Cortland, N.Y. -- The #15 Cortland Red Dragons kicked a 40-yard field goal in overtime to retain the Cortaca Jug traveling trophy. Ithaca had forced overtime on a 27-yard field goal by Brett Kitenplon (Admiral Farragut/Seminole, Fla.) with 36 seconds left in regulation. The Bombers end their season with a 7-3 record -- only one school at any level of college football has a longer streak of winning seasons than the 37 Ithaca has recorded.
Cortland's winning field goal came after the Bombers turned the ball over on their overtime possession. The Red Dragons gained just four yards on their first three plays, including a third-down carry that lost two yards after a tackle by freshman defensive end Joe Goetz (New Hyde Park Memorial/New Hyde Park). The Bombers nearly came up with a turnover of their own on that play but officials ruled that Goetz gained control of the ball after Cortland's running back had been downed.
The Bombers drove 50 yards in 12 plays to tie the game on Kitenplon's second field goal of the game (he finished with a school-record 11 this fall and made his last seven field-goal tries, matching the second-longest streak by a Bomber kicker) after the Red Dragons had retaken the lead on a touchdown pass with 5:08 left in regulation.
Senior Kelly Gordon (Ausable Valley/Ausable Forks) returned the second-half kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown that broke a 10-10 tie. Gordon finishes his career with a school-record five return touchdowns (two punts, three kickoffs).
Senior tailback Jamie Donovan (Sidwell Friends/Washington, D.C.) scored on a four-yard run in the first quarter. He ran for a game-high 79 yards and raised his career total to 2,739 yards, moving into second on Ithaca's career list.
Kitenplon kicked a 26-yard field goal in the second quarter; with two field goals and two extra points he finished his career with a school-record 281 points.
Linebackers Tom Blumenauer (Brentwood/Brentwood), Quentin Kiah (Elmira Free Ademy/Elmira) and Matt Scalice (North Tonawanda/North Tonawanda) each recorded nine tackles to lead a Bomber defense that allowed just 11 first downs and 77 rushing yards. Senior cornerback Joe Napoleone (Greece Arcadia/Rochester) broke up two passes.
Senior tight end Mike Oertel (Plattsburgh/Peru) caught five passes for 54 yards; he finishes second among Bomber tight ends in season catches (40) and career receptions (71).
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