Brockport eliminates TCNJ from Pool B
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The Lions faced the second down-to-the-wire failure in as many weeks. TCNJ outrushed Brockport 253-119 and held an almost 14:00 time of possession edge, however they were unable to stop Brockport when it counted most.
“The last two weeks have been really rough,” junior defensive end Mike Sykes said in the Trenton Times. “To tell you the truth, we never got a break and just didn't get the job done. For the second week in a row it turns out that we were one or two plays short, and the other team made the one of two big plays that they had to make. It's frustrating to be on the other end of something like that two weeks in a row.”
The two teams were tied at 6-6 at the half before the Lions took a 13-6 lead with 10:18 left in the game as senior quarterback Bob Schurtz rushed in on a 1-yard keeper to give the Lions the lead, capping a 12-play, 80-yard drive that consumed 6:23.
Brockport would rally right back and tied the game with a 21-yard touchdown reception as junior quarterback Bob Darnley found senior receiver Marty Valery with 3:11 left to play and tied the game for the second time.
The Golden Eagles would make the most on defense as senior linebacker Mike Dumaw recovered a fumble by sophomore Alan Kotteles at the Lions’ 38-yard line with 2:56 left to play. The fumble was forced by junior Joe Toombs and Dumaw came up with the recovery to stop the Lions’ drive.
It came out about three inches from the sideline and I just dove at it with my hand,” said Dumaw, the author of three goal-line tackles in the fourth quarter of Brockport's 7-0 victory over Thiel last week. “The first referee called me out of bounds, but the other two refs said I was in and had control of the ball.
Junior running back Jon Brown would carry the ball for the first time in the game on the ensuing drive as he had three rushes for 12 yards. The Golden Eagles got the Lion 5-yard line when junior Brian Wise rushed to the 1-yard line before fumbling the ball, which would be recovered in the end zone by Chad DeRock for the game-winning score with 0:33 left to play.
The Lions were unable to score on the ensuing drive giving the Golden Eagles the road win and a 7-4 edge in the series history.
Dumaw finished the game with a career-high 17 tackles in the win and now leads Brockport with his 101 tackles this year, while elevating his career total to 226 stops.
Saturday’s contest marked the 100th varsity football game in Lions’ Stadium since the facility opened. Since that first game Sept. 14, 1984, the Lions have compiled a record of 62-36-2.
For the game, senior running back Jon Hedgepeth led all performers with 27 carries for 109 yards, marking his third 100 plus effort on the ground this season. Hedgepeth is just the second player to rush for 100 yards against Brockport.
Senior tight end Joe Franzone had five catches for 42 yards to lead the Lions, while Schurtz finished with just 76 passing yards on a 10-for-17 effort with no touchdowns or interceptions in the game.
Darnley finished 10-for-24 passing for 156 yards with two interceptions and two touchdown passes. He added 53 rushing yards on 11 carries, including a long of 27 yards in the winning effort.
For the game, TCNJ had a 37:05 edge in time of possession to Brockport’s 22:55 as the Lions added 329 yards of total offense on 73 plays, while committing no penalties. Brockport had 275 yards on 58 plays with five penalties for 40 yards.
Lions sophomore kicker Blake Abbot would add two field goals, a 29-yarder and a 35-yarder.
On defense junior Steven Vogt added nine tackles, while junior Ray Bateman had eight tackles with an interception and a pass breakup. Junior lineman Michael Sykes added another sack to add to his team-leading 12˝ sacks on the year for minus-76 yards.
Sophomore John Walther netted 15 tackles, while Toombs recorded 12 stops and a pair of forced fumbles.
Brockport wrapped up its regular season at 9-1 and is waiting on what should be a certain playoff bid.
Statesmen no match for Cardinals
St. John Fisher improved to 6-3 with a 20-12 win at Hobart. The victory ties the school record for wins in a season, which was set by last fall’s 6-4 squad. The Cardinals have a good chance at an ECAC bid with a win over Utica (1-8) on Nov 15.
“This was obviously a big win for us,” says head coach Paul Vosburgh, who has led Fisher to a 13-7 record over the last 20 games. “We’ve played well for most of the season and haven’t gotten a couple of breaks when we needed them, but for us to go on the road and beat a team that went to NCAA’s last season really says something about our team and its character.”
Fisher took the lead for good early in the third quarter. Junior Mike Fox picked off a Hobart lateral on a wide receiver screen play at the Statesmen’s 36-yard line and returned the fumble for a touchdown to put Fisher up 13-12.
Fisher added a 28-yard touchdown reception from Greg Roland to Eric Praetorius with 11:06 left in the fourth quarter to take a 20-12 lead and sealed the win with a Brandon Banks interception deep in Fisher territory late in the game.
The Cardinals jumped out to a 7-0 lead early in the game, as Fisher took its first
possession 76 yards on 10 plays and capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run for sophomore Craig Fitzpatrick.
