Brockport, NY – For the Homecoming Weekend game, Brockport dominated Hartwick at Bob Boozer Field, 63-0. The Golden Eagles are now 2-0 in Empire 8 play and own a record of 5-1 overall with a fourth consecutive victory.
Brockport controlled every element of the game in front of the packed Homecoming crowd. The Green and Gold threw for five scores and ran for another four for a season-best performance on offense. The team gained a season-high 466 yards of total offense, while holding Hartwick to just 88 total yards defensively. The Golden Eagle defense shutout the visiting Hawks, forcing a pair of turnovers (1 fumble, 1 interception) and a season-high six sacks.
In his first Homecoming game, freshman QB Ben Gocella lit up the scoreboard. He passed for 219 yards on 12 completions, throwing four touchdown passes on the day. Gocella is the first Brockport quarterback to throw for four scores in five years. Jake Ritts tossed and completed his one pass for a 49-yard touchdown to Liam O'Mara. The Golden Eagles passed for 268 yards on the day.
Gocella linked up with three different receivers for his four touchdown passes. James Altenburger had another big day, finishing with two touchdowns on three catches for 63 yards. Freshman wideout Nolan Slywka posted his first career 100-yard receiving game, totaling six catches for 104 yards and a touchdown. Alex Card took his only reception for a 41-yard touchdown.
Gino Fontanarosa led a busy backfield that featured eight different ball carriers in the run game for Brockport. He ran for 71 yards and a pair of touchdowns on just 10 rushes. Isaiah Simmons also found the endzone, rushing for 61 yards on six carries. Cameron Mesh hit paydirt as well for the team's fourth rushing score. Mesh totaled 45 yards on six carries to go with his touchdown. Brockport finished with 198 rushing yards in the game.
Defensively, Brockport's last shutout was against St. John Fisher in last season's Courage Bowl. As a group, the defense totaled 17 tackles for a loss of 67 yards. Ben Robinson spearheaded the valiant effort at home. He led the team with 11 total tackles (6 solo, 5 assisted), including 4.0 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, and he forced a fumble. Kyle Haettich made a highlight play with an interception, his second of the season.
The Golden Eagle defense did not give an inch to the Hartwick offense that rushed for -20 yards in the game. They allowed the Hawks to gain only six first downs in the entire game, forcing a dozen punts along the way. Brockport allowed just 108 passing yards to the opposing offense that went 3-for-19 on third down conversions.
Although the first quarter was scoreless for both teams, Brockport changed that in a big way in the second. The home team got the Homecoming crowd excited with 28 points in the second quarter. It was a blocked punt by Liam O'Mara on special teams that set up a 7-yard touchdown pass from Gocella to Slywka. This gave Brockport a 7-0 lead after Nate Wigent's extra point was made.
The next pair of scores came by courtesy of the run game and Gino Fontanarosa. He scored on a 6-yard and a 16-yard rush in a span of just 1:52. Fontanarosa stretched the Brockport lead to 21-0 with just over five minutes left in the first half. After a missed field goal by Hartwick, Brockport's 2-minute offense looked to add to the lead. Gocella led the march down the field and connected with James Altenburger for an 11-yard touchdown pass with just 17 seconds on the clock. Brockport entered halftime with a 28-0 lead over Hartwick.
After a dominant second quarter, the Golden Eagles would repeat this performance in the third following the break. They would go on to score 28 points in back-to-back quarters, blowing the game wide open with a 56-0 lead going into the fourth. The offense got scores by way of a 21-yard James Altenburger reception, a 41-yard receiving score for Alex Card, a 2-yard rushing touchdown by Isaiah Simmons, and a 10-yard score on the ground for Cameron Mesh.
As the fourth quarter began, the game was completely under control by the Green and Gold. However, the squad would add to the large lead with one last big play. Liam O'Mara's 49-yard touchdown pass from Jake Ritts pushed the score to 63-0. The Golden Eagle defense held on to preserve the shutout, as the offense ran the clock out and sealed the win.
Brockport will look to keep this four-game win streak alive following the bye next week. The Golden Eagles will return to action on Saturday, October 21st against Morrisville State College. They will travel to Morrisville for a 1pm kickoff in another Empire 8 matchup.