Links to Hartwick vs. Husson:
Video
Live Stats
ONEONTA, NY – Hartwick football will begin the 2012 campaign this coming Saturday on the road. The Hawks will be going to great lengths to try and secure a victory in their opener, as they have an eight-hour bus ride to Bangor, ME for a 12 p.m. meeting with Husson University.
Eleventh-year head coach
Mark Carr's team went 2-8 last season, a deceptive record because of the competitive games it played throughout the season.
“In four games last year we lost on the final play of the game,” stated Carr. “We're hoping this year we can change that and win the close games.”
Carr brings back several proven players on both sides of the football and he has been very impressed with many of the newcomers to the lineup.
“We've got a talented group this year,” said Carr. “We're coming together as a team and are chemistry is very good. We feel like we can have a turnaround this year.”
Three players are vying for the starting role at quarterback – juniors
Mike Mathews (Pound Ridge, NY),
Keegan Corbett (Bennington, VT), and sophomore
Andrew Bashford (East Rockaway, NY). Corbett is the only player to see action last season, playing in three games with 15 completions, 269 yards, and a touchdown. All three, however, have the ability to get the nod.
At tailback, junior
Kurtis Ahart (Spencer, NY) returns for the Hawks. Sophomores
Ryan Manning (Watervliet, NY),
Brandon Beatty (Ballston Lake, NY), and freshman
Joseph Rosiecki (Montgomery, NY) will all contribute to the Hawks' running game. Manning should also be the frontrunner to return punts this season. Fullback
Jason Krug (Highland, NY), one of five captains on the team, is back for his senior season after sitting out 2011 with an injury.
The Hawks, once again, have a talented group of receivers this season. Leading the way will be 6-2 junior
Frankie Molina (Middletown, NY) and classmate
Chris Hoose (Leeds, NY), with both having big-play ability.
Last season, Molina made 32 catches for 475 yards to go along with two touchdowns. He had two games with over 100 reception yards, including a career-high 113 on six catches versus Mount Ida. He caught a career-best eight balls versus Ithaca. Hoose made 21 receptions for 267 yards and four scores. He made five catches for 92 yards and two TD's against Springfield last season.
Bolstering the wide receiver unit will be senior
Chris Okonski (Niskayuna, NY), sophomore
John Horner (Bedford Hills, NY), junior
Rocky Dinga (Binghamton, NY), and freshman
Tanner Williams (Eagle Bridge, NY).
The tight end position could be filled with a couple of capable players. Senior
Thomas Holmgren (Warrensburg, NY), junior
Rob Warner (Tully, NY), and sophomore
Shaun Eichner (Pine Bush, NY) are all in the mix.
The offensive line looks to be a very formidable group with four of the five standing over 6-1 and weighing over 270 pounds. At left tackle,
Anthony Ponesse (Wallkill, NY), at 6-6 and 290 pounds, is a three-year veteran and an all-conference level player. Local product, freshman
Marty Cole (South Kortright, NY), should be big for the Hawks at left guard.
A pair of seniors,
Mark Smith (Binghamton, NY), and
Justin Hinton (Hempstead, NY) should begin the season at center and right guard, respectively. Smith stands at 6-2 and weighs 285 pounds. Hinton who is listed at 5-11, 255 pounds, will serve as a team captain.
Junior
Brandon Carnevale (Ronkonkoma, NY), a 6-1, 270-pound athletic tackle will be on the right side to start the season for the Hawks.
Defensively, tackles
Jim DeRosa (Centereach, NY) and
Rob Burke (Wantagh, NY) both return for 'Wick on the line. DeRosa, one of the team's captains, missed the whole season with an injury last year but is back for his junior campaign. He has registered 51 tackles, 22 unassisted hits, and six tackles for a loss of 21 yards over his career. Burke registered 29 hits, including 1.5 sacks last year.
On the outside line,
Joe Seney (Gloversville, NY) and
Dalton Smith (Oneonta, NY) return to complete a strong defensive front. Seney, a junior, started as a sophomore notching 28 tackles (22 solo), 3.5 tackles for a loss, two quarterback hurries, and a blocked kick. Smith, who hails from Oneonta High School, registered five tackles, two tackles for a loss of 11 yards, and a forced fumble.
The linebacker corps will be headed by senior captain
Bryan Schweitzer (Babylon, NY), who started every game for the Hawks last season. Schweitzer was the team's leading tackler with 98 hits (64 solo). He added 2.5 TFL's, three forced fumbles, and three recovered fumbles. For his career, he has accumulated 162 tackles, forced five fumbles, and recovered five more.
Linebacker
R.J. Roth (New Windsor, NY) will serve as the other Hartwick captain this year. Sophomore
Kevin Merker (East Hartford, CT) should be Schweitzer's partner on the inside.
On the outside, will be a pair of juniors in
Patrick Steves (Brockport, NY) and
Richie DiVirgilio (Windsor, NY). Both are intelligent, aggressive players in the middle of the field for 'Wick.
Junior
Clyde Miller (Rochester, NY) returns to anchor the defensive backs after a strong 2011 season. Miller was the Hawks' fourth leading tackler with 52. He forced two fumbles, recovered one, and broke up a team-best six passes. He also should be one of the kick returns this season.
Joining him at the cornerback spot should be newcomer
Dante Crump (Kingston, NY) out of Kingston High School. Sophomore safety
Jared Morrow (Ogdensburg, NY) will strengthen the backfield at the safety position.
Junior
Alex Tesoriero (Rensselaer, NY), an Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Week last season, is back for kicking duties. He hit seven field goals for 'Wick and was near perfect on extra points making 25 of 26 attempts.
The Hawks and the Husson Eagles have met only four times prior with 'Wick holding a 3-1 edge. The teams battled in four consecutive seasons from 2004 to 2007. Hartwick took the first two games by scores of 50-20 and 54-28. The Eagles edged the Hawks at home in 2006 by a final of 20-19, but the Hartwick won the last encounter at Wright Stadium, 35-27, five years ago.
