ITHACA, N.Y. -- The 24th-ranked Ithaca Bombers (1-0) opened their season with a win for the 25th time in 30 years, beating the Huntingdon Hawks 31-12 in front of a rain-soaked crowd at Butterfield Stadium.
Sophomore quarterback
Dan Juvan (Dobbs Ferry/Dobbs Ferry) threw for 303 yards in his first career start, completing 23 of 33 passes, including three touchdowns.
Juvan threw for 223 yards in the second half. In the past 28 seasons, 22 of the 25 quarterbacks who’ve started a game for Ithaca have won their first start. His passing yardage was the second-highest by a first-time starter.
Ithaca’s defense held the Hawks to minus-four yards rushing (on 28 carries). Senior linebacker
Tom Blumenauer (Brentwood/Brentwood) led the Bombers with 10 tackles and three tackles for loss; both were career-high totals.
The Bombers capitalized on two Hawk mistakes to take a 17-0 second-quarter lead. A high punt snap resulted in a 26-yard loss that gave Ithaca possession on the Hawk 14. Eight plays later senior
Brett Kitenplon (Admiral Farragut Academy/Seminole, Fla.) kicked a 21-yard field goal for Ithaca’s first points of the season. The field goal was the school-record 30th of
Kitenplon’s career.
Juvan drove Ithaca 96 yards on eight plays, culminating in a 19-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end
Mike Oertel (Peru/Peru) early in the second quarter. Huntingdon’s next drive ended with a Hawk fumble forced by junior safety
Ryan Terlecki (Pennsbury/Fairless Hills, Pa.) and recovered by
Blumenauer on the Hawk 28. On Ithaca’s first play, junior wide receiver
Patrick Heenehan (Ramapo/Franklin Lakes, N.J.) caught his first career touchdown pass, out-jumping a Huntingdon defender to come down with a 28-yard reception in the end zone.
Senior
Jamie Donovan (Sidwell Friends/Washington, D.C.) led Ithaca with 105 rushing yards on 18 carries. He scored on a two-yard run in the third quarter.
Oertel’s second touchdown catch – a 10-yard reception – closed out the scoring.
Junior cornerback
Scott Lieber (Hinsdale Township/Hinsdale, Ill.) made eight tackles and broke up two passes for Ithaca. Sophomore linebacker
John Scanlon (Choate Rosemary Hall/Bethany, Conn.), one of six first-time starters in the Bomber line-up, made a career-best seven tackles with two for loss.
The Bombers remain home next week, hosting Buffalo State (1-0).
Box Score
