ROCHESTER, NY – The College at Brockport is vying for its third straight Empire 8 Championship, as the 2019 season begins on Sept. 7, with each squad in action. The regular season Empire 8 Champion will receive an automatic berth into the 2019 NCAA Division III Football Championship. The highest finishing non-NCAA qualifying Empire 8 team will host the highest finishing non-NCAA qualifying from the Liberty League in the New York State Bowl on Nov. 23.
Players to Watch (Sorted Alphabetically by Player)
Will Blake, St. John Fisher, Sr., WR, Penfield, NY/Webster Schroeder – Blake caught a career-high 40 passes for 482 yards in 2018 with three touchdowns. He has 77 receptions and seven touchdowns in three seasons
Mike Bodnar, Morrisville, Sr., DB, Miller Place, NY/Miller Place – Bodnar, 2018 All-Empire 8 honorable mention selection, was Morrisville’s leading tackler last season, with 108. A three-year starter, Bodnar has 218 career tackles and four interceptions.
Raeqwon Greer, Alfred, Jr., S, Buffalo, NY/Canisius – Greer was named a 2019 d3Football.com First Team Preseason All-American. He was a d3football.com All-East Region and All-Empire 8 first team pick in 2018 after recording 56 tackles and five interceptions.
Stephen Junjulas, Hartwick, Sr., DB, Cold Spring, NY/Haldane – Junjulas started all 10 games for Hartwick in 2018, recording 26 tackles to go along with eight pass breakups, a forced fumble and an interception.
Brett Segala, Cortland, Sr., QB, Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder – Segala earned All-Empire 8 second team honors in 2018, completing 184 passes for 2,671 yards and 26 touchdowns. He also added six touchdowns on the ground. He tallied at least three touchdowns in each of his first seven games of 2018.
Alex West, Brockport, Sr., OLB, Dansville, NY/Dansville – West was named a 2019 d3Football.com Second Team Preseason All-American. A 2018 All-East region third team pick, West had 56 tackles, including 15.5 for a loss and 6.5 sacks last season.
Logan Wilcox, Utica, So., QB, Utica, NY/Proctor – Wilcox enjoyed the best passing season by a freshman quarterback in the history of the program, throwing for 2,725 yards and 23 touchdowns on his way to being named the 2018 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year.
Team Capsules (sorted by 2018 Standings)
Brockport
The Golden Eagles are looking for their third straight Empire 8 Championship but will have to replace a host of talented student-athletes from that group, including 2017 and 2018 Empire 8 Player of the Year, quarterback Joe Germinerio and 2018 All-Americans, offensive lineman Caleb Ferdilus and defensive lineman Austin Dean (2018 Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year), along with defensive backs Matt Arita and Rashad Baker. The Golden Eagles, who were ranked as high as No. 3 in the 2018 d3Football.com national poll and enter this season ranked No. 13, return plenty of talent from last season’s squad, including Alex West, a 2019 d3Football.com Second Team Preseason All-American. West led a Brockport defense that reached historic levels, leading all divisions (FBS, FCS, Division II and Division III) in rushing defense, allowing a mere 6.8-yards per game and held opponents to negative rushing yards average. The Golden Eagles also led the nation in defensive third down conversion percentage (0.158) and finished 2018 as the No. 2 overall defense (209.0 yards per game). Head coach Jason Mangone was named the AFCA Region 1 and Empire 8 Coach of the Year, while Mike Fox was named Football Scoop Division III Defensive Coordinator of the Year. Brockport also returns senior quarterback Jason Hellwig, sophomore running back Jala Coad, wide receivers DaQuan Hubbard (senior) and Alex Benson (junior), in addition to junior outside linebacker Lawrence Jenkins.
Cortland
The Red Dragons return 49 letter-winners and 12 starters from last season, including eight on the offensive side of the ball. Senior quarterback Brett Segala returns after earning All-Empire 8 second team honors in 2018, completing 184 passes for 2,671 yards and 26 touchdowns. He also added six touchdowns on the ground. He tallied at least three touchdowns in each of his first seven games of 2018. Senior kicker/punter Nick Mongelli was the 2018 Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Year in 2018. Cortland will have a makeover on the defensive side with eight starters from 2018 departing. First-year running back Ray Leach joins the squad after running for New York State Section V records of 3,012 yards and 49 touchdowns for Batavia High School in 2018. His 6,023 yards are a Section V career record. The Red Dragons will play Ithaca in the annual Cortaca Jug rivalry game on Nov. 16 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. - nearly 25,000 tickets have already been sold.
