Big Plays Lionize Junior Cornerback

For much of Saturday afternoon, it was Harvard’s football team, not Columbia’s, that looked like lions out on the field. The Crimson defense ravaged the gridiron, producing huge plays in essentially every crucial situation.

The ferocious defense was led by junior cornerback Chris Raftery, who had a stellar all-around game. Raftery recorded eight tackles, an interception, a forced fumble and was instrumental in thwarting a fake punt attempt by the Lions.

One of the hardest hitters on Harvard’s defense, Raftery introduced himself to the Columbia offense in a big way. In the second quarter, after Lions quarterback Steve Hunsberger completed a pass to wideout Rashad Biggers on a third-and-10 in Harvard territory, Raftery delivered a vicious hit that forced the ball out of Biggers’ hands. Crimson junior linebacker Dante Balestracci easily pounced on it to assure the change of possession.

A short time later, Columbia, desperately needing to get on the board, attempted a fake punt. Lions punter Nick Rudd took the long snap and began to run towards the right sideline, trying to get the first-down yardage.

Raftery read the play perfectly and prevented Rudd from rushing, hitting him for a three-yard loss and giving the Crimson excellent field position at the Columbia 26.

Harvard scored six plays later to take a 21-7 lead.

“Their [punting] alignment was a little bit different,” Raftery said. “The punter started to run. I had to contain and make sure he didn’t make it up the side.”

Later on, Raftery snuffed out one final Columbia possession, this one essentially icing the game.

After Hunsberger took the snap from the Harvard 26-yard line on a deciding fourth-and-7 in the third quarter, Raftery stepped up just in front of the end zone, picked off the pass and ran it back for 14 yards. The play denied the Lions a chance of moving within one score of Harvard.

“It was actually a good route,” Raftery said of the play. “I just managed to stay inside and pull it in.”

A fresh addition to Raftery’s repertoire Saturday was his two kick returns for a total of 31 yards.

“I actually returned a kick earlier this year,” Raftery said. “I just love returning kicks. I was a kick returner in high school.”

A first-year starter, Raftery has shown marked improvement at his position through this season, as he was named Ivy League defensive player of the week two weeks ago in a Crimson win at Princeton. In that game, Raftery made his first career interception.

“Cornerback is a difficult position,” Raftery said. “The smallest details matter. I really focus on pass coverage and using my arms to rake the ball without getting the interference call.”

Despite the attention he has devoted to his pass defense, Raftery feels that he has made longest strides this season defending against the run.

“I feel my biggest improvement has been in reading the line and fitting in on the run,” Raftery said.

Next week, Raftery will have to defend against a Penn team with a potent running and passing game, as the Quakers average over 400 yards of offense per game.

“They have a very quality offense,” Raftery said. “But we have a game-to-game plan where we find [opponents’] weaknesses and strengths.”

If the Crimson coaching staff succeeds in finding any weaknesses, count on Raferty to hit the Quakers where it hurts.