DeLAND, Fla. – The Stetson Hatters closed out their 2024 season with a 49-10 loss to the Drake Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium. With the defeat, the Hatters finish the year with a 2-9 record, including a 0-7 mark in Pioneer Football League play.
Before the game, Stetson honored nine senior players in a special Senior Day ceremony. The seniors recognized for their contributions to the program were Dawson Harrington, Zarrion Robinson, Nikkem Reynolds, Jeremiah Giedrys, RJ Williams, Matt O'Connor, Micah Adams, Andrew Thompson, and Brady Meitz.
In his final start as a Hatter, quarterback Brady Meitz—now Stetson's all-time passing leader—threw for 221 yards. Meitz wrapped up his final season with 2,244 passing yards and 17 touchdowns.
On the ground, freshman Trey Clark was the lone Stetson player to find the end zone, rushing for 25 yards on six carries and adding a 16-yard touchdown in the first quarter. It was the graduate back Donovan Snyder, however, who led the team in rushing with 39 yards.
Receiver Dalton Bailey was again a standout for the Hatters, hauling in 11 catches for 130 yards. Bailey's performance marked his fifth game this season with at least eight receptions and his fourth consecutive game surpassing the 100-yard mark. He finished the season with 797 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
Defensively, linebacker Kyle Elphick and defensive back Shug Bentley led the Hatters with nine tackles apiece. Bentley also contributed with two sacks in the contest.
Stetson's offense was able to convert 43.8 percent of its third downs, going 7-for-16, while Drake was successful on 6-of-13 third-down attempts.
The game began with Drake taking an early 14-0 lead, but the Hatters responded in the first quarter, with Clark's 16-yard touchdown run cutting the deficit to 14-7. After Drake increased its lead to 21-7, Stetson narrowed the gap further with a 22-yard field goal from sophomore kicker Daniel Holbrook, making it 21-10. However, the Bulldogs added 28 unanswered points in the second half to secure the win.
The loss marked the end of a challenging season for the Hatters, who will look to regroup and build for the future after a tough year.
