WASHINGTON, D.C. – Visiting SUNY Morrisville football dropped a heartbreaking loss to host Catholic University Saturday afternoon, falling 27-28 in non-league action in Washington, D.C.

THE BASICS:

• Team Scores: Morrisville 27, Catholic 28 (halftime: Catholic 21-14)
• Location: Cardinal Stadium, Washington, D.C.
• Records: Morrisville 1-1, Catholic University 2-1

 
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Visiting SUNY Morrisville football battled back from a 21-7 first quarter deficit, holding host Catholic University scoreless in two quarters, but it wasn't enough as the host Cardinals pulled out the 28-27 non-league win with a blocked kick in the closing seconds of the contest.
• Morrisville had nearly 500 yards total offense on the day, striking for 262 through the air, while holding Catholic to 361 across the contest.
• Senior quarterback Alek Britten (Schenectady, N.Y.) completed 19-of-31 passes for 262 yards, throwing two touchdowns on the day, while adding 33 net yards rushing on nine attempts for a score.
• Quamel Jarvis (Rochester, N.Y.) led the Mustang receiving unit with 97 yards on seven receptions, scoring once, while Connor Marriott (Waterville, N.Y.) collected three passes for 63-yards receiving.
• Jarvis also added 46 yards in two carries for the Mustangs on the ground.
• Alex McBurnie (Brooklyn, N.Y.) led all ball carriers across the contest with 93-net yards on 16 attempts, with fellow running back Isaac Sylvain (Schenectady, N.Y.) added another 55 on seven carries.
• For the second time in as many games, Camerin Camacho (Cape Coral, Fla.) recorded double-digit tackles, posting 12 total stops for Morrisville, with trio Omar Jarvis (Rochester, N.Y.), Evan Salvaggio (Geneseo, N.Y.) and Dillon English (Webster, N.Y.) adding seven apiece.
• Anai Brake (Carteret, N.J.) registered an interception in the defensive efforts.
• A majority of the Cardinal offense came in the passing game as Joey Gulbin went 24-for-31 for 303 yards passing and two touchdown scores, hitting Malachi Hansen five times for 117-yards and a score.
• Daequan Harvin collected 53-net yards on the ground for Catholic.
• Sean Finan posted 11 total stops for Catholic, with Michael Hopkins and Mason Stillwell each adding eight.
• Catholic posted the first score of the afternoon minutes into the contest on a Zach Williams six-yards scoring run, utilizing four plays and 74-yards to take the early 7-0 lead.
• Morrisville drove into Cardinal territory on the ensuing possession but lost the fumble and returned the ball to the hosts.
• Midway through the opening quarter, Catholic increased the lead to 14-0 with a deep left pass into the endzone, but Morrisville responded on the following drive and made it a 14-7 ball game with just over five minutes to go in the first.
• Sylvain had a 47-yard scramble on the second play of the drive to move the ball into Catholic territory where Britten connected with Jashon Thomas (New Windsor, N.Y.) at the 32.
• Britten then connected with Jarvis for the short pass over center to complete the 78-yard drive with the 32-yard scoring pass play.
• Catholic would go on to add a final score of the quarter on the following possession, as Cade Chrebet caught the eight-yard touchdown pass for the 21-7 advantage after one.
• Morrisville's defense forced a host fumble midway through the second, returning the ball into the endzone, but the defensive touchdown was called back for an illegal blocking penalty.
• With the ball on the Catholic 30, Morrisville had an opportunity to put more numbers on the board, but the 40-yard field goal attempt was no good and returned the ball to the hosts.
• Morrisville's defense forced a three-and-out on the following Catholic possession, mad marched 65-yards in eight plays to cut the lead to one score.
• After a short completion to Jarvis, the senior tight end rushed left for a 31-yard gain to the Catholic 30, setting up back-to-back completions from Britten to Aidan McDonald (Rochester, N.Y.) into the red zone.
• Britton capped off the 65-yard drive with a five-yard rushing score up middle, making it a 21-14 game at the break.
• Morrisville opened the third with a 97-yard kick-off return for a touchdown, but a block to the back waived off the score and returned the ball to the 10-yard line where the Mustangs began their drive.
• Exchanging possession twice, Catholic extended their lead to 28-14 with 3:26 to go in the third, as Harvin posted the 14-yard rushing score up middle to extended the advantage for the home squad.
• Morrisville wasted little time and responded on their next opportunity, Britten connecting with senior Joey Chirurgi (Yonkers, N.Y.) up the middle for the 28-yard touchdown throw.
• Catholic moved the ball into the Mustangs territory early in the fourth but was stopped short as Brake picked off the pass attempt.
• Once again, the Morrisville defense held Catholic to a three-and-out drive and returned the ball to their offensive unit, where they capitalized and put together a nine-play, 54-yard scoring drive, capped off by a nine-yard run up middle by McBurnie to cut the lead to 27-28.
• Morrisville attempted to go for two, but the pass attempt failed and Catholic held on for the one-point lead with 3:21 showing on the clock.
• The Mustangs defense limited Catholic to just nine-yards on the subsequent drive and following a punt that pinned Morrisville at their own 10-yard line, saw 2:09 remain on the clock in the contest.
• Britten quickly connected with Marriott deep for the 52-yard gain down to the Catholic 27, and following back-to-back three-yard gains by McBurnie, Morrisville found themselves just outside the red zone on second down.
• A pass attempt fell short on third down, forcing the Mustangs into a field goal situation on fourth-and-four with 19 seconds remaining.
• Morrisville, however, suffered a heartbreaker, as the 38-yard field goal attempt was blocked by the Catholic defense, turning the ball over on downs to run out the clock and seal the 28-27 win for the hosts.
• The Mustangs drop to 1-1 overall on the young season and will have one final non-league battle before opening Empire 8 play in October.

 
WHAT'S NEXT:
 

• Morrisville hosts Moravian University on Saturday, Sept. 28 in their homecoming contest on Drake Field in Morrisville. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.

 
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