Box Score


MORRISVILLE, NY- Sophomore Travis Samuels (Harlem, NY/Clarkstown North) had a career day for the Hartwick football team with a total of four touchdowns scored as the Hawks outscored Morrisville 18-7 in the fourth quarter to come away with a 51-34 victory on Saturday afternoon at Drake Field. Hartwick improves to 2-0 while the Mustangs fall to 0-2 on the year.

Quarterback John Garcia (Warwick, NY /Warwick Valley) put forth another solid effort as he passed for 236 yards and four touchdowns. Kurtis Ahart (Spencer, NY/Spencer Van Etten) gained 194 yards on the ground and added two scores. Nick Knauer (Wyantskill, NY/Tamarac) rushed for 55 yards on nine carries. Samuels had 178 yards receiving and 289 all-purpose yards. Frankie Molina (Middletown, NY/Middletown) caught two balls for 42 yards and a touchdown.

Dante Crump (Kingston, NY/Kingston) led the defense with 14 total tackles. He also had one forced fumble. Bryan Schweitzer (Babylon, NY/Babylon) tacked on 10 tackles, one forced fumble, and one interception for 26 yards. R.J. Roth (Cornwall, NY/Cornwall) totaled nine tackles, once sack, two tackles for losses, one fumble recovery, and one interception. Patrick Steves (Brockport, NY/Brockport) and Rahpheal Duncan (Albany, NY/Colonie) both had a sack each while Duncan added a forced fumble.

The Mustangs won the opening toss and elected to receive the kick but Crump forced Morrisville's Josh Powell to fumble and Knauer recovered to give Hartwick the ball on Morrisville's 32-yard line. The Hawks drove to the Mustang 8, but came up empty as Alexander Tesoriero's (Rennsselaer, NY/Columbia) 25-yard field goal went left of the goalpost.

On Morrisville's first possession, the team picked up three first downs with the key play coming from a Lemar Johnson to Anthony Mella 18-yard connection that gave the Mustangs a first down on the Hartwick 41 The 'Wick defense stood firm as it forced a punt to give the Hawks back the ball.

After the Hawks' drive stalled, Jared Morrow (Ogdensburg, NY/Ogdensburg Free Academy) hit a booming 60-yard punt that was downed at the Morrisville 1. Morrisville's Cristian Pena took the handoff and raced 45 yards to the Hartwick 46. Pena eventually scored on a 22-yard pass from Johnson and the Mustangs were ahead 7-0 with 4:34 left to play in the first quarter.

That lead didn't last long when on the ensuing kickoff, Samuels received the ball at the 15 and took the kick all the way for the 85 yard score. Hartwick trailed 7-6 after Korey Jubie's (Kingston, NY/Kingston) extra-point attempt was blocked.

After the Hawks forced a three-and-out and a punt from Morrisvlle, 'Wick gained possession on its own 27-yard line. On the first play, Garcia hooked up with Samuels on a 73-yard pass for a touchdown and Hartwick was ahead 13-7 with 3:17 showing on the clock.

Morrisville's Powell took the kickoff 61 yards to Hartwick's 35. Roth forced a fumble to give the Hawks the ball but a Garcia fumble gave possession back to the Mustangs. Morrisville took full advantage of the miscue and turned it into six points on a Johnson to Powell connection and with the extra point, the Mustangs now led 14-13 with 1:36 to play in the quarter. On Hartwick's next drive, Garcia would be intercepted and the Mustangs would take over at their own 27 to end the quarter.

Morrisville retook the lead in the beginning of the second quarter on a Pena touchdown run. The Hawks answered back on a Garcia to Molina touchdown and trailed 20-19 at 8:52. Hartwick would take the lead just before halftime on Samuels' 17-yard touchdown and the score stood in favor of the Hawks, 26-20, at the half.

Hartwick began the third quarter with the ball and moved down the field into Morrisville territory. The drive ended with Samuels scoring his fourth touchdown of the afternoon and the Hawks were up 33-20 with 10 minutes to play in the quarter.

Following two scoreless drives by both teams, the Mustangs took over on Hartwick's 39 with a little over two minutes showing on the clock. Morrisville picked up two first downs and Pena punched the ball in for the score to reduce the Hartwick lead to 33-27 with 12 seconds left.

In the fourth quarter, 'Wick got 55 yards from Samuels and a 15-yard run from Ahart to move into Mustang territory. Ahart scored on a 7-yard scamper to give the Hawks the two touchdown lead back. Morrisvile would not back down as a Powell touchdown would again make it a one score game.

Hartwick would get a 49-yard kick return from Ryan Manning (Watervliet, NY/Watervliet) to begin their drive at the Morrisville 36. Morrisville held the Hawks to a Tesoriero 39-yard field goal with 7:39 to play in the game. On Morrisville's ensuing possession, Schweitzer forced Pena to fumble and the ball was recovered by Jason Brown (Rensselaer, NY/Rensselaer). Ahart then scored on a 31-yard run to put the Hawks ahead 51-34.

The Mustangs moved the ball to the Hartwick 29 and looked to get back in the game, but Schweitzer picked off a Johnson pass and returned the ball 26 yards to the Hartwick 47 to essentially seal the game for the Hawks.

Johnson passed for 251 yards and three touchdowns for the Mustangs. Pena gained 160 yards rushing on 23 carries and scored two touchdowns. Powell caught eight passes for 115 yards and scored twice.

Hartwick will next head to Worcester, MA to face Becker College next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.