CONTACT: Steve Mullen (518) 629-8063
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Saturday, October 2, 2004
The Hudson Valley Community College football team scored on its first two possessions and held on to defeat Erie Community College, 17-6, earlier today in Troy.
Hudson Valley improved its record to 3-2 on the season and 2-1 in the Northeast Football Conference. Erie, which entered the game ranked eighth in the NJCAA poll, fell to 4-1 and 3-1 in the NFC.
With neither team able to sustain long offensive drives, it was Hudson Valley's special teams that helped seal the upset.
Erie attempted and onside kick to start the game and the Vikings jumped on the ball at the Erie 41 yard line. The Vikings went 41 yards on six plays and scored on a two-yard touchdown run by sophomore quarterback Jonah Chappell (Brownfield, ME/Fryeburg Academy).
Hudson Valley held the Katz to only 12 yards on their opening possession and freshman C.J. Tarver (Albany/Bishop Maginn High School) returned the punt to the Erie 19 yard line.
After a Hudson Valley penalty, Chappell hit freshman wide receiver Demarcus White (Laurel, MD/Laurel High School) with a 29-yard touchdown pass to give the Vikings a 14-0 lead six minutes into the opening quarter.
The Katz would get on the board midway through the third quarter after Deacon Jones (Reynolds, PA) returned a punt 56 yards to the Hudson Valley 35 yard line. Erie went 35 yards on seven plays and scored when quarterback Jonte Smith (Thomas Edison, VA) hit Joel Gibbons (Batavia) with a 10-yard touchdown strike. The extra point attempt hit the left upright and bounced wide.
A 27-yard field goal by freshman Bobby Collett (Middletown/Goshen High School) gave Hudson Valley a 17-6 lead with 1:39 remaining in the third quarter.
Hudson Valley finished with 238 total yards in the game. Chappell completed 10-of-25 passes for 159 yards and one touchdown. Freshman running back Dane Samuels (Clarkstown/Clarkstown High School) carried the ball 19 times for 90 yards to lead the Vikings ground attack.
The Katz got 128 of their 221 total yards through the air. Smith completed 10-of-22 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown.
Sophomore linebacker Shonda Faulkner (Poughkeepsie/Poughkeepsie High School) led the Hudson Valley defense with 19 tackles. Sophomore safety Damion Malott (Akron, OH/Akron North High School) had 13 tackles, and sophomore defensive end Jonal St.-Dic (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth High School) and sophomore linebacker Javon Sistrunk (New York/Progress High School) had 10 tackles apiece.
Hudson Valley will travel to Morrisville State College on Saturday, October 9. Kick off is scheduled for 1 p.m. Erie will travel to Ellsowrth Community College next Saturday.