CONTACT: Jeff Foley (518) 629-8085 or (518) 373-1262
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Friday, September 15, 2000
http://hvcc.edu
Hudson Valley Football Team Travels To SUNY Morrisville
For Northeast Football Conference Showdown
The Hudson Valley Community College football team takes its act on the road this weekend, heading to SUNY Morrisville for a 1 p.m. game on Saturday, September 16. The Northeast Football Conference (NFC) matchup will be Hudson Valley's first road game of 2000.
The Vikings are 1-1 (0-1 in the NFC), but have outscored their opponents, 60-28. In last week's 39-0 victory against RPI's JV, Hudson Valley forced six turnovers, while committing none, and held the Engineers to 46 yards of offense. The Vikings racked up 469 yards and owned the football for 43:02. Hudson Valley posted a 4-4 record in 1999.
SUNY Morrisville is 0-2. Both games have been non-league contests. SUNY Morrisville defeated Hudson Valley in 1999, 33-22, and finished the season with a 7-4 record.
This year, Hudson Valley is led by freshman Shawn Miller (Troy). The wide receiver is off to a fast start, compiling nine catches in two games for 306 yards (34.0 yards per catch) and two touchdowns. In his debut game, against Lackawanna Junior College, Miller had 177 yards receiving, just three yards shy of Jay Kearney's 1990 school record. Quarterback Justin Kastner (Hudson) has thrown for 296 yards while playing parts of two games. He has a 94.4 quarterback passer rating. Tailback Gary Jones (Ravena) ran for three touchdowns against RPI, tying the school record for rushing touchdowns in a game, and has 131 yards on the ground. Defensive back Derrick Black (North Carolina) has two interceptions and returned a kickoff 85 yards for a score.
Hudson Valley's football program was established in 1969. At the time, Hudson Valley was one of only two junior colleges in New York to field a varsity football team. Since then, nearly 300 Hudson Valley football players have earned scholarships to four-year schools and 15 have gone on to play professionally. The Vikings competed in the Coca Cola Bowl in Iowa in 1980. In 1996, Hudson Valley posted an 8-0 record, part of dominant stretch that included 15 straight victories.