BROCKPORT, NY – The Hartwick football team could not quite get their offense going on Saturday afternoon, falling behind 20-0 to host Brockport at the half before succumbing by a final score of 41-14. The loss moves the Hawks to 1-5 overall and 0-4 in the Empire 8, while the Golden Eagles improve to 5-2 on the year and 3-1 in conference play.
After Hartwick went three-and-out on their first drive, it took Brockport just two plays to score. Jack Cheshire found Jared Maurino for a 53-yard touchdown reception, and Nate Wigent's extra point made it 7-0 just 1:26 in. After an empty drive for both sides, Brockport's Josh Greenwood forced a fumble on a running play that Ben Damiani recovered to give the Golden Eagles the ball at the Hartwick seven yardline. 'Wick's defense stood strong, however, holding Brockport to a 21-yard Wigent field goal.
The Hawks went on a long drive after that, spanning 7:53 over the end of the first and start of the second quarters. They wound up empty-handed, though, as Kevin Roberts' (Montgomery, NY/Valley Central) 33-yard field goal attempt went wide. The Golden Eagles would kick their own field goal on the next drive, as a 49-yard Cheshire-Imhotep Cromer connection early in the drive set up Wigent's eventual 21-yard field goal with 9:08 to go in the half. Brockport scored the final points of the half on their next drive, as Jala Coad rushed for 60 yards on four carries before adding on three more and a touchdown with 1:30 to go.
Wigent missed a 38-yarder on the opening drive of the second half, and what ensued was a back-and-forth of punts, three per side. That was finally broken by Brockport's Raylens Boutin, who picked off Hartwick QB Jason Garcia (Yonkers, NY/Yonkers Montessori Academy) at the Hartwick 35 and returned the ball for a touchdown with 1:38 on the clock. Garcia was intercepted again on the next Hawks drive, this time by Andrew Covais at the Hartwick 33. A couple unsportsmanlike penalties eventually brought the Golden Eagles back to their own 27 on the ensuing drive (that bled into the fourth quarter), but they made up that ground and more as Coad eventually scored on a 26-yard run. Wigent's extra point made it 34-0 with 13:23 to go.
The Hawks were able to move the ball well a couple drives later, as Garcia completed four passes of ten or more yards to four different receivers. The final one went to Justice Mansfield-Beaulieu (Hartford, CT/Bloomfield), who picked up a 34-yard touchdown reception with 5:42 remaining. Roberts hit the extra point to make the scoreboard read 34-7.
Gino Fontanarosa made quick work of the 'Wick defense on the next drive, rushing for 29 yards on the first play and 63 on the second for the score. Hartwick scored the day's final points on the following drive, with the score coming on a 23-yard pass to Jack Shannon (Goshen, NY/Goshen Central).
Garcia threw 53 times on the day, completing 24 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw a pair of picks, and was sacked three times. Justin LoBasso (Honesdale, PA/Honesdale) led Hartwick's receiving corps on the day, picking up eight receptions for 56 yards.
Defensively, Bryan Grimes (Albany, NY/Colonie) led the Hawks with 10 tackles (seven solo) and two pass breakups. Charles Virella (Staten Island, NY/Port Richmond) had six tackles, and Jeremy Gerdvil (East Northport, NY/Northport) made five stops as well as hurried the quarterback three times.
Brockport outgained the Hawks 435 to 223 overall, with the vast majority of that coming via the ground.
'Wick returns to play next Saturday for the first of three home games to end the season. They take on St. John Fisher on October 30 at 2:30 p.m.
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