Box Score
ITHACA, NY – Host Ithaca College (6-3, 4-3 E8) out-scored Hartwick by a 14-0 margin in the second half to pull away for a 28-7 victory in Empire 8 football action on Saturday at Butterfield Stadium in Ithaca, NY. In a defensive battle, the Hawks out-gained the Bombers by a 212-192 margin. The host Bombers, however, forced six Hartwick (3-6, 0-7 E8) interceptions in the contest, and turned three of them into 21 points.
Freshman wide receiver
Tanner Williams (Eagle Bridge, NY/Hoosick Falls) registered 184 all-purpose yards for Hartwick in the game. He made four catches for 88 yards and scored the Hawks' lone touchdown. He also gained 95 yards on five kick returns.
The Hawks' defense was impressive all day as it registered 14 tackles for a loss of 47 yards, four sacks, and two interceptions. It marked the second time this season Hartwick has recorded 10 or more TFL's.
Bryan Schweitzer (Babylon, NY/Babylon) led all tacklers with 14. He accounted for 3.5 tackles for loss.
Joe Seney (Gloversville, NY/Broadalbin Perth) added seven tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss, and
Jared Morrow (Ogdensburg, NY/OFA) registered both of Hartwick's picks in the game.
In the first half, the Hartwick defense allowed just 78 yards of offense by the Bombers. IC would gain the upper hand though with two scores following interceptions.
Hartwick quarterback
Andrew Bashford (East Rockaway, NY/E. Rockaway HS) was picked off on the first play from scrimmage by defensive back Brian Garvey, who finished the day with three takeaways. Four plays later, Morrow returned the favor, intercepting Ithaca quarterback Phil Neumann.
Two possessions later, a Chris Williams' interception gave IC the ball on the Hartwick 27 yard-line. On a 3
rd and three from the 9, Neumann rolled right and found wide receiver Joe Ingrao in the back of the end zone and IC led 7-0.
Three plays after the ensuing kickoff, Josh Duggan picked off Bashford and the Bombers were in business again at the HC 19. Clay Ardoin would later run it in from one yard out to extend the advantage to 14 points.
Hartwick answered on its next drive to cut the lead in half. The Hawks converted on a fake punt with Morrow throwing to Schweitzer on a pass over the middle to keep the drive alive and two plays later, Bashford found Williams for a 39-yard touchdown pass. Bashford threw to the left side to Williams who made a leaping catch between two IC defensive backs, turned, and ran it into the end zone.
Alex Tesoriero (Rensselaer, NY/Columbia) tacked on the PAT to make the score 14-7.
Hartwick's defense forced punts on IC's next two drives and Morrow intercepted Bomber quarterback Tom Dempsey with just over a minute left but the Hawks ended the half without any more points.
Hartwick was pinned in its own end on its first possession of the second half. Morrow punted out of his own end zone giving IC good field position at the Hartwick 39 and Dempsey found a wide open Jared Prugar down the right sideline for a touchdown on the first play of the drive to extend the hosts' lead to 21-7.
It remained a 14-point game with under seven minutes to play in the contest. Reserve quarterback
Mike Mathews (Pound Ridge, NY/Fox Lane) was intercepted by Garvey who brought the ball back for the pick-six to cushion the Bomber lead.
Garvey's third takeaway of the day occurred on the first play from scrimmage on the next Hartwick drive and the Bombers would kill the remaining six and a half minutes on the clock to close out the victory.
Clyde Miller (Rochester, NY/Glenville State College) contributed seven tackles for Hartwick in the game.
Mike Parody (Clay, NY/CNS) and
Jim DeRosa (Centereach, NY/Centereach) each had six hits.
Dempsey threw for 107 yards on five passes for IC. Ingrao caught five balls for 47 yards and Prugar made four catches for 69 yards.
Ithaca, which limited the Hawks' offense to 1-of-13 third down conversions on the day, was led defensively by Jake Santora's 10 tackles.
Hartwick concludes the 2012 season next Saturday at Wright Stadium. The Hawks host Alfred University at 1 p.m.
