MILTON, Mass. - The 12th-ranked Hobart College football team defeated Curry College, 43-13, in non-conference action as a part of Curry's Homecoming Weekend. The Statesmen remain perfect on the season at 3-0 while the Colonels remain winless at 0-3.
After a scoreless and competitive first seven minutes, the Hobart offense had a two-play, 28-yard drive capped off by junior Alex Furtado (Weymouth, Mass.) running it in from the four-yard line to start the scoring. In the last 30 seconds of the first quarter, the Statesman would score two more times, a one-yard touchdown rush by junior Christopher Holoman (Asburn, Va.) as well as a defensive safety with nine seconds left.
The second quarter continued Hobart's scoring ways on offense, as the visitors opened up 37-0 advantage at intermission. Junior Conner Hartigan (Albany, N.Y.) capped off a 40-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown rush with 9:24 left in the first half. Then senior quarterback Patrick Conlan (Sewickley, Pa.) threw for two touchdowns in the quarter, first to freshman Brandon Shed (West Palm Beach, Fla.) from 20 yards out with 2:26 left, then again with only 24 seconds left to senior Mike Berkowitz (Bolton Landing, N.Y.) from seven away.
After being held scoreless in the first half, the Colonels offense started to click as they put 13 points on the board in the third quarter. Their first drive of the quarter was only a minute long and took three plays as it was finished off with a school-record, 93-yard catch and run pass from sophomore quarterback Mike O'Hearn (Billerica, Mass.) to sophomore Alex Kershaw (Boston, Mass.). Kershaw sprinted down the left sideline, outrunning the Statesmen defensive backs.
With less than eight minutes left in the quarter, O'Hearn threw for another touchdown, a 30-yarder to sophomore Jake Cawlina (Danvers, Mass.) to end a five-play, 31-yard drive.
In the final quarter, the Statesmen were the only ones up on the board as senior quarterback Kyle Bayly (Schenectady, N.Y.) threw 83 yards, again hooking up with the freshman Shed.
Conlan led the Hobart offense going 6-for-15 for 78 yards and two touchdowns in the air while Hartigan ran for a game-high 80 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown on the ground. Shed was the leading receiver with two catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns.
For Curry, O'Hearn completed 15 of his 32 throws for 243 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. On the ground, senior running back Trae Weathers (Revere, Mass.) went for 23 yards on seven carries, which was a high for the Colonels. Kershaw led the game with eight catches for 179 yards and a touchdown.
On defense, Hobart was paced by junior Tommy D'Antonio (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) with seven solo stops. Curry's defense was led by senior Parrish Rogers-Reed (Westfield, Mass.), who amassed a game-high 10 tackles (9 solo), including a sack for a five-yard loss.
Curry will travel to Endicott College to open conference play next Saturday at noon. Hobart kicks off league action as well, returning home for a matchup with the Merchant Marine Academy next Saturday at 1:00.
