ONEONTA, NY - The Utica College football team earned its fourth win of the season in dramatic fashion on Saturday. The Pioneers trailed 10-6 to host Hartwick at the outset of the fourth quarter, but Maki Medici (Watervliet, NY/Shaker) kicked a 29 yard field goal, James Salles (West Babylon, NY/West Babylon) scored on an 18 yard run with five minutes remaining, and Devin Bryant (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) intercepted a last-ditch bid for the end zone as Utica rallied past the Hawks by a 16-10 score in an Empire 8 contest at Hartwick's Wright Stadium.
Utica improves to 4-1, and ends up on the leading end of the Empire 8 Conference standings with a 1-0 conference record. Hartwick fell to 1-2, and 0-1 in the E8.
Graduate student kicking specialist Maki Medici (Watervliet, NY/Shaker) had another impressive outing to lead UC. He converted three field goals, including a season-long 45 yard kick, to put the Pioneers in position to win. He averaged 39.5 yards on six punts as well. The kickoff efforts of Cory Lichtman (Bellemore, NY/Mepham) and Mitch Carley (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) were also key, as the tandem combined with Medici to not allow Hartwick to start a single drive beyond midfield. Utica won the field position battle by getting points on both drives they started in opposing territory.
For a third straight meeting, the Utica defense held Hartwick to a negative rushing total, this time to the tune of -5 yards. The Pioneers sacked Hawks quarterback Kyle Szokoli five times, with sophomore Doug Simmons (White Plains, NY/Archbishop Stepinac) recording a career-best three sacks.The defensive unit also delivered in the turnover battle, as they forced two key turnovers on downs in Pioneer territory, and also bagged two interceptions.
Bryant was Utica's leading tackler with ten stops and the interception that sealed the win. Jimmie Warren (Suffern, NY/Suffern) had eight tackles with 2.5 going for a loss, along with a sack, a forced fumble, and a pass breakup. He made several key plays in high leverage situations for UC. Addo had six tackles to accompany an interception. Jamel Smith (Spring Valley, NY/Avon Old Farms) broke up three passes.
The Pioneers conceded a 373-260 edge in total offense for the game, including a 378-155 margin through the air that favored Hartwick.
For the offense, Salles racked up 86 net yards and the winning touchdown in his first appearance carrying the ball for the Utica varsity. Tim Hogan (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cove) rushed for 19 yards. Joey Nare (Canajoharie, NY/Canajoharie) had 83 yards receiving, while Nate Palmer (Verona, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill) added 42. Quarterback Sonny Badyna (Brooklyn, NY/St. Peter's) completed 15 of 25 passes for 155 yards. Badyna's longest completion of the day, a 31 yard pass to Nare, set up the winning touchdown.
Both teams locked into a scoreless first quarter, with the UC defense coming up huge on its first series of the game. On the opening play from scrimmage, Badyna had a pass intercepted by Hartwick's Nelon Priest at the Hartwick 14 yard line. The Hawks marched downfield on an 11-play 60 yard drive, but their fortunes ran out when Hartwick tried to convert a fourth down at the Utica 25 yard line. After recording a tackle to hold the Hawks to no gain on second down, Jimmie Warren (Suffern, NY/Suffern) hurried Szokoli into an incompletion on fourth down to defuse the drive, and preserve what became a scoreless first quarter.
The second quarter saw the scoring floodgates open with a field goal kicking competition. Utica struck first as they capitalized on a solid drive start at their own 40 yard line. Keyed by a 16 yard carry by Salles, the Pioneers used the ground game to grind out a 32 yard drive, capped by Medici's 45 yard kick to take a 3-0 lead. The Hawks countered with a 69 yard drive to get kicker Kevin Roberts in position for a 23 yard field goal to tie the score. UC had the last laugh to take the lead into halftime, as Medici booted a 38-yard field goal to provide a 6-3 advantage.
Things held tight until the third quarter, when Hartwick notched the game's first touchdown on a 27 yard pass from Szokoli to Nate Rath. The Hawks went 80 yards in 2:02 on an explosive drive that put the hosts in command heading into the fourth quarter.
After a lull, the Pioneer offense got back on track to trim the lead to one point in the fourth quarter. It was Badyna who took control of the situation. The Utica signal-caller completed a five yard pass to Travis Decker (Oneida, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill), a 17 yard pass to Nate Palmer (Verona, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill), and heaves of 22 and 21 yards to Joey Nare (Canajoharie, NY/Canajoharie). The result was a 73 yard drive which set the table for Medici to kick a 29 yard field goal and put the game at the slimmest of margins, 10-9, with 11:32 left.
The defense pushed back against an enterprising Hartwick drive to get the ball back for the winning score. After Hartwick chained together 27 yards on three plays, the defense drew a line in the turf, with Warren stepping up to lead the charge. Warren drilled running back Davien Kuinlan back for a loss of five yards, then sacked Szokoli two plays later after an incomplete pass. That forced the Hawks to punt, and a penalty tacked onto the return brought Utica to their own 28 yard line to start the winning drive.
Salles rushed for gains of six and three yards, and Badyna found Decker for a second time for a fourteen yard connection on third down to get the ball rolling. With a fresh set of downs, Salles ripped off a key six yard gain to give Utica some play-calling options. On the ensuing 2nd and 4, the Pioneers took their shot as Badyna launched a 31 yard rocket to Nare to park Utica at the Hartwick 18. With the hosts reeling, Salles cruised into the end zone on an 18 yard run to give the Pioneers a 16-10 lead with 5:17 to go.
However, the defense had a few tests left to pass to secure the win. On the next series, Hartwick bounced back from a sack by Simmons with a 40 yard pass on 3rd and 19 to place their offense at the Pioneer 32-yard line. That's when the tide turned, as UC forced incompletions on three of the next four passes for a turnover on downs.
The same unit had to re-load quickly as the Pioneers punted following a three-and-out for the offense. What happened next can be described simply as a showcase of resiliency when it mattered most. On the first play following the punt, Szokoli was picked off by Addo, who returned it to the Hartwick 37. At the end of the return, Addo was stripped of the football, and the Hawks recovered at their own 17 yard line. Hartwick gained thirty yards on two pass plays before the UC defense forced three straight incompletions, capped by an interception by Bryant at the 16 yard line as time expired.
The Pioneers will be off next Saturday, and will continue their mid-season road swing with a trip to Brockport on Saturday, October 16th.
