Cortland Offense Explodes Early in 55-14 Win vs. Morrisville St.
CORTLAND, N.Y. – Nationally 18th-ranked Cortland scored touchdowns on seven of its first eight possessions to take a 48-0 halftime lead and the Red Dragons (3-1, 3-1 NJAC) defeated Morrisville State, 55-14, in the Red Dragons' second-ever home night football game.
Senior tailback Dorian Myles (Lackawanna/Hamburg) rushed 18 times for 162 yards and a touchdown, all in the first half. Freshman tailback Bronson Greene (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa) ran for 59 yards and four touchdowns, one shy of tying the school single-game record for rushing scores in a game.
Sophomore receiver John Babin (Warwick Valley) caught seven passes for 139 yards and three touchdowns, all before halftime. He tied the school record, set seven previous times, for most touchdown receptions in a game. Graduate student quarterback Dan Pitcher (Cortland) completed 12-of-18 passes for 212 yards and three scores.
Senior linebacker Bill Smith (Nanuet) paced the defense with nine tackles and junior linebacker Mike Wilson (Penfield) made eight tackles, including one of Cortland's five sacks. Senior cornerback D.J. Romano (Newburgh/Newburgh Free Academy) and freshman linebacker Lucas Myer (South Salem/John Jay-Cross River) each intercepted a pass and senior Cody Allen (Medina) partially blocked two Morrisville punts.
Morrisville starting quarterback Lemar Johnson (Ossining) and backup quarterback Mychael Hardamon (Roosevelt) each threw a touchdown pass in the second half. Sophomore tight end James Schoenig (Brewster) caught an 8-yard scoring pass from Johnson in the third quarter and sophomore Ricky Demers (Wappingers Falls/Roy C. Ketcham) caught a 22-yard TD pass from Hardamon in the fourth quarter.
Sophomore defensive back Jeremy Stewart (Moravia)and freshman linebacker TJ Barnaba (Marcy/Whitesboro) led the Mustangs (0-4, 0-3 NJAC) with eight tackles each.
Babin turned a screen pass on the game's second play from scrimmage into a 48-yard touchdown and a 7-0 Cortland lead. His 27-yard TD catch on Cortland's next possession increased the lead to 14-0.
Cortland drove 73 yards on eight plays in its next drive, highlighted by a Kordel McInnis (Washington Township, NJ) 38-yard reception, and scored on a Myles 1-yard run. The Red Dragons' final possession of the first quarter was a 37-yard touchdown drive following the first of Allen's two blocks. A Babin 23-yard reception on second down moved the ball to the 10-yard line and Greene carried on the next two plays, the latter a 1-yard score with 3:40 left in the quarter to put Cortland up 28-0.
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Greene scored on a pair of 3-yard runs in the second quarter and on a 19-yard run in the third quarter. Babin's third TD catch was a 6-yard post pattern with 22 seconds left in the half.
Cortland outgained Morrisville 506-194 in total offense, including a 396-22 advantage in the first half. The Red Dragons averaged 6.6 yards per rush and 11.2 yards per offensive play.
Cortland travels to NJAC co-leader Montclair State next Saturday, Oct. 8, for a 1 p.m. contest. Morrisville hosts Western Connecticut State next Saturday at noon, also in an NJAC contest.
