CONTACT: Steve Mullen (518) 629-8063
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Friday, November 5, 2004
With the Northeast Football Conference championship game on the horizon, Hudson Valley Community College must first concentrate on its final regular season contest when the Vikings host Union College's junior varsity squad at noon on Sunday, November 7.
Hudson Valley has won four of its last five games to run its record to 6-3. The Vikings finished conference play with a 5-2 mark, clinching the East Division with a 33-18 win at Dean College on Saturday, October 30. Union JV enters Sunday's contest with a 1-3 mark.
Union JV and Hudson Valley have met 12 times. The Vikings have won eight straight games in the series and hold a 10-1-1 advantage since the two colleges first met in 1969.
Hudson Valley freshman running back Dane Samuels (Clarkstown/Clarkstown High School) put his name in the Hudson Valley record book against Dean. He carried the ball a school-record 51 times for 243 yards and three touchdowns. He has rushed for 881 yards this season and ranks first in the conference with nine rushing touchdowns.
Running behind Hudson valley's starting front five of sophomore tackle Darnell Stapleton (Union, NJ/Union High School), sophomore guard Terrence Bynum (Brooklyn/Lincoln High School), freshman center Josh Nelson (Cambridge/Greenwich High School), freshman guard John Rescott (Troy/Lansingburgh High School), and freshman tackle Paul Furman (Amsterdam/Amsterdam High School), Samuels only needs 119 yards to give the college its fifth 1,000-yard rusher in the last six seasons. Emmanuel Marc rushed for 2,038 yards in 2003 and 1,235 yards in 2002; Gary Jones had 1,046 yards in 2000; and Dan Vergine rushed for 1,250 yards in 1999.
Hudson Valley has a chance to finish the season in the NJCAA Top-20 poll for the second consecutive season. The Vikings finished the season ranked 15th in the country a year ago, and currently are the top vote getter among others receiving votes in this year's poll.
Hudson Valley will be in the postseason for the second consecutive year when it faces West Division winner Erie Community College at noon on Saturday, November 13 in Orchard Park.
