DARTMOUTH FALL SPORTS at FULL SPEED Fullback Scott Wedum Breaks for Daylight
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BIG GREEN SPORTS NEWS O CTOBER 2, 2002 • VOL. 47 NO . 1 A NEWSLETTER OF THE DARTMOUTH ATHLETIC SPONSOR PROGRAM DARTMOUTH FALL SPORTS AT FULL SPEED Fullback Scott Wedum breaks for daylight. Football Comes “Oh, So Close” in Opening (Photo by Kathy Games of the Season Slattery) Barnard (Dallas, Texas) — as well as his team high 66 yards NEW HAMPSHIRE 29, DARTMOUTH 26 rushing. But Granieri’s passes (15-of-21 for 195 yards) and the No guts, no glory. running of tailback Stephan Lewis (187 yards) keyed UNH. Dartmouth’s football team has plenty of the former but Lewis’s 63-yard breakaway gave UNH a 22-19 lead in the remains shy on the latter after fate — and New Hampshire third period, one of the big plays that made the difference — played more dirty tricks on the Big Green at Memorial for the Wildcats and left Dartmouth scratching its chin and Field. wondering, “What does it take…?” Dartmouth’s biggest challenge at this moment is to keep Two its chin up. The Big Green has absorbed more than enough minutes bad luck after two games. COLGATE 30, DARTMOUTH 26 into the Dartmouth has now lost eight straight over two seasons final period, and this one was as painful as a year ago when UNH scored There was apparent light at the end of the tunnel that has Polk gained 22 with four seconds to play to win, 42-38. shrouded Dartmouth’s football fortunes for the past four yards on his first UNH has also struggled. The Wildcats had lost nine seasons. carry. His next straight before wideout Michael Taylor, who had slipped and Unfortunately, for all the good things that surfaced for run netted 38 was prone in the end zone, reached up to grab Mike the Green in the opener at Andy Kerr Stadium, the light yards in a Granieri’s eight-yard pass on fourth down to give UNH its turned out to be the Colgate Express, engineered by quarter- five- winning margin with 4:54 to play. back Tom McCune and powered by fullback-turned-tailback play drive In a game that seesawed from the outset, the Big Green Justin Polk, that snatched victory from the deserving Green. capped responded behind Brian Mann (Canton, Mass.), the QB who For more than three periods — led by fifth-year quarter- when McCune now ranks third on Dartmouth’s career pass yardage list back Brian Mann (Canton, Mass.), tight end Casey Cramer hit Graham (behind Jay Fiedler ’94 and Mark Johnson ’90) with 3,671 (Middleton, Wis.), an offensive line anchored by guard again with a four- yards. He was flawless until his last pass of the day. Kevin Noone (Rydal, Pa.) and tackle Bob Reeves (Garden yarder to make it 17- Mann connected on 30 of 48 tosses for 303 yards. After City, N.Y.) and a youthful defense that hit the Raiders relent- 16 (a two-point con- Taylor scored his second TD of the day, Mann completed lessly —Dartmouth looked far better than the middle-of-the- version try failed). three passes and then ran four times to move the ball from pack-at-best Ivy League team most experts expect this fall. Though its lead had dwindled, Dartmouth responded, dri- the Big Green 26 to the UNH 13 with 24 seconds to play. Mann completed 25 of 42 passes for 369 yards and a ving 73 yards in seven plays. Mann’s pass to Barnard netted He had time and momentum on his side for a shot at the pair of touchdown passes to Cramer whose five catches 20 and Giles ran for 19 before Mann hit Cramer for 18 end zone and victory. Otherwise, Tyler Lavin (Potomac, netted 101 yards. He proved he’s Mann’s “go-to” target yards on third down, for a 23-16 advantage. Md.) would have had a chip shot for his fifth field goal of along with wideout Jay Barnard (Dallas, Texas) who Lavin’s conversion was wide and Colgate knotted the the day that to send the game to overtime. caught seven for 102. game 66 seconds later, covering 80 yards in three plays. Mann’s target was fullback Scott Wedum (Fort Collins, By comparison, McCune, probably as good a QB as Polk got 66 of his game-high 167 yards (14 carries) to set Colo.) who scored his first TD on a six-yard run on the Big Dartmouth will see this season, had a 14-27 passing day for up McCune’s 13-yard bootleg that tied the game, 23-23. Green’s opening drive and his second on a 22-yard pass-run 189 yards. But, when the chips were down in the fourth Again Dartmouth replied as Lavin atoned for his conver- hookup with Mann that restored Dartmouth’s