HACKETT NAMED CO-ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Sept. 11: Freshman running back Connor Hackett was named Liberty League Co-Rookie of the Week on Monday. The All-State back from Bronxville, N.Y. rushed for 75 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries in his first college start as St. Lawrence defeated Norwich 17-13. On the Saints second scoring drive, he rushed for 33 of the drive's 57 yards, including a 17 yard pick-up and a three yard touchdown run.

 

Hackett was one of six freshman running backs competing for the starting spot during the pre-season. With no returning tailbacks from last season, the Saints were counting on one of their rookies to step-up. Hackett rose to the challege, carrying the ball on 19 of the Saints 32 rushes.

 

Although he had a few pre-game nerves, Hackett said once he got his first carry, the momentum took over.

 

"After the first play things started to click," Hackett said. "Then you just play and you don't think about the guys being bigger and stronger than they were in high school."

 

Saints head coach Chris Phelps said he was impressed with the way Hackett performed, especially considering it was is first college game.

 

"Connor did a nice job for us," Phelps said. "He is a tough young kid at a highly visible position, and at positions like that, it is not always easy. He is a big strong kid who works hard. He is going to be a real talent."

 

SAINTS DEFEAT NORWICH 17-13 IN SEASON OPENER

 

Sept. 9: There was a point in Saturday’s match-up against Norwich when Chris Phelps thought the game would never end. It came with about a minute and a half left in the Saints 17-13 win over Norwich.

 

St. Lawrence, who led 17-7 early in the fourth quarter, had just surrendered a 77 yard touchdown drive which tightened their lead to 17-13. To make matters worse, Norwich recovered an onside kick on the ensuing kick-off, giving them one minute and 43 seconds to march down the field for the winning touchdown.

 

The Saints defense made crucial plays late in the game to keep the Cadets out of the end zone, but those two drives, which spanned about seven minutes, felt like an eternity for Phelps.

 

“Those were the longest seven minutes of my life,” Phelps said.

 

Sure, it might have been a hectic on the Saints sideline during the game’s final minutes, but when the pressure was on in the final drive, the Saints defense stayed calm and made plays.

 

After Norwich earned one first down on the drive, senior co-captain and outside linebacker Jordan Burger sacked quarterback Marcus Adames for a nine yard loss. On second down, the Saints defense exploded through the line and tackled running back Darnell Jackson for a loss. Defensive end Josh Hodges batted down Adames third down pass and safety Jerrod Jones intercepted his fourth down pass to seal the game.

 

Senior defensive tackle Joe DeLaura said the Saints never panicked on the field because they were confident someone would make a play.

“We just kept plugging and plugging,” DeLaura said. “People wanted to go out there and make plays. They gained a little bit and we just kept pressuring it and came out on top.”

 

It wasn’t just the Saints defense that made plays on Saturday. The Saints offense put up 348 yards. Junior tight end Brett Young caught eight passes for 108 yards and freshman running back Connor Hackett broke loose for 75 yards and one touchdown.

 

The Saints scored early when senior quarterback Matt Bezio connected with junior wide receiver Mike O’Donnell on a 17 yard touchdown pass to put the Saints on top 7-0 with five and a half minutes left in the first quarter.

 

The Cadets responded quickly. Just 15 seconds later, the game was tied at 7-7 after Jackson returned the ensuing kick-off 86 yards for a touchdown.

 

Hackett got his first touchdown in a Saints uniform with nine minutes and 42 seconds left in the half. An eight yard quarterback scramble by Bezio, which was ignited by a pair of blocks by Young and Hackett, and an eight yard carry by fullback Andrew Ross, set up Hackett’s three yard touchdown run to give the Saints a 14-7 advantage at halftime.

 

Hackett said he was slightly nervous before the game, but once he got a couple carries under his belt he felt good.

 

“The guys are a lot faster and stronger in college,” Hackett, an All-State running back from Bronxville said. “But once I got my first carry the momentum took over and I kind of forgot about that stuff and just started playing.

 

The Cadets could not gather any offensive momentum in the third quarter. Their woes started on the first possession of the second half and continued throughout the third quarter. Jackson fumbled the second half kick-off and the Saints recovered at their own 25 yard line. The Saints defense held the Cadets to one first down in the third quarter.

 

Phelps said he was impressed with the aggressive play of his defense, especially in the second half.

 

“I thought they played great,” Phelps said. “They were on the field a lot in the second half and as an offense we don’t want to do that, but I thought we played with emotion and made big stops when we had to.”

 

The Saints took a 17-7 lead into the fourth quarter after sophomore kick Matt Popov nailed a 31 yard field goal in the final seconds of the third quarter but the offensive momentum switched in favor the Cadets in the final 15 minutes of play. The Saints mustered only one drive and went scoreless in the fourth quarter while the Cadets scored on their 13 play 77 yard drive and tightened the Saints lead to 17-13. The Cadets however, missed the extra point, making it a two-possession game with one minute and 43 seconds left.

