October 15 , 2005

Jimmy Gradis

Doug Blakowski

GENEVA, N.Y.—The 14th-ranked Hobart football team limited Kings Point to minus-one yard of total offense in the first quarter and minus-10 yards rushing for the game as the Statesmen posted a 27-9 Liberty League victory this afternoon on Boswell Field. Senior linebacker Jimmy Gradis (Elwood John Glenn/Greenlawn, N.Y.) led the charge with a game-high 10 tackles.

Both teams punted on their first two possessions, but luck shined on Hobart first. On the Mariners’ second punt attempt, the snap sailed over sophomore Chuck Kleinschnitz’s (Palm Bay/Melbourne, Fla.) head. He recovered the loose ball, but was immediately tackled at his own three yard line by senior corner back Dyshawn Washington (Kent School/Piscataway, N.J.).

On the very next play, junior running back Doug Blakowski (Iroquois/Elma, N.Y.) ran in for the first of his three touchdowns on the day.

Early in the second quarter, Blakowski shouldered the load for the Statesmen offense again. Kings Point (1-6, 0-4) downed a Kleinschnitz punt at the Hobart 15. Following a five-yard Blakowski pickup on first down, the Statesmen called on their leading rusher again on second down. This time Blakowski found a huge hole on the left side of the line that got him free into the secondary with one man to beat. A clean block by junior tackle Mike DePersis (Johnson City/Johnson City, N.Y.) near midfield sprung him the rest of the way for his longest run of the season, an 80 yard TD.

Hobart (6-0, 4-0) made is a 21-0 lead later in the second frame on a 28-yard pass from junior quarterback Shawn Mizro (Newark/Newark, N.Y.) to sophomore wide receiver James Wright (Olean/Olean, N.Y.). Wright created the scoring opportunity, catching a 10-yard button hook, putting a spin move and a stiff arm on his defender and outracing the pursuit to paydirt. Mizro finished 14-of-25 for 202 yards, while Wright made five receptions for a game-high 107 yards.

The Mariners finally got on the board, just before halftime with a little good fortune of their own. After a Hobart kickoff out of bounds gave the visitors the ball on their own 35, Kings Point moved to midfield and then got 15 more yards and a first down on a roughing the passer penalty. The Statesmen shored up their defense and limited the Mariners to a 33-yard field goal by first-year Geoff Troy (Buchholz/Gainesville, Fla.). His 14th field goal of the season tied the Mariners’ single season record.

Blakowski accounted for the only points of the third quarter, scoring from four yards out. He finished the day with 148 yards on 24 carries (6.2 yds/att). Blakowski has 902 yards on the season and is on pace to become just the third Hobart running back to rush for 1,300 yards in a season.

Kings Point used its ensuing drive to move 84 yards in 12 plays, capped off by a 31-yard pass from Kleinschnitz to sophomore wide receiver Preston Morgan (Wren/Easley, S.C.). Kleinschnitz, who handled the punting and passing duties, finished the day 22-of-39 for 270 yards, but was knocked out of the game in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury on Hobart’s fifth sack of the game.

Five Statesmen recorded at least a half sack, led by defensive ends senior Zach Young (Midlakes/Phelps, N.Y.) and junior Andy Purdie (Victor/Farmington, N.Y.). Young finished with eight tackles and logged four half sacks, while Purdie made six stops with one solo and two half sacks.

Hobart is back in action at 1 p.m., on Oct. 22, when the Statesmen host St. Lawrence.