Alfred
This marks the fourth year in a row that Alfred has been listed in the D3football.com preseason polls. They were ranked No. 17 in the Lindy’s Street & Smith preseason poll and No. 20 in the College Football America Yearbook’s 2019 Division III Preseason Top 30. In the Saxons’ 120th season, senior linebacker and co-captain Nick Milgate will wear No. 32 this year in honor of Trooper Nicholas F. Clark ’11 after Cole Reed wore that jersey last year. Junior safety Raeqwon Greer was named a 2019 d3Football.com First Team Preseason All-American. He was a d3football.com All-East Region and All-Empire 8 first team pick in 2018. Senior tight end, E.J. Staniszewski, senior center Wes Senn, junior running back and kick/punt return specialist Kevin Bragaglia and Milgate all return after earning 2018 All-Empire 8 honors.
Morrisville
Morrisville returns 65 players from last season’s squad that won six games and advanced to the ECAC James Lynah Bowl. Senior defensive back Mike Bodnar was Morrisville’s leading tackler in 2018, with 108. A three-year starter, Bodnar has 218 career tackles and four interceptions. Sophomore wide receiver Toure Hall, Jr. returns after an impressive rookie season in which he had 392 yards receiving, 55 yards rushing and 575 return yards with four touchdowns. In addition, senior offensive lineman Zach Hutchinson, an All-Empire 8 second team selection in 2018 and junior safety Jose Garcia (69 tackles in 2018) will be counted on to provide leadership and steady play.
Utica
Utica returns 80 players and 17 starters from last season’s squad, including sophomore quarterback Logan Wilcox, the 2018 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year. Wilcox enjoyed a tremendous year in 2018, throwing for 2,725 yards and 23 touchdowns. In addition, senior wide receiver Peyton Miller, 2018 All-Empire 8 first team selection, is back after catching 79 passes for 987 yards and six touchdowns a year ago. All-Empire 8 second team selection, junior linebacker Kwasi Addo, who had 82 tackles and 5.5 sacks in 2018 and senior defensive lineman Jack Derby, an honorable mention pick, will lead a talented defensive unit. Utica won its first ECAC Bowl game in program history last season, 44-42 over Ithaca.
St. John Fisher
The Cardinals are looking to get back into the top of the Empire 8 standings in 2019. Fisher won 124 games over a 14-year span from 2003 to 2016, with five NCAA Tournament appearances. St. John Fisher returns 72 letter winners and 13 starters from last season, including senior wide receiver Will Blake, who caught a career-high 40 passes for 482 yards in 2018 with three touchdowns. Senior offensive lineman Cole Brightman will also help lead the offensive unit. Junior defensive lineman LeMar Peters was an All-Empire 8 second team selection in 2018. Junior inside linebacker Justin Wheeler led Fisher with 91 tackles, 15.5 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks last season.
Hartwick
The Hawks return 36 players from last season’s squad, including senior defensive back Stephen Junjulas. In addition, senior offensive lineman Alan Sipple, senior linebacker Dylan Williams-Bachman and senior wide receiver Rusty Virkler will be counted on to lead the Hawks, who opened the 2018 season by scoring 125 points over their first three games.
Final 2018 Empire 8 Football Standings
The College at Brockport (11-1, 7-0 Empire 8) – League Champions
Cortland State (7-3, 5-2 E8)
Alfred (7-4, 4-3 E8)
Morrisville State (6-5, 4-3 E8)
Utica (7-4, 4-3 E8)
St. John Fisher (3-6, 3-4 E8)
Buffalo State (1-9, 1-6 E8) *
Hartwick (2-8, 0-7 E8)
*Buffalo State moved to the Liberty League effective for the 2019 season
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com and
YouTube
EMPIRE 8 SOCIAL MEDIA
YouTube –
Facebook –
Twitter –
Instagram