 

That is when the Cadets recovered the onside kick and with it a chance to win. It was also when the Saints defense rallied to make four straight plays and stamp a win on the game.

 

 

After the game, Phelps was just glad it was over.

“We have some things that we need to work on,” he said. “But a win is a win; we’ll take it.”

 

 

SAINTS PREPARE FOR SEASON OPENER

 

Sept. 4: Whether they are touring them around campus or watching their high school games, the St. Lawrence University coaching staff hear the same questions from almost all of their recruits.

 

“Coach,” they ask. “Do you think I could play early at this school?”

 

Although the coaches are never too quick to make promises, plenty of young Saints will get the opportunity to make an impact in 2006.

 

The loss of eight starters on offense, no returning tailbacks, and a handful of banged-up guys on defense will force the Saints coaching staff to call on some fresh faces during Saturday’s opener against Norwich at Leckonby Stadium.

 

Saints head coach Chris Phelps said there could be as many as 10 freshmen in the two-deep when the Saints take the field on Saturday-including a handful that will start.

 

“Offensively, coming in, we knew we were going to have to be sharp in two places; the offensive line and the tailback position,” Phelps said. “We think that we did a nice job recruiting in those positions and have equipped ourselves with good players to do the job.

 

That is especially the case at the running back position, where six freshmen have been battling for one starting position. On Saturday, Connor Hackett will line up in the backfield for the Saints. At six-foot-one, 190 pounds, Hackett is an All-State high school running back from Bronxville, N.Y. Hackett may get the starting nod on Saturday, but Phelps said Hackett’s classmates, Junito Bermudez and Josh Izzo should get some carries as well.

 

The head coach said he is confident in his freshman backs despite their inexperience.

 

“All three are tough kids who can run and catch the ball, and those are the things that we ask our kids to do,” Phelps said. “They are competitive and have not shied away from the challenges. They go out and they compete everyday. I am optimistic about the young guys on offense because they have the right attitude.”

 

Although Hackett is the only freshman who has secured a starting position on Saturday, at least six others will be competing for positions. Ray Nelson, Carlos Cruz, McLean Beyor, Justin Wacenske, Alex Vendola and Jon Thomas are all listed in the Saints two-deep on offensive line, while freshman Anthony Patterson slid into the number two slot at wide receiver.

 

As much of an impact as the freshman will have on offense, it will be the responsibility of a group of returning starters to make big plays for the Saints. Junior wide receiver Mike O’Donnell was the Saints leading receiver last season, catching 37 passes for 688 yards. With an average of 18.6 yards per catch, O’Donnell should be the Saints biggest threat down field this season. Junior tight end Brett Young will be also be a crucial threat for the Saints on offense. Coming off what Phelps called “one of the best off-seasons on the team,” Young is expected to have his most productive season yet.

 

Phelps said the combination of the two players could be difficult for opposing teams to game-plan around.

 

“Those two create some match-up issue with how people will play us,” Phelps said. “Last year, teams tried to take away Young, which opened O’Donnell up for some big plays.

 

The man responsible for getting those two guys the ball: senior quarterback Matt Bezio. After waiting in the wings for several years, Bezio will get his shot under center this season, something Phelps said he is excited about.

 

“Matt Bezio, at quarterback, has the potential to be a big play person with his arm and his legs,” Phelps said. “He has great quickness and he is getting more comfortable in the pocket.”

 

The Saints won’t need as much help from their freshman on the defensive end where they have more experience, especially in the front eight. Robert Bracho, Matt Manchester, Joe DeLaura and Josh Hodges make up a defensive line that Phelps said was one of the best in the league.

 

“That may be as good as any line we will see all year,” Phelps said of his front four.

 

Then there’s the linebacking corps led by captains Hank Anderson and Jordan Burger. With more experience than any other position on the field, the group, also including senior Ryan McConville and junior Judin Pierre-Louis, should be a strong position for the Saints.

 

The Saints hope their front eight can get to the opposing offense early, but if not, the secondary will have to make plays. Although they will not rely on many young defensive backs, the most important issue for the Saints secondary will be to remain healthy.

 

“We are not deep with experience,” Phelps said. “But the group who has experience has stepped up for us. It will be important for us to stay healthy and for the guys in the depth chart to continue to grow.”

 

The Saints will take on the Norwich Cadets at 1:00 Saturday at Leckonby Stadium. Already one game into their schedule, Norwich defeated Mount Ida College 49-25 last Saturday. St. Lawrence defeated Norwich 36-0 in their 2005 season opener in Northfield, VT.

 

“They are a strong, principled, fast team, kind of like what you might imagine a military academy to be,” Phelps said. “Their win last week should give them some confidence under their belt, plus we beat them last year 33-0. It is a game that we are going to have to be well prepared for.”