By Rachael Cataldo, Assistant Sports Editor
Sophomore linebacker Cole Dixon recorded 19 tackles for a strong River Hawk defense to lead the Susquehanna football team to defeat Gettysburg 27–9 in a rainy Centennial Conference match up on Saturday, Oct. 27 in Selinsgrove.
“It feels good, it’s the most tackles I ever had in a game, but I couldn’t do it without the D-line in front of me and the DBs did the job like always in the back end,” Dixon said.
On the opening kickoff, the Bullets (1–7, 1–6) carried the ball to their midfield to start the drive. The River Hawks (5–3, 4–3) took over after on downs after Gettysburg missed a 49-yard field goal attempt.
After a three and out by Susquehanna, the Bullets regained possession and carried the ball into field goal range. Sophomore kicker Justin Geisel brought the score to 3–0 after his successful 34yard kick with seven minutes to go in the first quarter.
Neither team would score for the remainder of the quarter until sophomore defensive back Nick Sottile recovered a Gettysburg fumble on its one-yard line.
Junior running back Aaron Speight converted a one-yard run to give the River Hawks a lead they would never lose 7–3.
Several River Hawks had important defensive contributions during the second half to preserve the 7–3 lead going into halftime such as junior defensive lineman Kashief Hyatt, senior linebacker Connor Thompson, Dixon, and senior defensive back Jason Brougham.
“When the ball is on the ground, our defense has knack for getting the ball. Even during practice going against our offense, the defense will always go after the ball even after the play,” junior wide receiver Mitch Carsley said.
The River Hawks were able to extend their lead and score another touchdown after another fumble by the Bullets.
Freshman quarterback Michael Ruisch threw a 10-yard completion to Carsley. Carsley’s catch and a pass interference call put Susquehanna into the red zone. Ruisch rushed for 13-yard touchdown to make the score 14–3.
The score would remain the same throughout the third quarter.
Ruisch connected with junior wide receiver Mikah Christian for a 27-yard touchdown pass and the River Hawks extended their lead at 20–3.
After another unsuccessful Gettysburg drive, the Bullets capitalized on a Susquehanna fumble to score. Sophomore lineman Cole Spencer intercepted the two-point conversion to keep the score 20–9.
Susquehanna scored one last time to cement a 27–9 victory on a 36-yard touchdown by sophomore running back Da’Avian Ellington.
Junior linebacker Craig Roumes had two sacks while Dixon, Brougham, Hyatt, and freshman defensive lineman Jhemir Stanley all added one.
The River Hawks recovered four of the five fumbles.
“The conditions don’t matter for our defense they always ball out and are lights out. We were expecting poor conditions going into the game, so we were prepared,” Carsley said. “Trust me all of us were cold but we just put in the back of our minds and played football.”
Susquehanna moved into a third-place tie with Moravian and Ursinus in the Centennial Conference standings.
Susquehanna returns to action for a 1 p.m. kickoff at McDaniel on Saturday, Nov. 3.
“We have to continue to play at our highest and not play to match anybody else,” Speight said. “We are a wellrounded team; we need to continue to play that way.”
