HANOVER — The ball, quite literally, fell into Jamal Cooper’s lap.

Cooper, a junior free safety for the Dartmouth football team, was the beneficiary of Ahmir Braxton’s handiwork, the senior defensive back disrupting Brown wide receiver Mark Mahoney’s attempts to haul in the pass. Braxton’s pass breakup saw the ball ultimately deflected into Cooper’s awaiting arms. 

On a day chock-full of celebrations, Cooper’s interception late in the fourth quarter of the Big Green’s 56-28 thumping of the Bears — a win that helped secure a share of the Ivy League title for the second consecutive season — elicited quite the enthusiastic show of support. It was, after all, his first career interception in the green and white of Dartmouth. 

As Cooper sprinted off the field, senior cornerback Jordan Washington was one of the first to greet him. A host of Big Green defensive players tried to swarm the Montgomery, Ala., native in celebration of his pick, but Cooper was determined to get to the defense’s bench. A photoshoot awaited. 

The Dartmouth defense celebrates every forced turnover with a unit-wide picture. Players pile on top of one another, stand on the bench or sit on the ground, most flashing a pose as the program’s creative team gets to work. 

For a group that had struggled to turn opponents over in the first half of the season, the customary celebration is understandable, especially given the magnitude of the team’s regular season finale. Saturday’s showing also aptly illustrated the defense’s 180-degree turn to close the 2024 campaign. Defensive coordinator Don Dobes’ unit finished its last five games forcing 11 total turnovers, including a fumble recovery and two interceptions against Brown.

“It’s so beautiful. This is what’s life all about, honestly,” Washington said of the defense’s performance, in particular the secondary. “I love those guys; I love everyone on the team. So, seeing everyone ball out out there — even at the end of the game, (Cooper) getting in there, getting the pick, (Braxton) in there — that’s just amazing. I love it.”

Washington was effusive in his praise for his teammates postgame. But don’t let that take away from his performance either, his final appearance for the Big Green. Washington notched a career-high four pass breakups and tacked on five tackles in the win. Oh, and he also had a 58-yard interception return touchdown in the third quarter — the program’s first pick-six since Nov. 3, 2023. 

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His defensive display earned him Ivy League co-defensive player of the week honors, which bookend his senior season with individual league awards (Washington won special teams player of the week for his scoop-and-score field goal block against Fordham in Week 1). Senior quarterback Jackson Proctor was the recipient of the conference’s offensive player of the week award after posting 479 yards of total offense and seven total touchdowns against the Bears.

“Nobody knows how much work we all put in,” said Washington, who is one of the team’s several early transfer portal entrants, all as potential graduate transfers. “It’s a lot of stuff we got to do every single day with school and football — the pressure on you — so getting this (win) with the guys, with the people you love, it’s just amazing…

“I’m grateful.”

The Dartmouth football team, which won its fourth Ivy title in five seasons, wasn’t the college’s only team in action this past week. But with the fall quarter winding to a close in Hanover and the approach of the Thanksgiving holiday break providing student-athletes a brief respite, games were few and far between. 

Here’s how a couple other programs fared.

No. 1 Dartmouth was unable to mount a late comeback Saturday night in the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) Division I title game, falling to No. 2 Harvard, 19-12.

It was a rivalry renewed under the lights at Burnham Field, the game marking the Big Green and Crimson’s third consecutive meeting for the NIRA D-I crown. Dartmouth coach Katie Dowty, a Harvard alum, led her squad to a 26-19 victory over her alma mater in Cambridge, Mass., during the regular season. But for the second year in a row, Harvard emerged victorious in the title game.

The Crimson claimed a 12-0 advantage deep into the first half before a try from Big Green junior Katelyn Walker shrunk the deficit to seven points. Out of halftime, Dartmouth was quick to equalize following a try from senior Cindy Taulava and a conversion from first-year Annie Henrich. But Harvard’s response — a try and conversion midway through the second half handing it a 19-12 advantage — saw it claim a lead it would never relinquish.

Red confetti littered the field and thick red smoke hovered in the cold, late-November air following the game’s conclusion. As the Big Green gathered in the north try zone, players and coaches embraced in long hugs amid the inevitable waves of emotion that unfold following a championship defeat. Dowty said the team entered the season wanting to “lead with love” and that’s exactly what Dartmouth did.

“This team means so much to me,” Walker said. “There's no other group of girls I'd rather play this sport with. We're able to play with a lot of love and passion … we really put our hearts out there. This is a really special group.”

Coming off a 78-50 shellacking at the hands of Boston University, Dartmouth traveled to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., for a battle with Marist last Tuesday. 

The Red Foxes, pegged to finish second in the MAAC in the conference’s preseason coaches poll, used a 21-5 run early in the first half to secure an eventual 75-62 victory. Big Green junior forward Jayden Williams scored a team-high 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, while junior forward Brandon Mitchell-Day (11 points) and senior guard Ryan Cornish (10 points) also scored in double-figures. 

Coach David McLaughlin’s squad boasts one of the nation’s least efficient offenses, according to KenPom, mired by some early-season shooting woes — Dartmouth is shooting 26.7% from 3-point range against Division I opponents in four games. The loss also marks the Big Green’s third consecutive defeat and an 0-2 start to the team’s seven-game road trip. Dartmouth plays Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass., on Friday. Tipoff is set for noon.

With a slew of fall sports programs wrapping up or having already finished their seasons, a number of Dartmouth student-athletes were honored with all-conference distinctions.

Senior Madeleine Locher was the women’s cross country team’s lone All-Ivy representative, earning second team honors after notching a ninth-place finish at the Ivy League Championships earlier this month. 

The men’s soccer team had four players earn all-conference honors. Sophomore forward Vasilis Moiras, who was named second team All-Ivy as a freshman, was selected to the first team this season. Moiras scored six goals and added two assists for the Big Green, finishing second on the team in points this fall (14). Senior midfielder Kristian Feed, sophomore forward Trenton Blake and freshman striker Eidur Baldvinsson were named second team All-Ivy.

Fifth-year forward Daisy Granholm, who led the women’s soccer team with seven goals, and fifth-year defender Taylor Williams each earned second team All-Ivy distinctions. Junior midfielder Mary Lundregan was named an honorable mention.

Junior outside hitter Kauany Gutz was tabbed as an honorable mention for the women’s volleyball All-Ivy team. Gutz led the Big Green with 297 kills and 25 service aces this season.

The field hockey team saw junior defender Olivia Galiotos, who was named an honorable mention in 2022 and 2023, earn second team All-Ivy honors. Sophomore midfielder Lucia Campaño was named an honorable mention after tallying four goals and an assist for Dartmouth in 2024.

Alex Cervantes can be reached at acervantes@vnews.com or 603-727-7302.