Football | 9/23/2023 5:21:00 PM
BROCKPORT, NY - The Brockport football team dominated the Lycoming Warriors, 59-3, on Saturday, September 23. The Golden Eagles' 56-point win is the largest blowout since the Green and Gold's 58-point victory over Buffalo State in 2018. Brockport moved to 3-1 overall following the win.
The Golden Eagles dominated the Warriors in all 3 phases of the contest to secure back-to-back wins. The Brockport defense played its best game of the season thus far, holding Lycoming to just 22 yards of total offense (-23 rushing yards), and allowing the Warriors to reach the first down marker just 4 times. The Green and Gold offense exploded for 463 total yards on the day, with 279 yards coming by way of the running game. Special Teams was rock solid as well, with Nate Wigent going a perfect 8/8 on kicks (7/7 PAT 1/1 FG), as well as booting a 74-yard punt.
Gino Fontanarosa got the party started early for the Green and Gold, breaking through for the first of three, 3-yard touchdown runs on the day on Brockport's first drive. Fontanarosa would finish with 109 rushing yards on 19 carries, good for an effective 5.7 yards per carry.
Freshman Ben Gocella was effective through the air in his second career start, finding Nolan Slywka for a 3-yard touchdown in the first to put Brockport ahead 14-0 early. Gocella would throw for 184 yards with a touchdown and an interception, moving to 2-0 as the Golden Eagles starting QB. Slywka led all receivers with 5 receptions, 72 yards, and a touchdown.
Jala Coad was one of four Brockport backs to find the endzone, pounding in a 1-yard touchdown in the second to put Brockport up 21-0 nearing halftime. Brockport's dominant defense's lone blemish was a 31-yard Ian Plankenhorn field goal to make the score 21-3 at the break.
The Golden Eagles' running game and defense controlled the second half, with Gino Fontanarosa finding paydirt on back-to-back Brockport drives. The Green and Gold jumped out ahead 35-3 in the third. The running game wasn't done yet, with Isaiah Simmons taking in a short 4-yard touchdown run, and Cameron Mesh breaking off a 55-yard touchdown run to expand the Brockport onslaught to 49-3.
The Green and Gold defense dominated for all 60 minutes, with Louie Usera putting an exclamation point on the Brockport victory. The defensive back had a 56-yard interception return for a touchdown to expand the Brockport lead to 56-3. Andrea Costanzi and Mike Talbert Jr. led the way on defense, with Costanzi posting 5 total tackles, along with a sack and interception. Mike Talbert Jr. continued his impressive 2023 season, posting 4 solo tackles (5 total), 1.5 sacks, and 2.5 tackles for loss.
Brockport's terrifying tackle duo of Nicholas Kalke and Scott Ochsner, along with the rest of the offensive line opened up running lanes throughout and kept the quarterback upright, allowing just one sack and guiding the Brockport running game to an average of over 5.0 yards per carry.
Brockport will head to Rochester to face off with St. John Fisher in the annual Courage Bowl game for Camp Good Days on Saturday, September 30 at 6 pm.
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