Brockport, NY – The SUNY Brockport football team dominated Courage Bowl XIX at home on Saturday, 35-0. The Golden Eagles have now defeated St. John Fisher seven times in a row in this annual event to celebrate the kids of Camp Good Days.
The fans at Bob Boozer Field saw it all Saturday afternoon to help celebrate the special kids of Camp Good Days for this annual event. Several campers joined the teams in the sideline as honorary coaches/cheerleaders for the game and during halftime we honored the 2024 Courage Award recipients.
On the field, the Green and Gold took care of business to improve to 3-1 overall on the season. Brockport opens Empire 8 play 1-0, after the convincing win over the visiting Cardinals. Brockport remains undefeated at 3-0 on its home field this season.
Pitching a shutout for the second time this season, the Golden Eagle defense kept Fisher off the scoreboard for the third time during this 7-game win streak over the Cardinals. Brockport allowed a total of 188 yards, holding the opposing rushing attack to just 17 yards on 30 carries (0.6 ypc). With the Cardinals trailing and forced to take to the air, the Green and Gold took advantage. Brockport terrorized the opposing quarterback with seven sacks and a pair of interceptions in the game.
Mike Talbert Jr. had a dominant day for the defense from his middle linebacker spot. Talbert had seven tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and an interception. Dawin Fanor matched Tablert's total of seven stops (4 solo), while Ben Robinson had six tackles in the game. Malik Kelly contributed an interception and a sack from his secondary position. Jayson Thomas, Chris Leahy, and Andre Marianetti all logged one sack for the defense.
It was a productive day for the offense, totaling 432 yards in front of the home crowd. Rushing for 237 yards in the game, Brockport continued to feed Isaiah Simmons the ball. The talented sophomore had 19 carries for 164 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Both of his scores came in the first quarter, including an explosive 60-yard touchdown run. The offense also threw for 195 yards and three scores in the passing game. Ben Gocella threw for 182 yards and three touchdowns (1 INT) on 11-for-19 passing on the day. Gocella linked up with Nolan Slywka for four catches, 76 yards, and two touchdowns. The third passing score was a 24-yard completion to Brian Caldwell Jr.
The first half saw a lot of action, as Brockport asserted its dominance early and often. The defense forced four punts and two interceptions through the first six offensive possessions for St. John Fisher. This success was matched by the offense in the first two quarters.
It all began with a 7-play, 73-yard drive in the first. Isaiah Simmons put the Green and Gold on the board first with a 9-yard rushing touchdown. Sal Montaperto was good on the point after (5-5 PAT on the day), to make it an early 7-0 lead.
A quick stop from the defense put the ball back in the hands of the offense, meaning more work for Simmons in the run game. On the first snap of Brockport's next drive, Simmons took it 60 yards to the house to make it a 14-0 lead to close the first quarter.
The starting offensive line group of Ahmad Warner-Davis, Julian McGaughy, Caleb Bane, Liam Malgieri, and Adam Montalvo paved the way for Simmons all game. He would average 8.6 yards per carry for the day, while the offense averaged 5.9 yards per carry against Fisher as a whole (season-best).
Early on in the second, the Brockport defense would strike with its first takeaway of the contest. On third down, Malik Kelly picked off Fisher's Ryan Whitney for his third interception of the season. The offense then marched down the field, setting up Brian Caldwell Jr.'s 24-yard touchdown reception from Ben Gocella. Brockport held a 21-0 lead with 8:22 left before halftime.
Hoping to score before the break, the visiting Cardinals had limited time left on the second quarter clock. They approached midfield after a rare pair of first downs in a tough opening half offensively. Brockport halted the momentum thanks to another interception, this time by Mike Talbert Jr. An 18-yard return on the takeaway set the Brockport offense up near midfield with less than two minutes until halftime.
Gocella moved the ball down the field through the air, getting a nice 23-yard chunk completion to Daniel Manneh. The play to Manneh got the Golden Eagles in the redzone, which set up their fourth touchdown of the game. Gocella put a ball up high for his big wideout, Nolan Slywka, in the endzone for a 16-yard touchdown. It was a 28-0 lead for the Green and Gold going into the break.
The tone of the game changed in the second half, with Brockport still in complete control. The first offensive possession for the Cardinals was brought to an abrupt end after back-to-back sacks from Mike Talbert Jr. The sack on fourth down gave the offense the ball back once again, with a chance to begin killing some clock.
Ethan Dattilio and Isaiah Simmons led the charge down the field behind the strong offensive line on the next drive. However, the Fisher defense was able to make a stand to prevent a score this time around. Gocella was picked off in the endzone by Isaiah Bretz, giving the Cardinals possession once again.
Despite the turnover, Brockport successfully killed lots of clock. Fisher started its next drive with just 2:55 left in the third quarter, after Brockport ran over six minutes off during its offensive possession. The score would remain at 28-0 going into the fourth quarter.
Another punt from St. John Fisher early on in the fourth would give the Golden Eagles another chance to kill clock. Simmons nearly broke free for another long touchdown, getting loose for a 30-yard run to put the offense on the 19-yard line. A few moments later, Gocella hit Slywka another touchdown. This 7-yard touchdown connection created the final scoreboard tally of 35-0.
The Golden Eagles now prepare for back-to-back road contests against Empire 8 opponents. They will take on Hartwick on Saturday, October 12th at 1pm for next week's matchup. Then the squad will head to Hilbert for a 12pm start on October 19th.