CONTACT: Steve Mullen (518) 629-8063
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Saturday, October 15, 2005
Photos Available
Hudson Valley Community College scored 19 unanswered fourth quarter points to defeat Alfred State College, 19-14, in Northeast Football Conference action earlier today on a sloppy field in Troy.
Sophomore running back Dane Samuels (New City/Clarkstown High School) carried the ball in to the end zone from nine yards away to give the Vikings their first lead of the game with 1:01 remaining. Sophomore kicker Bobby Collet's (Middletown/Goshen High School) extra point put the Vikings up 19-14.
Trailing 14-0 entering the fourth quarter, Hudson Valley used a little creativity to put its first points on the board. Sophomore wide receiver Rashad Howard (Newport News, VA/Heritage High School) took a handoff on a reverse and passed the ball 43 yards to freshman running back Axel Cortijo (Tuckahoe/Tuckahoe High School) for the touchdown. The extra point attempt was missed.
Hudson Valley's second touchdown was set up when an Alfred State punt snap sailed over the punter's head and was recovered on the Pioneers five yard line. Three plays later, freshman quarterback David Little (Hyde Park/Our Lady of Lourdes High School) hit sophomore tight end Jamal Harrod (Baltimore/Southwestern High School) with a four-yard touchdown pass. The extra point try was missed, which left the Vikings trailing 14-12 with 5:41 remaining in the game.
Alfred State took a 14-0 lead into halftime on touchdown passes from Chad Smith (Livonia) to Calvin Corbin (Clayton, NJ) and from Nabil El-Amin (Rochester) to Brandon Frazier (Bronx).
Samuels finished the game with 65 yards on 11 carries and 36 receiving yards to lead Hudson Valley's offense, which finished with 252 total yards in the game.
Alfred State gained 198 of its 218 yards through the air. Smith connected on eight-of-23 passes for 170 yards.
Sophomore John Fuschino (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa High School) made eight stops to lead the Vikings defense. Sophomore Dominic Howard (Baltimore/Randallstown High School) had an interception with 44 seconds remaining in the game that stopped Alfred State's final drive.
Hudson Valley, which is ranked No. 16 in the latest NJCAA poll, improves its record to 5-2 on the season and stands in second place in the conference's East Division with a 3-2 mark. Alfred State had its record drop to 3-4 on the year.