The sprint football team saw a near-victory and a slim chance at a share of the CSFL title slip away in a rainy Schoellkopf Field on Friday, falling to Army, 10-9.

The loss was the Red’s (3-3, 3-2 CSFL) third on the season, and the second in a row by three points or less.

The themes of the game were similar to those that have played out throughout the story of the 2009 season: stellar defense and a consistent running game, but a failure to come up with big plays would ultimately leave the Red a bit short. Turnovers in the wet and windy playing conditions also had a key role in the loss.

“I think the [weather] conditions restricted us somewhat,” said junior linebacker Clay Hemminger, who had six solo tackles and a forced fumble in the game. “But both teams were stuck in the same situation.”

Cornell held a lead over the favored Black Knights (6-0, 4-0 CSFL) throughout most of the game. The Red had a 9-3 advantage with the third quarter winding down when, on a third-and-1 quarterback sneak, Army linebacker Matthew Talley stripped the ball from junior quarterback Elliot Corey, returning the fumble recovery for an 85-yard touchdown.A Knight's Tale: Cornell had a 9-3 advantage with time expiring in the third quarter, but failed to hold its lead.

After an interception by senior defensive back Evan Levy, the Red had just over two minutes to try to manufacture a scoring drive. Corey led an impressive drive down the field, converting key first downs, but when Army defensive back Taylor Griffin stripped a final pass from Corey to senior wideout Chris LaBerge on the Army 11-yard line, the day was lost.

Corey struggled with accuracy in the poor weather, completing 11-for-31 pass attempts for 106 yards. Senior running back Daniel Roworth had a breakout game, leading the Red with 56 yards rushing. Senior tailback D.J. Schiavetta added 51 more on the ground, while senior wide receiver Upal Sarker had 57 through the air.

As it has all season, The Big Red Wall stifled the opposing offense. The Black Knights had only seven first downs, 27 yards passing, and finished the game with only two yards gained per offensive play.

“One of the things we needed to build on was not allowing the big play, which we did this week,” said Hemminger.

Senior linebacker John Parke had 10 tackles, while Levy and junior defensive back John Mackintosh each had an interception.

Despite the struggles and the blow that such a heartbreaking loss can deal to any team, the offense is trying to stay positive and build on some of its strengths as it looks forward to its final game next week, as well as next season.

“I think our offensive line is really, really strong, and that’s something definitely to build on,” said Schaivetta. “Going into this week, we just have to get the job done, even though we know we don’t really have much of a shot at the title.”

On Friday, the Red will celebrate Senior Night with a non-conference home game against Mansfield. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.