Football 9/12/2009 9:35:08 PM Hartwick SI

Hartwick Rallies from 13-Point Deficit in Final Three Minutes in Win Over Salve Regina

Football 9/12/2009 9:35:08 PM Hartwick SI

Hartwick Rallies from 13-Point Deficit in Final Three Minutes in Win Over Salve Regina

MIDDLETOWN, RI, — Hartwick scored two touchdowns in the final two and a half minutes to cap a 13-point fourth-quarter comeback in a 28-27 defeat of Salve Regina in Middletown, RI Saturday.

On fourth and goal with less than 30 seconds to play and the Hawks trailing 27-21, senior quarterback Brian Radley (Herkimer, NY/Dolgeville) hit classmate Noah Koreman (Albany, NY/Albany) for a 17-yard touchdown to even the score, and Heath Dunn (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) tacked on the game-winning extra point. Salve Regina got the ball back with 19 ticks left but only got as far as their own 45 yard-line. With the victory, Hartwick remains unbeaten with a 2-0 record. Salve drops to 0-2.

Things looked bleak for the Hawks in the latter stages of the fourth quarter as Radley was picked off for the third time in the period with six and a half minutes to play. Six plays and 33 yards later, the Seahawks were in the end zone for a 13-point, 27-14 lead. Salve's extra point attempt failed which would prove costly in the final outcome.

Radley would redeem himself later in the quarter as he engineered the Hartwick comeback. After the Seahawks committed two illegal procedure penalties on the ensuing kickoff, the Hawks' drive began on Salve's 28 yard-line. Radley went 2-for-4 with the finishing touches on the drive coming on a 17-yard touchdown pass to Tosh DeMulder (Unadilla, NY/Unatego) to cut the deficit to six points with 2:32 left on the clock.

The Hawks stuffed the Seahawks first two rushes on their next possession and burned two timeouts before a four-yard completed pass brought up fourth down and eight yards to go on the 'Wick 42. After Salve called timeout with 1:29 left, the Seahawks botched the snap and downed the ball at their own 44 yard-line.

Radley hit Nate Rockefeller (Delhi, NY/Delaware Valley) for 20 yards for a 1^st down from the Salve 24, and a pass interference call put the Hawks first and goal from the Seahawk six with under a minute left. Three straight incomplete passes including an intentional ground penalty pushed the ball back to the Salve 17 giving the Hawks one last shot with fourth down and goal. Radley would come through with the clutch pass and Koreman brought it in for the game-tying touchdown.

Radley finished the game with 193 yards and four touchdowns on 12-of-32 passing to go along with his four picks. DeMulder rushed for 52 yards on 15 carries and added six receptions for 71 yards and two scores. Koreman made three catches for 92 yards and two TDs including a 53-yard trip to the end zone early in the fourth.

Defensively, Jordan Spirou (Westbury, NY/W.T. Clarke) led the Hawks in tackles for the second straight game with 15. Dan Contrastano (Hastings-on-Hudson, NY/Hastings) made 10 tackles, all of them solo, and Matt Brown (Londonderry, NH/Bridgton Academy) also added 10 hits, nine of them solo. Chad Rockefeller (Delhi, NY/Delaware Valley) had eight solo tackles, including 4.5 sacks in the game accumulating 27 yards.

Hartwick had a dismal first half, earning just one first down and netting 11 yards of total offense with Salve leading 14-0 at the break. In the second half, Salve had two possessions with the chance to increase their lead but the Hartwick defense made the crucial stops. Finally, a Raymond Mitchell (White Plains, NY/White Plains) 47-yard punt return to the Seahawk 12 would ignite the Hawks, and three plays later, Radley found DeMulder for the team's first score.

Early in the fourth, a Seahawk interception led to a Trey Scales 12-yard run to make the score 21-7. On the second play from scrimmage on Hartwick's next possession, Radley and Koreman hooked up for their first of two scores on the day for 53 yards making the score 21-14 with 10 minutes to play. Salve would increase the lead to 13 with 4:21 left before the Hawks would mount their huge comeback.

Salve's Jeff Onge passed for 216 yards on 18-of-27 passing on the day. He also rushed for a team-best 61 yards and two touchdowns. Michael Dargan led the team in receptions and yards with six for 93.

The Hawks return home and play Norwich next Saturday at Wright Stadium. Game time is slated for 1 p.m.

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