CORTLAND, N.Y. – Junior quarterback Ray Miles (Port Byron) threw three fourth-quarter touchdown passes to junior Eric Hajnos (Grand Island), including the game-winner with 12.4 seconds left, as Cortland rallied for a 27-26 win over Western Connecticut State. The Red Dragons improved to 5-1 and maintained its lead in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) with a 4-0 record. The Colonials dropped to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in NJAC action.
Miles completed 31-of-46 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns. His 31 completions are a career high and tied for the third-highest single-game total in school history. Senior Keith Greene (Brentwood) made nine catches for 70 yards, senior tight end Paul Caughell (Niagara Falls/Niagara-Wheatfield) grabbed seven passes for 73 yards and Hajnos finished with six receptions for 61 yards. Hajnos tied a school single-game record with his three touchdown catches. Four Red Dragons previously accomplished the feat, most recently Brian Babst in a win over Rowan in 2001. Freshman linebacker Brian Haas (East Aurora/St. Francis) and junior linebacker Josh Fodrowski (Stone Ridge/Rondout Valley) led the Red Dragons with nine tackles apiece.
Western Connecticut sophomore quarterback James Williams (Wolcott, CT) completed 16-of-27 passes for 328 yards and three touchdowns, including two scores by sophomore Derrick Way (Norwalk, CT/Norwich Free Academy). Way finished with 158 yards receiving. Junior linebacker Chad Milling (Hartford, CT/Conrad) finished with a game-high 12 tackles and senior safety John Hoke (Tomkins Cove/North Rockland) recorded 10 tackles, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.
Western took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on an 11-yard pass from Williams to junior Allen Bowen (Hamden, CT). A 22-yard pass from Williams to Bowen on 4th-and-12 at the Cortland 27-yard line kept the drive alive. Cortland pulled to within 7-6 before halftime on two of senior Matthew Mintz's (Lawrence) three field goals. He hit a 28-yarder with 9:25 left and a 25-yarder with 2:04 remaining in the half.
The Colonials scored on their first possession of the third quarter to take a 14-6 lead. On 3rd-and-15 at the Western 25-yard line, Willilams threw a short pass to Way, who was able to break around the right side and race untouched down the sideline for a 75-yard touuchdown. Mintz made a 23-yard field goal with 6:18 left in the third quarter to cut Cortland's deficit to 14-9. On Western's next possession, Cortland fumbled a punt return. The Colonials proceeded to drive 19 yards on three plays, capped by a 2-yard touchdown run by freshman Wayne Neal (Poughkeepsie), to take a 20-9 lead. A two-point conversion run failed.
Cortland started its comeback with an 8-play, 55-yard scoring drive. Hajnos finished the drive with a 22-yard touchdown catch in the left corner, although a two-point pass failed and Western's lead was 20-15. Later in the quarter, Cortland was pinned at its 13-yard line after a quick-kick by Williams on fourth down. The Red Dragons drove to the Western 29-yard line before Miles had a pass intercepted. Pass interference, however, was called on the play and two plays later Miles again found Hajnos on a flag pattern for a 5-yard touchdown and Cortland's first lead of the game. The two-point pass failed and Cortland led 21-20 with 3:38 remaining.
Western started its next drive on its own 29-yard line and quickly moved upfield. Williams connected with freshman Keith Rosedom (Stamford, CT/Westhill) on a 43-yard pass on second down and later in the drive threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Way to give the Colonials a 26-21 lead with 1:33 left. The two-point conversion pass was broken up by Cortland senior cornerback Greg Steward (Elmont/Sewanhaka).
Cortland freshman Will Loeb (Pine Bush) returned the ensuing kickoff 23 yadrs to the Western 49-yard line. Passes of 22 and nine yards to Greene moved the ball to the 18-yard line with less than a minute left. An incomplete pass set up a 4th-and-1 for the Red Dragons with 47 seconds left, and Cortland converted on a 5-yard pass from Miles to Hajnos. An 8-yard pass to Greene pushed the ball to the 5-yard line 29.4 seconds left, but Cortland lost a yard on a Javaris Brown (Cromwell, CT) sack with 23 seconds left. After an incompletion on third down, the Red Dragons faced 4th-and-3 at the 6-yard line. Miles hit Hajnos on a slant pattern in the middle of the end zone for the winning touchdown, although the ensuing two-point run failed.
Western started its final drive on its own 28-yard line and was able to run one play. The Colonials tried a hook-and-lateral play with two pitches, the second setting up Way for a run down the left sideline. He was tackled at Cortland's 36-yard line as time expired.
