PITTSFORD N.Y. – Cortland recorded both a blocked punt and blocked field goal touchdown, and Brees Segala (Webster/Webster Schroeder) completed all 14 of his pass attempts for 204 yards and four touchdowns and ran for a score, as the nationally 15th-ranked Red Dragons defeated host St. John Fisher, 55-3.
Cortland, ranked 15th nationally in Division III, improved to 9-0 on the season and is the outright Empire 8 champion with a 6-0 league mark. The Red Dragons finish the regular season next Saturday at home against non-league rival Ithaca College in the annual Cortaca Jug game.
The Cortland defense extended its streak of not allowing a touchdown to 19 quarters. The Red Dragons did not give up a touchdown over the final three quarters of their win over Brockport on Oct. 9 and have given up a total of just three field goals over the last four games. The 19-quarter streak is the longest by a Cortland team since the 1989 squad went 25 consecutive quarters without giving up a touchdown spanning the first seven games of the season.
Segala played only the first half and helped Cortland build a 49-0 halftime lead. He has now completed his last 16 pass attempts, four shy of the school record of 20 consecutive completions set by Dick Puccio over a two-game stretch in 1991.
Cortland took the lead just three plays into the contest when Derek Cruz (Oceanside) turned a wide receiver screen pass into a 65-yard touchdown down the left sideline. A few minutes later, James Luciano (Hopewell Junction/John Jay) blocked a punt that Tommy Heuer (Oceanside) returned 27 yards for a touchdown. Cortland extended its school single-season record with its fifth blocked punt touchdown of the year, with Heuer scoring two of them.
The lead grew to 21-0 late in the first quarter on Segala's 14-yard TD pass to JJ Laap (Stony Brook/Ward Melville). A Nick Lardaro (Smithtown/Smithtown East) interception on Fisher's next possession set up Cortland on the Cardinals' 7-yard line, and on the next play Segala found Cruz for a 7-yard scoring pass.
The Red Dragons went up 35-0 on their next possession, driving 62 yards on 11 plays for a touchdown. Segala found Trevor Ash (Auburn) for the final three yards of the series. Fisher (4-5, 2-3 E8) drove to the Cortland 24-yard line on the next series before attempting a 41-yard field goal. Dylan Dubuque (East Greenbush/Columbia), however, blocked the field goal, secured the ball at the 36-yard line and raced 64 yards untouched for a touchdown.
Cortland got the ball back at its own 44-yard line with 1:56 left in the half. A 37-yard pass from Segala to Laap three plays into the drive moved the ball to the hosts' 6-yard line, and two plays later Segala ran around the right end for a 3-yard TD as Cortland scored touchdowns on all seven of its first-half possessions.
The Red Dragons' final score came via a Dom Gombetto (Fairport) 1-yard TD run with 6:54 left in the third quarter. Fisher drove to the Cortland 6-yard line late in the third quarter, but eventually settled for a Joe Dotterweich 24-yard field goal 48 seconds into the fourth quarter to break up Cortland's shutout bid.
Cruz caught three passes for 82 yards and two scores, Ash finished with five receptions for 37 yards and a score, and Laap had three catches for 61 yards and a TD. Jahon Moore (Hillside, NJ) and Jaden Alfanostjohn (Westhampton/Westhampton Beach) each ran for 31 yards.
Paul Imperiale (East Meadow) and Justin Wheeler (Binghamton/Susquehanna Valley) each made seven tackles. Lardaro and Mark Noel (Staten Island/Port Richmond) had one interception apiece, with Lardaro also making 1.5 tackles for losses. Liam Casey (Woodstown, NJ) averaged 42 yards per punt on three attempts.
Joe Miscia, who entered the game as the Division III national leader in tackles, led Fisher with 16 stops, an interception and a pass breakup. Evan Strassberg made 10 tackles and Johnny Pagano finished with nine stops. Michael Krafty was 10-for-21 passing for 67 yards and Joseph Torrillo completed 6-of-11 passes for 66 yards. Dahmir ran 13 times for 50 yards and Richie Quinn caught three passes for 49 yards.
Special Teams Scores Twice, Segala Perfect Through the Air, as #15 Cortland Wins Big at Fisher
/seasons/2021/boxscores/20211106_u05e.xml
2021
Cortland
55
St. John Fisher
3
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 13 Cortland (9-0) | 21 | 28 | 6 | 0 | 55 |
| St. John Fisher (4-5) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Nov 06, 2021