November 19 , 2005

Doug Blakowski was penned in by Cortland's run defense most of the afternoon, but the junior broke through for the game-winning ouchdown in the fourth quarter. (Photo by Kevin Colton)

GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart football team squeezed out a 23-22 victory over SUNY Cortland in the first round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs on Boswell Field this afternoon. Junior running back Doug Blakowski (Iroquois/Elma, N.Y.) scored the game-winning touchdown with 7:37 remaining in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard plunge.

With the Statesmen (9-1) trailing 22-16 and 9:14 remaining, Hobart took possession at its own 24-yard line. On the first play of the game-deciding drive, junior wide receiver Nick Dyson (Tioga/Barton, N.Y.) caught a lateral from junior quarterback Shawn Mizro (Newark/Newark, N.Y.) and turned his attention down field. Dyson heaved a 46-yard completion to a wide open sophomore wide receiver James Wright (Olean/Olean, N.Y.). After running for no gain on the next play, Mizro hit sophomore wide receiver Steve Sorhaindo (Yorktown Heights/Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) for 29 more yards to move to the Cortland 1, setting up Blakowski’s dive.

From there, the Statesmen turned it over to their defense. On the ensuing possession, Hobart forced the Red Dragons (7-3) to attempt a 44-yard field that fell short. The Statesmen failed to gain a first down with their next three plays and lined up in punt formation. Sophomore punter Dom Ancona (Chaminade/Garden City, N.Y.) took the snap and scrambled to his right and found junior linebacker Evan Hoffman (Fairfield Prep/Fairfield, Conn.) on a 12-yard pass play. While the Statesmen did not score on the

drive, by converting the fake punt, Hobart was able to run almost two minutes off the game clock before punting back to Cortland. Ancona’s punt was downed at the Cortland 27 with 1:57 remaining.

Sophomore quarterback Alex Smith (Niagara-Wheatfield/Niagara Falls, N.Y.) threw for 29 yards and rushed for 15 more on three plays to move the Red Dragons to the Hobart 29. A fumbled snap, an incompletion, and two false start penalties, pushed Cortland back to the Hobart 40. On fourth and 21, Smith completed a short pass to sophomore wide receiver Shane Arce (Arlington/Poughkeepsie, N.Y.), who attempted to lateral. The Red Dragons recovered the loose ball, well short of the first down and Hobart took two knees to run out the clock.

The Statesmen opened the afternoon’s scoring on a 27-yard field goal by first-year Kevin Olson (Mohawk/Mohawk, N.Y.) at the 4:21 mark of the first quarter. Ancona made the key play on that drive, hitting Hoffman on a 25-yard fake punt pass from the shadow of his own goal posts.

Cortland grabbed the lead 16 seconds before the end of the first frame on an 11-yard run by Smith. An elusive runner, he stepped out of a shoestring tackle behind the line of scrimmage to save the scoring play.

Hobart went into the intermission with the lead thanks to the only score of the second quarter. Mizro attempting a quarterback draw was hit at the Cortland 1 by junior linebacker Josh Jablonski (West Seneca West/Buffalo, N.Y.) and fumbled into the end zone. Sophomore lineman Phill Perkins (Andover/Andover, Mass.) fell on the loose ball to give Hobart a 10-7 lead at halftime.

Head Coach Mike Cragg celebrates Hobart's first round win over Cortland. (Photo by Kevin Colton)

The Statesmen extended their lead two plays into the second half. Hobart kicked off to the Red Dragons and first-year Matt Duliba (Forestville/Forestville, N.Y.) put a punishing hit on the return man, who fumbled and the Statesmen recovered. On the next play, Mizro hit Wright on a quick slant for a 15-yard scoring play.

Cortland crept within two on a 1-yard run by junior Matt Rickert (Sachem/Holbrook, N.Y.) at the 8:25 mark of the second quarter. Rickert scored again early in the fourth quarter on a 6-yard run to give the Red Dragons a 22-16 lead.

Smith finished the game with a career-high 100 yards rushing and completed 19-of-40 passes for 230 yards. Junior wide receiver Anthony Morat (Rome Free Academy/Rome, N.Y.) was his top target, making seven catches for 100 yards.

Mizro threw for 167 yards and a touchdown, finding senior wide receiver Colby Feane (Weedsport/Weedsport, N.Y.) for a team-high four catches for 72 yards.

Defensively, junior linebacker Nolan Robinson (Johnson City/Johnson City, N.Y.) recorded a game-high nine tackles. For Cortland, junior lineman Michael Connolly (Minisink Valley/Middletown, N.Y.) posted a team-high seven stops, while the Red Dragons registered five sacks to raise their season total to a school record 52 and made three interceptions, one fewer than Mizro threw during the regular season.

Hobart returns to action on Nov. 26 when the Statesmen travel to Delaware Valley. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.