HAMBURG, N.Y. – Hilbert College football fell 65–3 to Ithaca on Saturday afternoon at Frontier High School in the first ever meeting between the Hawks and the Bombers, and the first Liberty League game in program history.

Ithaca struck quickly in the first quarter, putting together two short-field touchdown drives and adding a 57-yard touchdown pass late in the period to take a 21–0 lead. The Bombers extended their advantage in the second quarter with another rushing score and a 41-yard field goal.

Hilbert's best drive of the day came in the final minutes of the first half. The Hawks moved 63 yards in eight plays, highlighted by a 13-yard completion from Brody Hopkins to Nicholas West and strong runs from Christian Hamilton Jr. and Xzavier Patrick. The possession was capped by a 28-yard field goal from Noah Workman as time expired, sending Hilbert into halftime trailing 31–3.

Ithaca continued its offensive output in the second half, scoring three times in the third quarter and adding two more touchdowns in the fourth to close out the game.

On offense, Hamilton Jr. led the ground game with 39 yards on six carries, while Patrick added 24 yards on five attempts. Hopkins finished 1-for-2 through the air, connecting with West for a 13-yard gain.

Defensively, Da'von Cockrell posted a game-high 12 tackles, including one for a 19-yard loss, while also forcing two fumbles and recovering one. Amari Wilbon added seven tackles, and Neven Dermady and Sherrad Patterson II each recorded sacks. Damon Hollister added a fumble recovery in the second quarter.

Workman handled punting duties throughout the afternoon, averaging 28.4 yards across 10 punts, including two inside the 20-yard line. He also converted Hilbert's lone scoring play with his first field goal of the season.

UP NEXT:
The Hawks will wrap up their three-game homestand next Saturday when the team hosts Buff State in a Liberty League contest at 12 pm at St. Francis High School.