ITHACA, N.Y. -- The 13th-ranked Ithaca Bombers (8-2) battled back from a 17-point deficit to force overtime, but the visiting Cortland Red Dragons (7-2) regained the Cortaca Jug trophy by posting a 37-30 victory in the first overtime game ever played between the two rivals.

        Junior defensive back Stef Sair (Huntington/Huntington) intercepted two passes for Cortland; he ran the first back 70 yards for a touchdown and his second ended the game, coming on a fourth-down play on Ithaca’s overtime possession. Sair scored on a defensive extra-point attempt, returning a blocked extra-point attempt for two points.

 

        Junior Anthony Morat (Rome Free Academy/Rome) caught the game-winning touchdown in overtime, wrestling an eight-yard pass thrown by sophomore quarterback Alex Smith (Niagara-Whitfield/Niagara Falls) away from a Bomber defender in the end zone.

 

        After the Bombers tied the game at 30 with 9:20 left in regulation, Cortland had two chances to score the go-ahead points. The Red Dragons drove to the Bomber 44 before a Smith pass was intercepted by Ithaca junior cornerback Joe Napoleone (Greece Arcadia/Rochester) at the Ithaca 19. After Ithaca gained just 13 yards on five plays, the Red Dragons drove 45 yards on 11 plays to set up a 46-yard field goal attempt by sophomore Matt Mintz (Laurence/Atlantic Beach) that fell well short with three seconds left. One play before Mintz’ attempt, Ithaca junior defensive tackle Dave Celeste (North Tonawanda/Tonawanda) tackled Cortland junior running back Matt Rickert (Sachem/Holbrook) for a five-yard loss back to the Ithaca 29.

 

        In overtime Cortland converted two third-down plays, one on a four-yard Rickert rush and the second on Smith’s touchdown pass to Morat. Ithaca gained just one yard on four overtime plays; on the third down play, Cortland's Rich DeJesus (Connetquot/Ronkonkoma) batted down a pass intended for junior tight end Mike Oertel (Peru/Peru).

 

        The Bombers erased a 23-6 Cortland halftime lead, scoring a pair of touchdowns in a 1:01 span of the third quarter. Both touchdowns came on passes from senior quarterback Josh Felicetti (Central Bucks East/Doylestown, Pa.) to junior wide receiver Kelly Gordon (Ausable Valley/Ausable Forks). Gordon caught a 48-yard scoring pass to cap Ithaca’s first second-half possession. On Cortland’s next possession, the Bombers created a turnover when senior linebacker Chris Medici (Sanford H. Calhoun/Merrick) forced a Red Dragon fumble that was recovered by senior safety Bob Higgins (Aquinas Institute/Rochester). Gordon then caught a 25-yard touchdown on Ithaca’s first play.

 

        Cortland extended its lead to 30-20, capping a 16-play, 75-yard drive with a 15-yard pass from Smith to Dustin Bowser (Southwestern/Jamestown). Felicetti threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Justin Esposito (Fayetteville-Manlius/Manlius) as the Bombers closed to within 30-27. Ithaca forced another Red Dragon turnover to set up the tying score: Napoleone forced a Cortland fumble that was recovered by senior middle linebacker Jose Colon (Thomas R. Proctor/Utica) at the Cortland 41. Ithaca’s 10-play drive ended with a 27-yard field goal by junior Brett Kitenplon (Admiral Farragut/Seminole, Fla.).

 

        The Red Dragons scored three first-half touchdowns: Sair’s 70-yard interception return opened the scoring. Smith scored on a 10-yard run and Rickert scored on a 13-yard run.

 

        Sair’s defensive extra point came after a blocked extra point attempt by Cortland junior Josh Jablonski (West Seneca West/Buffalo) – his school-record sixth blocked kick of the season. The Ithaca extra-point attempt that was blocked came after an 18-yard Bomber touchdown pass from Felicetti to senior wideout PJ Canestrari (Randolph/Ironia, N.J.).

 

        Felicetti threw for 373 yards, completing 30 passes (tying a school record) in 44 attempts. He finishes his career with school-record totals of 7,991 passing yards, 613 completions and 77 touchdown passes (Ithaca career and single-season records do not include postseason games). Gordon and Esposito both went over 100 receiving yards: Gordon posted career-best totals of eight catches for 120 yards and two touchdowns; Esposito, who finished his career third on Ithaca’s all-time list with 112 catches, caught six passes for 109 yards.

 

        Bowser ran for a game-high 74 yards on nine carries. Smith picked up 47 yards on 12 carries. Morat caught eight passes for 72 yards. The Red Dragons converted 14 of 22 attempts on third and fourth downs, including a pair of successful fake punts in the second half.

 

        Sophomore linebacker Bill Hauser (Lancaster/Lancaster) led the Cortland defense with 11 tackles. Junior defensive back Chuck Eich (Cheektowaga/Cheektowaga) added 10, including two for loss. The Cortland defense – ranked first nationally against the run – held Ithaca to 57 yards on 29 carries.

        Ithaca’s defense was led by Medici, who collected 11 tackles including five tackles for loss. Napoleone and Colon had nine tackles apiece.

 

        Despite the loss, the Bombers are headed to the NCAA playoffs after winning the Empire 8’s automatic bid. Cortland awaits word of a possible at-large bid. Pairings will be announced Sunday afternoon.

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