Travis Alvarez set a school single-game record with three blocked kicks and tied the school single-season record with six blocks on the year (Photo: Darl Zehr Photography)
PHILADELPHIA, P.A. — Aryeh Moslavi made a 26-yard field goal as time expired as Kean University defeated Cortland, 30-27, in the ECAC Division III Clayton Chapman Bowl at the University of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field.
The Cougars finished the season 7-4, while Cortland wrapped the year 5-6 while making its 12th ECAC bowl appearance and 21st overall postseason showing. Friday's game was the first of six bowl games played at Franklin Field as part of the second annual ECAC D3 Football Fest.
Cortland fell despite overcoming a 27-7 second-quarter deficit. The Red Dragons scored a late first-half touchdown and the first 13 points of the second half to tie the game.
Cortland quarterback Brett Segala (Webster/Webster Schroeder) completed 27-of-43 passes for 356 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 71 yards on 13 carries, but was intercepted three times. Jake Smith (Albany/Guilderland) caught six passes for 101 yards and a touchdowns, and in the process eclipsed the career 100-catch mark with one season remaining. Jon Mannix (East Northport/John H. Glenn) caught five passes for 97 yards and two scores.
Freshman Travis Alvarez (Keyport, NJ) set a school single-game record with three blocked kicks (two field goals, one PAT), and he tied the school single-season record of six blocked kicks set by Josh Jablonski in 2005. Cortland's nine blocked kicks this season ties the school mark established in both 2005 and 2010.
Carson Lassiter (Madison, NJ) and Mark DeLuise (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) led Cortland's defense with 14 tackles each. DeLuise and Max Jean (Lakeview/Malverne) each intercepted a pass.
Game MVP Brian Matthews led Kean with 193 yards rushing on 30 carries. Quarterback Charles App connected on 22-of-30 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions and ran 15 times for 72 yards and a score. He also made a crucial 10-yard reception on a throwback pass from receiver LeRon Dillard to help set up the winning field goal. Dillard finished with 12 catches for 98 yards and a score.
David Coleman led the Cougars with seven tackles and two pass breakups, while Austin Davis and Vaughn Scott each recorded interceptions.
Cortland took a 7-0 lead on its opening possession with a 72-yard drive, capped by a Mannix 7-yard TD reception. Kean, however, scored the next 27 points on an App 3-yard run, a Dillard 5-yard reception, a Coleman 3-yard run, and a Ben Guarino 25-yard catch. Alvarez blocked the PAT after the last of those scores and Cortland trailed 27-7 with 2:41 left in the half.
The Red Dragons answered with a 12-play, 66-yard scoring drive right before intermission. Mannix's 9-yard catch from Segala on 3rd-and-goal drew Cortland within 27-14 at halftime.
Alvarez blocked a 23-yard field goal on Kean's first drive of the second half after the Red Dragon defense held on three straight plays from inside the 5-yard line. Cortland then marched 88 yards on 12 plays. After facing a 2nd-and-36 at its own 37-yard line due to a fumble and a penalty, Segala ran for 17 yards, and a Kean personal foul gave Cortland an automatic first down. On the next play, Segala hit Smith from 31 yards out to cut Kean's lead to 27-21.
Alvarez's second blocked field goal, and third overall block of the game, kept it a one-score deficit with 8:21 left in the fourth. Cortland drove 81 yards, capped by Zach Tripodi's (New Fairfield, CT) 7-yard TD run with 5:48 left, to tie the game at 27-27. The potential go-ahead PAT kick sailed wide left.
Cortland held Kean and got the ball back at its own 13-yard line with 4:09 left. The Red Dragons, however, only moved to their own 30-yard line before having to punt. William Holscher (East Northport/Commack), who averaged 49 yards per punt on three kicks, unleashed a 57-yard punt that pinned Kean at its own 13-yard line with 2:19 remaining.
The Cougars, however, methodically drove down the field for the winning score. App ran for 13 yards on 3rd-and-4 from the Kean 19, and later in the drive a pass interference call on 3rd-and-14 at the Cortland 34 moved the ball to the Cortland 19. With 10 seconds left, Dillard hit App for the 10-yard gain in the left flat, and App wisely got out of bounds with four seconds remaining as Kean had no timeouts left. Moslavi made up for his previous two blocked field goals by nailing the winning 26-yarder as time expired.
