In their final game of the season and on Senior Day, the Georgetown football team (5-6, 2-3 Patriot League) failed in their attempt for consecutive winning seasons, as they lost in blowout fashion to Jesuit rival Holy Cross (2-9, 2-3 Patriot League) 24-0.
The Crusaders dominated the Hoyas throughout the game, especially on defense, as they held the Hoyas to just 196 yards of total offense. The Hoyas punted on 11 of their 13 possessions and never crossed the Crusaders’ 35-yard line.
“It’s kind of an understatement to say that they took it to us,” said Head Coach Kevin Kelly. “It wasn’t a very good day for the Hoyas.”
Once again the Hoyas played musical chairs at quarterback, giving junior Aaron Aiken, sophomore Stephen Skon, and freshman Cameron MacPherson snaps under the center in an effort to provide a spark to a struggling offense that only gained 96 yards through the air.
In contrast, the Holy Cross quarterback platoon of Ryan Laughlin and Steven Elder was very effective for the methodical Crusader offense, which possessed the ball for 34:14 of the game. Laughlin completed 12-of-15 passes with 1 touchdown pass, while Elder matched the touchdown output, completing 7-of 10 passes in the process. Holy Cross wide receiver Gerald Mistretta also had three touchdowns on the day, two receiving and one rushing.
Holy Cross opened up the scoring early in the first quarter, as Laughlin led the Crusaders on a 9-play 80-yard drive, culminating in a 29-yard touchdown pass to Mistretta, making it 7-0 Crusaders.The Crusaders would take that 7-0 lead into halftime, as both teams struggled on offense for much of the first half.
However, the Crusaders started fast in their first possession of the second half and set the tone for the rest of the game. This time it was Elder, who led a 7-play 45-yard drive that ended in a 2-yard touchdown by Mistretta, giving them a 14-0 lead.
Later in the quarter, Holy Cross drove the ball deep into Georgetown territory, but settled for a 19-yard field goal from kicker John Macomber, making it 17-0 Crusaders heading into the fourth quarter.
The Crusaders capped the scoring for the game midway through the fourth quarter, with Elder leading another time-consuming 10-play 66-yard drive, which ended in a 20-yard touchdown pass to Mistretta, for Mistretta’s third touchdown of the game.
Despite the disappointing finish to their careers, the Georgetown seniors have contributed immensely to a turnaround within a program that had a winless season during their freshman year. Coach Kelly had nothing but high praise for them.
“They have done a good job to get it to a point where we can have winning seasons and play for Patriot League championships,” said Kelly. “I told them to not let one game spoil the body of work by the senior class. To me, they are all winners in my book.”
Photo: Julian de la Paz