UR football wrapped up their season at home on Saturday, falling to Hobart by a score of 42-20. Rochester’s senior quarterback Justin Redfern compiled an impressive 238 total yards and senior Farid Adenuga had six receptions for 69 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown reception. Still, it wasn’t enough to keep pace with the potent Hobart attack, led by their blooming young quarterback, Shane Sweeney. Sweeney completed 22 of 28 passes and threw for an incredible six touchdowns, a performance that earned him all-league honors.
Disappointment may very well accompany the 25 seniors who watched their college football careers come to a close in a losing effort. It is indeed the fifth straight year that Hobart has earned the right to hold The Centennial Cup over Rochester. But, when the sting subsides, there is plenty in which the 2015 ‘Jackets and their senior leaders should take pride.
Most importantly, the ‘Jackets defended their home turf at Fauver right up to the final day of the season, finishing with a 4-1 record at home. They managed a 5-4 overall record, completing the season with a winning percentage north of .500 for the third straight year. They achieved a record-setting performance back in September, running a clinic in the presence of Alfred State, a game in which a number of seniors shined.
In October, they rebounded from their trip to St. Lawrence with a fantastic Meliora Weekend victory over the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in the presence of many alumni. They upped the excitement only a few weeks later with a grind-it-out 3-point victory over Union College. November brought a commendable 1-point contest at WPI; a game, like most, that could’ve gone either way.
It was an up and down season, but the ‘Jackets were never out-classed by the competition. Each week our boys in blue had a chance, and, had a few more plays gone our way, we could be talking about a playoff berth right now. But, so goes football, a game we love in large part for its unpredictability and small margin for error.
As was the case for this year’s team, it is hard to say just what next year’s ‘Jackets have in store. There are holes to fill, as the starting units were littered with senior mainstays. Still, the coaching staff won’t be building from bare bones. The current junior class should lead the way with some of the most talented defensive players, and we have a pool of young quarterbacks that includes a standout of the season’s first half, sophomore Daniel Bronson.
While these seniors won’t be in uniform the next time UR football tops the league and makes the playoff, one would be hard-pressed to argue that they didn’t forward UR’s progress in a playoff direction and leave the program in a better spot than they found it.
Lucchesi is a member of the class of 2016.
