By Rachael Cataldo, Asst. Sports Editor
Thanks to strong defensive performances from senior linebacker Connor Thompson and junior linebackers Cole Dixon and Craig Roumes, the Susquehanna football team secured its spot in the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series game and retained the Goal Post Trophy with a 24–6 win over rival Juniata on Saturday, Nov. 10 in Selinsgrove.
It was also senior day for the River Hawks where 15 seniors were honored before the opening kickoff.
Dixon led the team with 12 tackles and Thompson was right behind him with 10 on the day. Meanwhile, Roumes was a constantly in the Juniata backfield and finished with two and a half sacks.
Offensively, junior running back Aaron Speight finished wth 177 rushing yards on 15 carries and junior wide receiver Mitch Carsley had 58 receiving yards on the day.
The first half did not have a lot of offensive action by both teams, but the River Hawks (7–3, 6–3) were able to get on the board less than two minutes into the game. Freshman quarterback Michael Ruisch connected with Carsley on a 48-yard play to advance the ball into Eagle territory.
“It is my job to catch the ball when I have the chance to, so it is nothing I am not used to,” Carsley said. “Once we got those plays, the team felt as if we are good now and we can put this game away.”
The Golden Eagles stopped the River Hawks from scoring a touchdown and Susquehanna settled for a 29-yard field goal by freshman kicker Elijah Hoffman.
Although neither team scored for the remainder of the first half, Susquehanna controlled time of possession and total yards, but turnovers and penalties prevented the team from extending its 3–0 lead.
Susquehanna looked as if they would add to their lead at the end of the first half, but they lost their opportunity to score when the ball was fumbled at the goal line. After Juniata took a knee to end the half, the River Hawks headed into the locker room with a 3–0 lead.
During halftime Susquehanna unveiled the new name to the athletic statium in recognition to a $10 million gift from the family of Douglas Arthur ’49.
Susquehanna started the second half strong, as the defense forced a three and out by the Golden Eagles and on their first offensive play. Speight scored a 69-yard rushing touchdown to advance Susquehanna’s lead to 10–0.
Freshman defensive lineman Jhemir Stanley had a crucial sack on the following drive by Juniata.
Sophomore defensive back Nick Sottile converted a 4th and three on a fake punt, but the River Hawks were forced to kick the ball away.
After Roumes made several tackles and once again forced the Golden Eagles to punt, Carsley returned the kick for 71 yards for a touchdown to extend the lead to 17–0 late in the third quarter.
Senior quarterback Nick Brotzman connected with sophomore wide receiver Kyle Good for a 14-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter and Susquehanna took a 24–0 lead.
Juniata answered with a touchdown pass from senior quarterback Tim Graham on the following drive but failed on a two-point conversion to bring the score to 24–6.
Three long Susquehanna drives and two unsuccessful drives by Juniata kept the score at 24–6 for the River Hawks’ victory.
With the win, the River Hawks will host Stevenson University as the one seed in the fourth annual Centennial-MAC Bowl Series on Saturday, Nov. 17 in Selinsgrove.
“We are looking to come out fast and put up some points” Brotzman said. “The defense will do their job as they have been all season.”
