UTICA, NY – The Utica College football team rallied with 35 second half points, cutting its deficit to just two, with 4:36 left in the contest, but the Pioneers comeback bid fell short as Morrisville State escaped with a 37-35 Empire 8 Conference victory at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium Saturday afternoon. UC put itself in position to knock down the game-winning field goal as time expired but freshman kicker Maki Medici (Watervliet, NY/Shaker)'s 35 yard field goal drifted just wide as the Mustangs came away with a two point victory.
Utica capped its season with a 3-7 overall record and a 2-5 ledger in Empire 8 play. Morrisville improved to 4-6 overall and 2-5 in the E8, snapping a two game losing streak to the Pioneers.
Utica senior Anthony Bierria-Anderson (Freeport, NY/Freeport) jumped an out route with less than five minutes left on the clock, picked off the pass, and returned it 80 yards for a touchdown to give the Pioneers a chance to tie the game with 4:36 left on the game clock. The game-tying two point conversion failed and UC found itself trailing by two with under five minutes to play.
The Utica defense held Morrisville to three and out on their next drive to set up the final possession of the contest. Nine plays and 53 yards later the Pioneers found themselves with a chance for a game-winning field goal as Head Coach Blaise Faggiano called timeout with three seconds left on the game clock. Utica's comeback hopes fell just short as the 35 yarder sailed wide as time expired with Morrisville on top 37-35.
Sophomore quarterback Vinny Aloi (Chester, NY/Chester Academy) completed 24 passes for 251 yards and three second half touchdowns, while sophomore running back Lindell Reed (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) carried the ball 14 times for a season-high 116 yards and one score.
Utica sophomore receiver Peyton Miller (Chemung, NY/Waverly) had a career-day as he posted 11 grabs for 93 yards. Donovan Brunson (White Plains, NY/White Plains) added five catches for 90 yards and a score, while Josh Hood (Oneida, NY/Oneida) caught three balls for 35 yards and a TD. Tahj Clark (Medford, NY/Longwood) also caught his first collegiate touchdown with 7:51 left in the fourth quarter to pull the Pioneers within eight points.
Utica defensive lineman Keanu Heedram (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta) was all over the field as he posted a team-high 12 tackles and one pass break up. Dylan Sekuterski (Depew, NY/Depew) made a career-high 10 tackles and broke up two passes, while his brother Derrick Sekuterski (Depew, NY/Depew) made nine stops in his final game in the blue and orange.
The Pioneers' comeback started early in the second half when Aloi connected with Brunson for a 15 yard TD pass less than three minutes into the third quarter to make the score 17-7. Morrisville responded with a score just over one minute later, but the Pioneers were up for a second half slug fest as they answered with an 11 yard TD catch by Josh Hood (Oneida, NY/Oneida) to make the score 24-14 with 8:01 left in the third.
Morrisville pushed its lead back to 31-14 at 6:36, but the Pioneers responded in just 27 seconds as Lindell Reed (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) made multiple tacklers miss and scampered 22 yards for a score to cut UC's deficit to 10 points, 31-21.
The Mustangs answered again early in the fourth quarter a they took a 37-21 lead before the Pioneers made their final push. UC's comeback began with a Tahj Clark (Medford, NY/Longwood) four yard TD catch that capped a nine play 89 yard drive. UC converted the two-point conversion to make the score 37-29 with 7:51 left.
Morrisville jumped out a 17-0 lead in the first half. Nick Edmond punched in a one yard run in the first quarter. Kinsey Williams then made a 25 yard field goal in the second quarter and William Flatow found Raffaele Bradsh for a 29 yard TD pass to hand the Mustangs the 17-0 first half lead.
