Football | 10/19/2024 7:50:00 PM
ALFRED, NY - Ethan Gallo (Slate Hill/Minisink Valley) ran for 173 yards and four touchdowns and Zac Boyes (Buffalo/Kenmore West) completed 20-of-29 passes for 300 yards and four scores as nationally second-ranked Cortland defeated host Alfred University, 59-17, in an Empire 8 contest.
Cortland (6-0, 4-0 E8) extended its school-record winning streak to 18 games and has won 23 consecutive league games dating back to 2019. Alfred fell to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the conference.
Gallo is the first Cortland player since Bronson Greene versus Morrisville in 2011 to rush for four touchdowns in a game. The school single-game record is five rushing TDs, held by both Dave Cook in 1984 and Mike Bowe in 1980. Gallo averaged 7.5 yards per carry on his 23 attempts.
Jaden AlfanoStJohn (Westhampton/Westhampton Beach) caught four passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns, while Joe Klein (Westwood, NJ/Westwood Regional) and Nick Jordan (Staten Island/Canarsie) each recorded their first career touchdown receptions. Klein finished with three receptions for 58 yards. