Gators Break Out of Slump With Victory Over Hiram

Oct 22, 2005

Boxscore

HIRAM, Ohio – The Allegheny Gators put an end to their longest losing streak in over half a century with a dominating 38-to-6 victory over the Terriers of Hiram College on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

Backup quarterback James Jones (Ellington, N.Y./Falconer Central) was 7-of-11 passing through the air with three touchdowns touchdowns, helping the Gators to the lopsided win.

The Gators scored the first 28 points of the game, en-route to a 35-6 halftime lead. The Gators got their first touchdown of the game when starting quarterback Jimmy Savage (North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) found receiver Kyle Geiser (Orrville, Ohio) from 14 yards away, giving the visitors a 7-0 lead.

After scoring seven points in the first quarter, the floodgates opened for the Gators, scoring 28 points in the second period. Devin Fackenthal (Pittsburgh/Upper St. Clair) caught his first touchdown of the season from five yards away from Jones, taking the Gator lead to 14-0. After an interception by safety Brad Stotsky (Evans City/Seneca Valley), the Gators used just two plays, scoring when Jones found Geiser for his second touchdown of the game, taking the lead to 21-0. The score went to 28-0 with Mario Tarquinio’s (Charleroi) first touchdown of the game, a one-yard plunge with 6:54 to play in the half.

Hiram re-grouped, driving 66 yards on six plays, scoring their only points of the game with 4:33 left in the second half, but a blocked extra point kept the Terriers at six at 28-6. The Gators responded with a 12-play, 68-yard drive, scoring when Jones threw his third touchdown pass of the game, this one to Logan Kaleta (Kirtland, Ohio) from seven yards away, sending the Gators into the locker room with a 35-6 lead.

A field goal by Bryan Davis (Hummelstown/Lower Dauphin) took the lead to 38-6, which stood until the end of the game, as the Gators let the air out of the clock over the remainder of the contest.

Tarquinio led the rushing attack with 101 yards on 17 carries, while Jones rushed eight times for 37 yards in the win. The Gator defense held the Terriers to 20 rushing yards in 22 attempts in the victory.

Jones was 7-of-11 while Savage was 8-of-16 passing in the game for 97 and 71 yards each. Geiser hauled in two passes, both for touchdowns, for 75 total yards, while Kaleta, Michael Sober (West Leechburg/Leechburg), Marko Fonzi (Pittsburgh/Brentwood), Tarquinio, Fackenthal and Jim Lieb (Carrolltown/Northern Cambira) each had two catches in the win.

Defensively, Stotsky led the way with seven tackles, an interception and a forced fumble, while Mateo Villa (Windsor, Ohio/Middlefield Cardinal) and Devin Cruea (Geneva, Ohio) each had six stops in the win.

With the victory, the Gators improve to 1-6 on the season and 1-3 in the NCAC while Hiram falls to 1-6 and 1-3 in league play.

The next game for the Blue and Gold in on Saturday, October 29 when the team plays host to the Little Giants of Wabash College with kickoff set for 1:00 p.m. at Robertson Field in Meadville, Pennsylvania.

Printable Version