September 30, 2006

Ryan Aruck

Mike Kaplun

GENEVA, N.Y.—The 18th-ranked Hobart football team improved to 4-0 with a 19-14 come-from-behind Liberty League win over WPI on Boswell Field this afternoon. The Statesmen relied heavily on their defense, which posted two red zone stands and two interceptions in the victory.

Hobart (4-0, 2-0) was outgained 338-320, but came up with the key plays when it mattered most.

The Engineers (2-2, 0-2) took their only lead of the game with 5:45 remaining on a 2-yard plunge by senior tailback Garrett Vandette (North Attleboro/North Attleboro, Mass.). The four-play, 14-yard drive was set up by junior defensive back Adam Haines’ (Central/Manchester, N.H.) 52-yard interception return to the Hobart 14. Vandette finished with a team-high 53 yards rushing.

Seemingly unfazed by his third interception of the game, senior quarterback Shawn Mizro (Newark/Newark, N.Y.) led the Statesmen on a 7-play, 67-yard drive that ended with senior running back Doug Blakowski (Iroquois/Elma, N.Y.) scoring from 1 yard out with 3:14 remaining. Blakowski finished with 119 yards rushing and three touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 49 yards.

Mizro was 12 of 24 for 138 yards. It is the seventh time in his Hobart career that he has engineered a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime.

The Statesmen looked to their defense to seal the victory. WPI managed to move to the Hobart 23, but faced fourth and about a foot. The Engineers dug into their back of tricks and had sophomore tailback Alix Orton (North/Worcester, Mass.) throw a halfback option pass. Hobart junior free safety Mike Kaplun (Webster Schroeder/Webster, N.Y.) stayed with his assignment and intercepted the offering in the end zone. Kaplun had seven tackles, two pass break ups, and the interception.

The Statesmen got off to a good start, scoring on their first drive. The 13-play, 62-yard march ate 7:20 off the clock and ended on an 11-yard run over the left side by Blakowski. The key play on the drive was a 15-yard roughing the punter penalty against WPI that kept a sputtering drive alive.

Hobart added a second TD early in the second quarter when Blakowski broke free for a 42-yard touchdown run, his longest of the season. The extra point try was wide left, leaving Hobart a 13-0 lead.

The Statesmen defense came up with its first goal line stand late in the second quarter. The Engineers moved to the Hobart 4, but junior cornerback James Alexander (St. John’s Prep/Beverly, Mass.) batted down a pass into the end zone on third down and sophomore tackle Ryan Aruck (Canandaigua/Canandaigua, N.Y.) stopped the WPI rush for no gain on fourth down. Aruck posted a team-high nine tackles.

The Engineers cracked the scoring column with 8:43 remaining in the third quarter. Junior fullback George Chyoghly (Tahanto/Boylston, Mass.) capped an 80-yard drive with a 5-yard scamper.

Hobart started the fourth quarter with another impressive defensive stand. Facing fourth and one, WPI handed off to Chyoghly who ran into Aruck at the line of scrimmage for no gain. The Engineers’ next drive was wiped out by a one-handed interception by junior linebacker Jeff Sanders (Camden/Camden, N.Y.) in advance of the dramatic finish.

Sophomore linebacker Matt Boudreau (LaSalle/Rensselaer, N.Y.) led WPI with 13 tackles and an interception.