Cortland Opens NJAC Schedule With 72-14 Win vs. Western Connecticut
CORTLAND, N.Y. – Senior tailback Dorian Myles (Lackawanna/Hamburg) rushed for 161 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries and caught five passes for 94 yards and a score as Cortland opened its New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) schedule with a 72-14 victory over visiting Western Connecticut State.
The Red Dragons (1-1, 1-0 NJAC) finished one point shy of tying the school single-game scoring record of 73 points, set in both 1969 vs. Brockport and 1999 vs. New Jersey City. Cortland has now reached the 70-point plateau five times in school history (71 vs. Morrisville St. in 2007, 71 vs. St. John Fisher in 1991 and the two 73-point games).
Senior quarterback Chris Rose (Victor) completed 21-of-28 passes for 233 yards and a score and ran for a 28-yard touchdown. Sophomore tailback Bronson Greene (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa) ran for three touchdowns among his eight carries.
Cortland finished with 595 yards of total offense, 339 on the ground, compared to Western's 301 yards.
Western junior running back Octavius McKoy (Stratford, CT) rushed 26 times for 124 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore quarterback Will Arndt (Newtown, CT) completed 16-of-33 passes for 201 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown pass to Marquies Highsmith (West Haven, CT). Highsmith finished with five catches for 83 yards.
Cortland freshman safety Andre Green (Philadelphia, NY/Indian River) led the Red Dragons with nine tackles and sophomore linebacker Michael McCarthy (Ronkonkoma/Sachem North) recorded an interception and a sack. Senior safety Dan Allen (Fairfield, CT/Fairfield-Warde) paced the Colonials' defense with a game-high 11 tackles. Senior linebacker Cory Lawlor (Danbury, CT) made six tackles, two for losses, and intercepted a pass.
Cortland held Western on its opening drive, then moved 65 yards on seven plays for the game's first touchdown – a Greene run from two yards out. A fumbled snap on a punt during Western's next possession gave Cortland the ball at the 3-yard line, and two plays later junior Justin Autera (Mahopac) ran in from one yard to put Cortland up 14-0 just 5:12 into the game.
The Red Dragons extended the lead to 21-0 early in the second quarter when Myles took a screen pass and raced 66 yards for a score. The Colonials answered just 52 seconds later when Highsmith caught a short pass, spun to avoid a tackle and raced down the right sideline for a 59-yard touchdown.
Cortland pushed its lead to 28-7 with 3:12 left in the half on a 75-yard burst up the middle by Myles. The Red Dragons took the opening kickoff of the second half and drove 58 yards on five plays, capped by a Myles 16-yard touchdown run, and led 34-7 after a missed extra point.
Western marched 85 yards on its next possession for its second touchdown. McKoy finished the drive with a 1-yard scoring run. Cortland junior Mike DeBole (Webster/Webster Schroeder) made a 22-yard field goal with 4:28 left in the third and led 37-14 after three quarters.
The Red Dragons outscored the Colonials 35-0 in the fourth quarter. Rose ran for a 28-yard score with 12:58 left, and Cortland recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff at the Western 21-yard line. Two plays later, sophomore Tyler Augliano (Watertown) threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Rob Von Bargen (Massapequa). The score came on Augliano's first collegiate varsity pass, and was also Von Bargen's first collegiate touchdown.
McCarthy's 39-yard interception return to the Western 11-yard line set up the next score, a Greene 7-yard run with 9:54 left. Greene also capped a 25-yard scoring drive with a 1-yard run at the 6:44 mark, and freshman Matt Deiana (Somers) finished the scoring with a 7-yard run – his first collegiate touchdown – with 1:50 left.
Cortland will travel to Morrisville State next Saturday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m. and Western Connecticut will host Rowan Saturday at 12 p.m., both in NJAC matchups.
