Saturday, October 20, 2012 (Newton, Massachusetts) - For the second time this season, Mount Ida College football senior kicker Bobby Hemmann (Newington, CT/Newington) propelled the Mustangs to their fourth straight Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) win connecting on a 38 yard field goal with four seconds remaining in the game undoing at 21-21 stalemate Saturday afternoon against visiting Maritime College (SUNY) capturing a 24-21 victory on Alumni Field. Earlier this year, Hemmann solidified the host's first victory of 2012 in week one with a 48 yard field goal against UMASS-Dartmouth with time expiring.
Mount Ida notches their fourth consecutive win improving to an overall record of 6-1, tying the best season total in program history with a perfect league slate of 4-0 sitting at the top of the ECFC. The visitors snap a two-game winning streak falling to 3-4 for 2012, 2-2 in conference standings.
The Mustangs came out scorching scoring the first 21 points of the contest in the first quarter of play (6:22) with no answer from the visitors. Mount Ida converted an 11 play, 70 yard opening drive for the 7-0 advantage following a successful point after attempt (PAT) by Hemmann. Sophomore running back Kareem Cope (Stamford, CT/Forman) barreled in a 14 yard misdirection carry to the goal line for the lead.
A botched snap on a punt by the visitors off the ensuing possession gave the hosts prime field position for another score. Junior wide receiver Jordan Hyman (Middletown, CT/Xavier) hooked up with senior quarterback Scott Drosendahl (East Aurora, NY/East Aurora) three plays later on a 24 yard strike inflating the Mount Ida lead to 14-0 after another Hemmann PAT.
In the final ticks of the first quarter, after a Mustang interception by freshman linebacker Dominick Spaulding (West Hartford, CT/West Hartford), Drosendahl connected on his second touchdown pass of the game finalizing a three play, 34 yard strike. The signal caller fired a bullet to freshman wide out Dejhaun Williams (Newark, NJ/M.X. Shabazz) to finish off the 21 point opening stanza following another Hemmann point after.
Maritime fired back in the second quarter blanking the hosts offensively recording 13 points of their own to pull within a score of the Mustangs. SUNY junior fullback Gary Bigham (Jacksonville, FL/Colonial) notched two of his three touchdowns starting at the 12 minute mark off a five yard run into the end zone. Visiting freshman kicker Diogo Dietrich (Pompton Lakes, NJ/DePaul Catholic) flubbed the PAT making it 21-6 in favor of Mount Ida.
Bigham added another TD on a nine play, 92 yard drive in the final ticks of the second stanza finalized on a one yard run making it 21-13 following a successful point after attempt by Dietrich heading into the midway point.
After a stalemate in the third quarter, with neither team able to convert a touchdown, Bigham would add his third rushing score of the contest on a one yard scamper capitalizing a 16 play, 71 yard strike pulling within two points (21-19) with 12 minutes left in the game. SUNY opted to go for the two point conversion eventually converting on a Bigham rush knotting the game at 21-21.
It went back and forth with both teams handing the ball over to each other early in the fourth quarter. At the 7:45 mark SUNY mounted a 12 play, 73 yard drive eating up seven minutes of the clock. Unfortunately for the visitors, freshman quarterback Tyler Trodden (Putman Valley, NY/Kennedy Catholic) would throw an interception in the end zone, picked off by host junior defensive back Frank Greene (Hamden, CT/Hamden), handing the ball to the Mustangs on their own 20 yard line with 45 seconds to go.
Drosendahl completed the first three opening passes of the drive getting to the 40 yard line hooking up with Williams twice and another to Valentini. A crucial personal foul penalty against the visitors on a late hit up the middle put the Mustangs on the SUNY 45 with 20 seconds to go in the contest.
The veteran leadership of Drosendahl and Valentini would show on the next play converting a 24 yard pass to the Maritime 21 yard line setting up Hemmann. The senior kicker, who has been solid all year, split the uprights with no time to spare on the 38 yard attempt for the 24-21 ECFC victory.
Drosendahl completed 15-of-25 attempts for 167 yards through the air and two touchdown passes; he was also sacked three times. Hyman and Williams added a combined eight catches for 95 yards total on the ground. Mount Ida sophomore running back Chris McNally (Bourne, MA/Bourne) recorded 14 carries for 79 yards respectively. The Mustang defense was led by sophomore defensive back Jovan Wilkins (Poughkeepsie, NY/Poughkeepsie) with eight solo tackles and three tackles for a loss. Spaulding, Greene and junior defensive back Calvin Claiborne (Dorchester, MA/Brighton) all had interceptions for the hosts.
Along with an outstanding individual performance from Bigham with three rushing touchdowns for 133 yards on the ground, SUNY signal caller Trodden went 12-19 for 188 yards passing. The Privateer defense was led by sophomore defensive back Ryan McCoy (Bayport, NY/Bayport-Blue Point) and senior linebacker Pat Lasher (Seaford, NY/Seaford) with four tackles each.
Mount Ida will host their final home game of the season next Saturday, October 27, 2012 against visiting Becker College on senior day with kick-off at 1:00 p.m. The Privateers will host ECFC member Husson University the same day with the same start time.
