Brockport, NY – On Saturday at Bob Boozer Field, the Golden Eagle football team bounced back in the regular season finale against Alfred. Brockport celebrated Senior Day with a 35-14 win, moving to 8-2 overall and 5-1 in Empire 8 play.
Continuing its season-long production, the Brockport special teams unit was responsible for two touchdowns and two blocked kicks. In the third quarter Raylens Boutin celebrated his Senior Day with a 22-yard punt return for a score. Then in the fourth, Liam O'Mara returned a blocked punt for a touchdown. Aidan Thomas got his hand on the punt, and O'Mara also had a blocked punt of his own.
Brockport's defense did its job in slowing down the Alfred attack. The Saxons went just 4-for-17 on third down conversions and were held to 2.1 yards per rush. The Green and Gold gave up just 237 yards of total offense, had four sacks and forced a pair of turnovers. The two interceptions came from two seniors on their big day. Dylan Mann and Raylens Boutin both picked off the Saxon quarterback. Classmates Aidan Thomas (2), Joseph Rodda (1), and Ben Robinson (1) all got after the QB for sacks.
Offensively, the Green and Gold stuck with the traditional ground and pound. The team ran for 218 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 5.1 yards per carry on the day. Isaiah Simmons had the best game of his career at Brockport, finishing with 166 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. Chris McGuire and Cameron Mesh also found the end zone for rushing scores.
After the opening Senior Day ceremony, it was Alfred that got on the scoreboard first. In the early goings of the second quarter, the Saxons finished off a drive with a goal line run to go up 7-0. Brockport quickly bounced back, as McGuire struck paydirt to tie the game up. The two conference foes entered halftime knotted up at 7-7.
In the third quarter, senior Raylens Boutin provided a scoring spark on special teams. His 22-yard punt return for a touchdown (2nd of the season) gave Brockport a 14-7 lead. Then it was Simmons who crossed the goal line on a 2-yard rush to make it a 21-7 advantage for the Green and Gold.
Just moments later, Thomas blocked a punt for Brockport. O'Mara came up with the lose ball and ran it back for a touchdown to make it 28-7. Another quick turnaround saw Brockport back in possession. Mesh created some extra cushion with a 6-yard touchdown run, making the lead stand at 35-7. Alfred's Max Freeman IV scored his second touchdown rush of the game late in the fourth to create the final 35-14.
Robinson and Mann both totaled 11 tackles to lead the Brockport defense. Rodda was joined by Mike Talbert Jr. with 10 tackles in the game. Thomas broke into the backfield for 4.0 tackles for a loss and 2.0 sacks. To go with his interception, Boutin added two pass breakups and three stops.
On the outside looking in for the national tournament, the Golden Eagles are bowl eligible with a strong argument for an ECAC game in the postseason. The announcements will be made on Monday, following the results of the final regular season games across the country.
Brockport Closes Regular Season With Senior Day Win
/seasons/2023/boxscores/20231111_59s5.xml
2023
Alfred
14
Brockport
35
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfred (4-7) | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Brockport (9-2) | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 35 |
Nov 11, 2023