Cornell hangs on for memorable Senior Day win over Ripon

MOUNT VERNON – Maliek Ketchens made his last game at Ash Park Stadium memorable.

He even punctuated it with an unforgettable final play on the Cornell College turf.

Ketchens intercepted a pass deep in Cornell territory with 23 seconds remaining and sealed a 31-28 victory over Ripon (Wis.) during Senior Day on Saturday. Ketchens left his mark, picking off two passes, breaking up a crucial fourth-down pass and tallying 10 tackles.

'You can't call a scene any better,” Ketchens said. 'It's been a long ride this year. We're pretty young. There have been ups and downs this season, but to come out on Senior Day and play the way we did it's just a blessing.”

The Rams (4-5, 3-4) close the season at Grinnell next week. The seniors haven't had a losing record yet and could pull to .500 with another win. It will close the college career for Ketchens, who was attracted to the tight-knit atmosphere at Cornell.

'We're a family,” said Ketchens, joking that the baseball team had more players. 'We're close and I couldn't ask for anything more.”

Ripon slashed a 17-point third-quarter lead to just three when Cameron Gruenwald's 4-yard touchdown run with 2:41 left capped a 13-play, 88-yard drive.

The Red Hawks (1-8, 1-6) forced a punt and got the ball back with 1:32 on the clock and 70 yards in front of them. They drove to the Rams' 40 with a chance to tie or take the lead. Ketchens stepped in and prevented a conversion on 3rd-and-10 in the final 30 seconds.

'I'm extremely happy for my senior class, and Maliek, with the way it ended today,” Cornell Coach Vince Brautigam said. 'It was fitting to have a senior make a play to end the game, intercepting the pass.”

Last year, Ripon scored in the final minutes for a five-point victory over Cornell. Ketchens said defensive coordinator Jay Davis reminded him of that same play and called the perfect defense.

'I kind of cheated over to the strong side,” Ketchens said. 'Lo and behold, that was the play they ran and it was right there for me.”

Ketchens grabbed his first interception in the second quarter, returning it to Ripon's 9. He set up Daniel Brown's 9-yard run that put the Rams ahead 24-14.

Brown helped lead the Rams, throwing for 203 yards and two TDs. He also had a team-high 73 yards on the ground.

Brown connected with senior Gabriel Noyce for a 16-yard TD in the second, putting the Rams up 17-14. Noyce also had Cornell's only second-half score, rushing for a 3-yard TD in the third.

Kaleb Whiting added a 40-yard field goal.

'It means a lot to come here for four years and leave with a win,” said Noyce, who had 50 receiving yards with a team-best five catches. 'It was a great group effort.”

The Rams suffered a scare when lineman Robert Madole went down during the first quarter. Trainers tended to him on the turf for a long period before taking him out on a stretcher. After the game, Brautigam said he heard Madole was doing better but did not have a specific update on the sophomore from Ralston Valley, Colo.

On the first play after Madole was carted from the field, Brown hit Justin Ramirez for a 30-yard TD pass for the Rams' first score. The team rallied after a sobering situation with their teammate.

'There was a little bit of sentiment, but you don't have time to think of that because you have to play the next play,” Brautigam said. 'Even though he was on their hearts and minds, it was nice to get a big play to get us going.”

Cornell trailed the entire first quarter and 14-10 midway through the second quarter. The Rams have made a reputation for being fighters.

'These kids don't quit,” Brautigam said. 'It came down to an end and we were able to make one more play than they did.”

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