Photo Courtesy of Susquehanna Athletics
By Marquis Frias, Sports Editor
The Susquehanna Football Team earned their first Landmark Conference win of 2026 with a 45-21 victory over Catholic Saturday in Washington, D.C.
Susquehanna (4-1 Overall, 1-0 Landmark) was coming off their bye-week and we’re hoping to shake off the cobwebs from their previous game where they were shut out by Christopher Newport 21-0 on homecoming.
As the game kicked off, the River Hawks got off to the hot start they we’re hoping for, forcing a Catholic (0-6 Overall, 0-2 Landmark) fumble on the first play from scrimmage deep in Cardinals territory.
After three tries, Susquehanna quarterback Tommy Wright found pater for a 1-yard score to give his team the early advantage.
The River Hawks continued to keep their foot on the gas in the first quarter, scoring two more touchdowns while the defense kept the Catholic offense in check.
Susquehanna running back Matt Surtz rushed for his fifth touchdown of the year after Wright’s opening drive touchdown rush, followed by Wright connecting with senior wide receiver Ethan Mahan on a 43-yard touchdown reception.
The big play was the first touchdown for Mahan of the season and gave Susquehanna a 21-0 lead over Catholic after the first 15 minutes of game time.
Susquehanna didn’t stop there, as in the beginning of the second quarter, Wright found his tight end Noah Confer for a 52-yard touchdown. Catholic was finally able to answer back and put points on the scoreboard after quarterback Charles Gublin found wide receiver Nole Henry to bring the score to 28-7.
The River Hawks were able to extend their lead back to 28 points before the halftime break as Wright rushed for his second touchdown of the game to give his team a 35-7 lead entering the break.
Susquehanna put up 35 points and five touchdowns in the first two quarters against Catholic, which was an encouraging sign considering the offense failed to score against Christopher Newport in the previous outing.
“Having two weeks to evaluate what you’re doing and watch film and the scheme helps,” Susquehanna head coach Chris Pincince said. “The kids really did a nice job… from a preparation standpoint, it looked like we were all set.”
In the second half however, Catholic would get off to a hot start and put pressure on the River Hawks’s big lead.
After forcing a punt on Susquehanna’s opening drive of the second half, Gublin would find another receiver in the endzone, this time being Adrian Fresen for a 13-yard score. The play capped off a three play, 70 yard second half opening drive for the Cardinals.
Catholic kept the pressure going by forcing a turnover on downs on Susquehanna’s ensuing drive, and later scoring another touchdown with running back Keegan Eichert rushing for a 8-yard score to cut the River Hawks lead 35-21.
Susquehanna was able to answer back as time winded down in the third quarter with Wright finding Confer in the back of the endzone for his second score of the game to double Catholic’s points 42-21.
“He’s a really versatile kid… He plays some wide receiver for us and plays some tight end. So he’s done a really nice job so far,” Pincince said.
In the fourth quarter, the River Hawks’ defense was able to put away the Cardinals as they were able to force a turnover on downs after a 9 minute drive. Susquehanna kicker Chris DeGroote followed the defensive stop with a 27-yard field goal to extend Susquehanna’s lead 45-21.
On the ensuing possession, with the Cardinals desperately trying to score, Susquehanna cornerback Micah Stamper intercepted a pass from Gublin to ice the game and seal the win for the River Hawks.
Wright finished his day going 21-30 passing with 270 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. His top receiver was Carter McCauley who finished with seven receptions for 82 yards, while Confer recorded five receptions for 76 yards and two touchdowns.
In the backfield, Drew Hutchins led the way in rushing yards with 88 on 14 carries, while Surtz recorded 12 rushes for 75 yards and a touchdown.
As a team, the River Hawks recorded 443 total offensive yards while Catholic finished with 382 on the day. Although the River Hawks got the win, the turnover margin was in the Cardinals’ favor as Susquehanna turned the ball over four times including three fumbles, a problem that was prominent in their loss to Christopher Newport.
“We can’t stress it anymore. We can’t practice anymore. We can’t show any more film. We have got to start taking pride in holding on to the football,” Pincince said.
The River Hawks have five remaining games on their schedule, all of which are against Landmark Conference opponents. Susquehanna starts on the right foot in conference play with the win, as they aim to keep their unbeaten landmark streak alive and look for their fourth consecutive Landmark Conference championship.
Susquehanna will be back in action Saturday, Oct 17 at noon as they take on Moravian University at Doug Arthur Stadium.