lead, 26-22, period, the veteran McCune delivered for the Raiders. sion miss with a career-long 42-yard field goal, restoring the with 7:48 to play. As did Polk who didn’t carry the ball until Colgate’s Green’s lead with 5:46 to play. This time, however, the fickle fingers of fate belonged to leading ground threat, tailback Nate Thomas, departed with Dartmouth’s “play of the game” came a minute later UNH linebacker George Yasso who stepped in front of season-ending injury late in the third period. when senior tackle Matt DeGutes (Carpentersville, Ill.) Wedum at the goal line and stole Mann’s bid for victory. Dartmouth had built its lead patiently, starting in the sacked McCune at the Colgate 13. Twelve of Dartmouth’s points in the game came from opening period when Mann found Cramer on a fourth-down Then, for all of the McCune-Polk heroics, Colgate’s Lavin who tied a Big Green record with four field goals (43, play that covered 33 yards and saw Cramer break down “play of the game” came when Dartmouth was called for 21, 29 and a career-best 45 yards). three Colgate defenders to score. roughing the punter. While Dartmouth held a 435-433 edge in total yards, the It was 7-3 at halftime. Tyler Lavin’s (Potomac, Md.) 29- Colgate retained possession and two plays later, McCune Big Green ran 14 more plays than UNH but had to settle for yard field goal made it 10-3 and tailback Mike Giles turned the left corner on a 60-yard burst. Two Polk carries, more threes than sevens. (Andover, Mass.) made it 17-3 with his two-yard burst each for six yards covered the remaining distance to give Mann moved Dartmouth reliably all afternoon, mostly through a gaping hole. Colgate its first — and final — lead. (Jack DeGange) ■ with passes —12 for 120 yards to tight end Casey Cramer One play after Thomas departed, McCune hit wideout (Middleton, Wis.) and nine for 93 yards to wideout Jay Luke Graham on a 26-yard play to make it 17-10. Dartmouth’s Hanover Country Club Re-Opens for Business tured remarks by College President expanded to 18 in 1922. For many years, James Wright ’64a. the 14th hole hosted intercollegiate ski “I know that many of you have jumping, and the layout remains a mecca already enjoyed our new course and that for runners and cross country skiers. some of you are still looking forward to A significant improvement took place in playing on it,” said President Wright 1995 when Robert Keeler, Dartmouth Class from a site near the 18th green. “It repre- of 1936, donated a computerized irrigation sents a marvelous accomplishment. You system. A few years later, golf architect look out behind me and you know that Ron Prichard was given the charge of mod- this is a special place. This golf course is ernizing the course. In the specialized arena beautiful, it’s challenging, it’s wholly of golf architecture, Prichard is generally welcoming. It’s a place to learn. It’s a considered the leading restorationist of treasure for us and it will be a joy for so Donald Ross layouts. many generations to come.” Prichard designed a longer, safer and HCC’s diverse golf population, more challenging course that suits golfers including students, varsity players, alum- of all abilities. There are now four sets of ni and members, waited a little more tees from which to choose. than a year to enjoy the renovations. Dartmouth’s varsity golfers also will Construction of the new holes — benefit. In recent years, the men’s team has Nos. 11, 12, 16 and 17 — began during played from the “back tees,” measuring the summer of 2000. As the 2001 season 5,876 yards and playing at a par of 69. On began, parts of the existing course were September 21-22, the Big Green hosted its Two of Dartmouth’s all-time gridiron closed although golfers continued to play annual invitational, and the tournament was greats met in August at Disney’s Wide a modified, 9-hole layout until June 24. contested at 6,476 yards and par 71. The fourth green at Hanover Country Club. World of Sports Complex. Pictured are (Photo by Mark Austin-Washburn) The entire layout closed the following day The women’s team, which usually com- as the project moved into its most aggres- petes on layouts measuring 5,800 yards, Reggie Williams ’76, who enjoyed a 14- Long considered a jewel among New sive phase. can now create a specialized competitive year career as an All-Pro linebacker with England golf courses, Hanover Country The summer of 2001 proved a near per- course with many more options.