The Georgetown football team fell late in the game to Holy Cross on Nov. 17 after surrendering a 26-point lead.
The 32-31 defeat closed an improved season for the Hoyas (5-6, 4-2 Patriot League) and the careers of the 15 graduating seniors.
Georgetown had its best record in conference play since joining the Patriot League in 2001, and the five total wins are also the most the program has earned in seven seasons.
Georgetown’s rushing defense was dominant throughout the season and continued its strong play against Holy Cross (5-6, 4-2 Patriot League). The Hoyas conceded a total of 6 yards rushing to the Crusaders and have allowed 18 yards on the ground over their past two games. Georgetown also amassed four sacks, four interceptions, a fumble recovery and two touchdowns during the game.
The sophomore linebacking tandem of Wes Bowers and Owen Kessler led the team defensively. Bowers totalled nine tackles and two interceptions, while Kessler added 2.5 sacks that resulted in yardage losses for Holy Cross. Senior defensive back Ramon Lyons scored one of the Blue and Gray’s two defensive touchdowns on a 30-yard pick-six.
On the offensive end, junior quarterback Gunther Johnson found the end zone three minutes into the game with a rushing touchdown. He finished with eight completions for 80 yards, 33 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns. Sophomore wideout Max Edwards was on the receiving end of Johnson’s 52-yard passing touchdown.
Georgetown led 31-5 midway through the third quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, Holy Cross began to mount a comeback, returning blocked punts for touchdowns on two consecutive Georgetown possessions. With the Hoya offense struggling, the Crusaders came all the way back from 26 points down. Holy Cross engineered a game-winning touchdown drive with just over 40 seconds to play.
Head Coach Rob Sgarlata said the Hoyas would build on their experience this year going into next season.
“Through good and bad the kids pull for each other, which is something we have tried to build throughout this season,” Sgarlata said in a postgame press conference. “This is not just one more game this season. We are looking towards using what we are doing to build this program as we go forward.”
Georgetown will miss the leadership of three of its senior captains, defensive backs Ramon Lyons and Blaise Brown and wide receiver Brandon Williams, among others, as they head into next season. However, they will return multiple playmakers at key positions.
Sgarlata emphasized the Hoyas’ youth and how strongly they responded to losses throughout the season.
“We lose some seniors, but we are super young,” Sgarlata said. “It has been really encouraging to see how this team has stuck together. At 1-4 this team could have gone the other way. They have really battled back well.”
