CONTACT: Steve Mullen (518) 629-8063
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Saturday, September 20, 2003
Morrisville (2-2, 1-1 Northeast Football Conference) scored 10 points off four turnovers and held on to defeat Hudson Valley Community College (2-1, 0-1), 17-10, earlier today in Troy.
Hudson Valley amassed 350 yards of total offense while holding the visiting Mustangs to only 133 yards. However, four interceptions, including a 77 yard interception return for a touchdown by Lawrence Atkinson (Woodbridge, VA/Garfield High School) that gave Morrisville a 7-0 lead, hampered the Vikings chances of winning.
Sophomore running back Emmanuel Marc (Spring Valley/Spring Valley High School) carried the ball a school-record 44 times for 182 yards. Ernie Skipper, who rushed the ball 37 times against Plattsburgh in 1970, held the previous mark for carries in a game.
Trailing 10-3, Hudson Valley sophomore quarterback Ryan Gribulis (Kerhonkson/Rondout Valley High School) found sophomore tight end J.J. Nesheiwat (Poughkeepsie/Arlington High School) for a 35 yard touchdown pass to tie the contest with 4:54 remaining in the third quarter. Neshiewat caught five passes for 96 yards on the day.
The Mustangs put together their longest drive of the day--a seven-play, 59-yard drive�"and capped it off with a 36 yard touchdown pass from freshman Tyree Foster (Clementon, NJ/Overbrook High School) to freshman Thomas Gowdy (Deerfield Beach, FL/Deerfield Beach High School), taking a 17-10 lead with 5:07 remaining in the contest.
On the ensuing possession, Hudson Valley drove the ball 71 yards to the Morrisville 16 yard line before an interception by freshman Jason Tanner (Fulton/G. Ray Bodley High School), with 1:54 remaining, sealed the win for Morrisville.
Sophomore running back Assad Hafiz (Franklinville, NJ/Delsea Regional High School) carried the ball nine times for 49 yards to lead Morrisville. Sophomore linebacker Jamar Atkinson (Woodbridge, VA/Garfield High School) finished with 18 tackles.
Hudson Valley will travel to Franklin, Massachusetts to meet Dean College on Saturday, September 27. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
