November 13 , 2005

GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart football team received one of 11 at-large berths into the 32-team NCAA Division III Tournament this afternoon. The Statesmen will host Cortland State on Nov. 19 at noon in the first round.

Hobart, led by 11th-year Head Coach Mike Cragg, finished the 2005 regular season with an 8-1 record. It’s the ninth consecutive winning season for the Statesmen, the longest streak of sustained success in the program’s 112-season history. Earlier this season, Cragg past J. Edward Tryon on Hobart’s career wins list, and brings a 72-36 career record into the game.

Offensively, junior quarterback Shawn Mizro (Newark/Newark, N.Y.) and junior running back Doug Blakowski (Iroquois/Elma, N.Y.) lead the Statesmen. Mizro has completed 58.8 percent of his passes for 1,769 yards and 15 touchdowns, while Blakowski has 1,227 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns.

On the other side of the ball, senior linebackers Jimmy Gradis (Elwood John Glenn/Greenlawn, N.Y.) and Tony Clemente (Troy/Troy, N.Y.) pace a swarming defense. Gradis leads the team with 54 tackles, while Clemente is third with 50. The duo have combined for 13.5 tackles for a loss.

The fourth NCAA appearance for Hobart will begin on the same field as the previous three, Boswell Field. The Statesmen are 2-1 in the opening round of the tournament, defeating Bridgewater State in 2000, 25-0, and Curry in 2004, 35-16. John Carroll escaped with a 27-7 win in 2002.

Hobart and Cortland will square off for the 13th time, with both teams boasting six wins. The Statesmen and the Red Dragons have not met on the gridiron since 1989.

Ticket information will be released on Mon., Nov. 14.