Hobart answered five minutes later on a 7-yard run by junior running back Ty Godinho. Fox blocked the extra point attempt, leaving the visitors a 7-6 advantage. The Statesmen took their first and only lead of the game with 15 seconds left in the half on a 17-yard pass from senior quarterback Craig Swanson to junior wideout Rick Pińero but didn’t convert on the two-point conversion, giving them a 12-7 lead.
Fox led the Fisher defense with 15 tackles, giving him 126 on the year, just nine shy of the single-season record.
Hobart’s Godinho posted his third 100-yard rushing game of the season, 14th of his career, with 103 yards on 23 carries.
National Pool B watch
North
UAA: No remaining contenders.
South
PAC: No. 21 Waynesburg (8-1) beat Frostburg (3-5) 28-7. No. 22 Washington & Jefferson (8-1) defeated Newport News (1-8) 41-0 this week. Waynesburg finishes up against PAC foe Westminster (5-4), Washington & Jefferson ends their regular season hosting Buffalo State (1-8). With TCNJ and Salisbury dropping out of the Pool B race coupled with losses by Delaware Valley and Mary Hardin-Baylor, the President’s are probably the best on-the-bubble team in country.
ACFC: Salisbury (7-1) lost to Shenandoah (7-2) 23-22, which drops them out of Pool B contention.
West
NWC: No. 3 Linfield (8-0) defeated Whitworth (3-6) on the road. The Wildcats’ last challenge is Willamette (7-2) for the NWC crown on Nov. 15.
Independent: Menlo lost its third game, falling to Pacific Lutheran, and is out of the running.
Where do we stand?
In the South, No. 21 Waynesburg (7-1) is in if it beats (5-4) Westminster. No. 22 Washington & Jefferson (8-1) could be in with a win over Buffalo State. The Presidents are currently ranked No. 9 in the recent NCAA regional poll, which currently puts them on the outs in the Southern region. With only one NJAC team (Montclair or Rowan) getting in, there is one spot available in the East. If Washington & Jefferson wins out, it could push them or the MAC or Centennial champs into the East bracket.
In the West, No. 3 Linfield (8-0) is in even if they lose to Willamette (3-6). There are too many one- and two-loss teams around the country with a worse SOS.
In the East, No. 14 Ithaca (8-1) defeated Buffalo State (1-8) 40-14. The Bombers host Cortland (4-4) in the annual Cortaca Jug. If Ithaca wins they’ll probably grab the No. 2 spot in the East. Cortland is capable of spoiling the party this week.
No. 16 Brockport (9-1) beat TCNJ (5-3) 20-13. They will have two weeks to prepare for a playoff game that will most likely be at home on Nov. 22.
No. 18 Montclair (7-1) travels to No. 20 Rowan (7-2) to play for the NJAC title and a Pool B bid The Profs beat William Paterson (1-9) 27-12, while resting some starters on Friday. The winner is in, and loser is out. Montclair is probably in the ECAC’s with a loss. Since Rowan doesn’t apply for the ECAC’s their season is over should they lose.
No. 25 RPI (8-0) pounded St. Lawrence (1-8) 55-0 RPI. The Engineers host Hobart (4-4) for the UCAA title (4-3) on Nov. 15. RPI is currently ranked No. 4 in NCAA regional poll. RPI is in with a win on Saturday and maybe still in with a loss.
Notes
St. John Fisher’s Jason Meyers rushed for 385 yards against Rochester this season. It remains the fourth highest rushing total in the nation for a single game.
Games of the Week
Cortland at No. 14 Ithaca, Ithaca, N.Y., 12 p.m.: The Bombers lead the 62nd annual “Cortaca Jug” series with their most frequent opponent 35-23-3. Cortland's win last fall snapped a two-year Ithaca winning streak, the first time either team had won successive games since 1996-97. The Bombers own a 22-8-1 series advantage in games played at Ithaca, including a 21-14 win in 2001.
Last year a crowd of 8,700 fans, and thousands more watching on live television, watched the host Red Dragons regain the “Cortaca Jug” trophy with a 16-12 win. Cortland stopped Ithaca twice on fourth-and-goal in the final six minutes.
Cortland four losses were to three ranked opponents, and one previously ranked opponent. They are a good .500 team, and this is a trophy game. Ithaca should win, but the game is certainly not a lock.
No. 18 Montclair State at No. 20 Rowan, Glassboro, N.J., 1 p.m.: Since 1999, the NJAC championship has been decided on the final day between the Profs and the Red Hawks. Last year the Profs won 48-12. Just like last year the loser is out of the NCAA playoffs. Montclair is one of the hottest teams in the region, reeling off seven straight wins after a 22-14 loss to 9-0 Springfield. The Red Hawks have had two weeks to prepare for the Profs. I think that there will be one or two big plays that make the difference. Let’s get it on.
Hobart at No. 25 RPI, Troy, N.Y., 1 p.m.: Hobart (4-4) is the last roadblock to an undefeated season and a Pool B bid for RPI. Hobart can grab the UCAA title with a win over RPI. Last year, the Statesmen beat the Engineers 34-27, grabbing a Pool B bid. Can Hobart pull off the upset?