FOOTBALL

NORTHFIELD, Vt. - Connor Hackett rushed 29 times for 163 yards, and Brad Heil tossed a pair of touchdown passes to lead St. Lawrence past Norwich, 20-13, on Saturday at Sabine Field. The Cadets drop to 1-1 on the season, while Saints move to 1-0.

Norwich running back Darnell Jackson led the way for the Cadets, rushing the ball 21 times for 109 yards, as the talented junior recorded his second straight 100-yard game.

NU got off to a good start as the Cadets took the opening possession and drove down for a touchdown. Chris Gilding hit E.J. Flannigan for a seven-yard touchdown pass to culminate the eight-play scoring march.

St. Lawrence answered on its ensuing possession as the Saints moved the ball 59 yards on 10 plays. Heil connected with Richard Lagos with a four-yard touchdown pass as St. Lawrence tied the score at 7-7 with 6:47 remaining in the first quarter.

St. Lawrence gained the lead for the first time with 38 seconds left in the first half when Charles Haydock scooped up a lateral pass and rumbled in from five yards out. Dan Wilde blocked the Saints' extra point attempt, giving St. Lawrence a 13-7 lead late in the half.

Norwich gained some momentum just before halftime as the Cadets moved into field goal range and Chris Seifert knocked in a 40-yarder with four seconds left on the first half clock. The three points cut St. Lawrence's lead in half and the Saints took a 13-10 advantage into halftime.

Following a scoreless third quarter, Heil hooked up with Carl Festa for a 30-yard touchdown pass on a screen play with 8:51 to play.

Norwich refused to go down without a fight as the Cadets quickly moved down the field. The drive finally stalled, but Seifert nailed a 34-yard field goal to cut St. Lawrence's lead to 20-13 with 4:20 left.

The NU defense stiffened on St. Lawrence's ensuing possession and the Cadets got the ball back for one final shot. After moving into the Saints' territory, Norwich's drive sputtered and the Cadets turned the ball over on downs following an incomplete pass on a fourth-and-19 play.

Norwich freshman wide receiver George Whigham made a splash in his collegiate debut, hauling in seven passes for 49 yards. Freshman punter Ryan Kelly had a big day, booming three punts for an average of 43.3 yards per kick.

Donovan Brown led the Cadets defense with 11 tackles and a pass breakup. Clay Campbell added 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

The Norwich football team will be back in action next Saturday, Sept. 15, when the Cadets travel to Bangor, Maine, for a 1 p.m. contest versus Husson.