By Alex Clark ’05
Hamilton, NY — For the third time in school history, the ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ football team has won the Patriot League championship, sharing this year’s title with Fordham University. The Raiders, who defeated Holy Cross 25-20 Saturday afternoon, finished the regular season with a 9-3 overall mark and a 6-1 league record to become only the fifth team in school history to win nine or more games in a season.
The victory was a tough fought battle on the snowy and muddy turf of Andy Kerr Stadium, and wasn’t decided until the final three seconds when cornerback T.J. Smith picked off a pass in the end zone to kill the Crusaders’ last chance for the upset on fourth down and three.
There were many heroes for ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ, which will hear on Sunday whether it will receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. Sophomore wide receiver Luke Graham grabbed four passes for 137 yards and one touchdown; sophomore running back Ray LaMonica gained 101 yards on 18 carries and scored one touchdown; junior linebacker Tem Lukabu made 20 tackles including one interception; and sophomore placekicker Lane Schwarzberg broke the school record for field goals in a season with a pair between the uprights.
ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ opened the scoring with 2:58 remaining in the first quarter, when Schwarzberg booted a 29-yard field goal to give the Raiders a 3-0 lead. Holy Cross tied the game early in the second quarter on Ryan Rolfert’s 25-yard field goal.
Following the Crusaders’ FG, the Raiders took over on their own 17-yard line, and on the first play from scrimmage sophomore Chris Brown hit a streaking Graham down the middle for an 83-yard touchdown pass putting the home team ahead 10-3. The touchdown pass equaled the third longest in school history and was Brown’s first collegiate TD pass.
The Crusaders came back to tie the game at 10-10 before halftime, when Brian Hall scampered 12 yards for a touchdown with 1:19 left in the half, capping a 62-yard drive in eight plays.
ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ regained the lead 13-10 on the opening drive of the second half when Schwarzberg collected his school record 13th field goal of the season with a 30-yard effort.
Holy Cross took its first lead of the game when Hall threw the ball across his body and to a wide-open Bill Pragalz to put the finishing touch on a 73-yard drive from four-yard out.
J.B. Gerald’s 49-yard kickoff return gave the Raiders wonderful field position for the ensuing drive. ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ quickly scored a touchdown of its own when LaMonica scampered 13 yards into the end zone. Schwarzberg’s missed extra point kept the lead to 19-17 late in the third quarter.
Holy Cross drove inside the ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ five-yard line early in the fourth quarter, but the Raider defense forced the Crusaders to settle for a field goal and a one-point lead, 20-19.
Trickery led the Raiders to the Crusader end zone on the following drive. LaMonica took a halfback option toss and lobbed the ball deep to Graham who made a leaping grab at the Holy Cross four-yard line. Justin Polk’s powerful touchdown rush and a failed two-point conversion try gave the Raiders a 25-20 lead with nine minutes remaining in the game.
Holy Cross held the Raiders on a fourth-and-one carry on their own 37-yard line, forcing a turnover on downs with just over two minutes remaining. The Crusaders systematically moved down the field to the ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ four- yard line with nine seconds left on the clock. Smith intercepted the ball in the end zone, however, and secured the Raider victory.