Photos By Michael Lipscomb
By Abrielle Tutino
It was the kind of gritty and emotional performance that had defined the football team all season long.
The River Hawks opened the NCAA Division III football playoffs with a statement 38-32 victory over Washington & Jefferson on Saturday at Doug Arthur Stadium, shaking off an up-and-down first half en route to victory.
Despite the rocky start, Head Coach Tom Perkovich said he was proud of how his team responded.
“Really proud of our team,” Perkovich said. “Gritty win today against a really, really good football team… we knew we’d face adversity, which we did pretty quick, but we fought through it.”
The turning point came in the final seconds before halftime, when defensive back Xavier Maple burst off the edge to block a 36-yard field goal attempt. Romero Lavalais scooped it up and sprinted the length of the field, flipping what could have been a six-point deficit into a Susquehanna lead.
“We needed something there,” Perkovich said. “We’d been working on those blocks for weeks. Once Romero picked it up with his speed, I didn’t think they were catching him.”
After being on the field for 40 plays in the first half, the Susquehanna defense came out refreshed as the offense opened the third quarter with a long drive that drained the clock.
“Our first drive was six or seven minutes,” Perkovich said. “We controlled the clock and that kept our defense fresh. That’s when you started to see the sacks and big plays.”
Captain Jesse Ruisch stated, “It’s credit to our defensive coaching staff and our scout guys. They gave us great looks all week. We still left a lot out there, but I’m proud of the guys.”
“The defense and offense feed off each other,” stated running back Rahshan La Mons, who caught one touchdown pass and ran for another. “Nobody got down. We just kept firing ourselves up.”
The final blow came with just over a minute left as Susquehanna (9-2) faced a fourth-and-1 near midfield. Instead of punting, Perkovich put the ball in the hands of La Mons, who picked up the first down and allowed SU to run out the clock.
“Coach was smiling during the timeout, then he puts me at quarterback,” La Mons said. “Finishing it for the seniors meant everything. This is their last home game, why not go out with a win?”
“This class worked so hard building this culture,” Ruisch said. “Going out with a bang at home is super special… pregame, I was taking it all in. Ending with a win here was really special.”
The River Hawks will play at Christopher Newport next Saturday in the second round in Newport News, Virginia. SU lost 41-27 to the Captains earlier this season.
“I love our chances,” La Mons said. “It’s win or go home, so leave it all out there.”
“It’s mental this time of year,” added Perkovich. “We have to fix the little things like ball security, penalties, protecting Josh [Ehrlich], and figuring out how to beat a really good football team.”