, 32:15 to 27:45, although part of that is due to the Red Dragons' two special teams touchdowns.
'Wick looks ahead to another tough test next week, as they travel to Brockport for their final road game of the season. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 23.
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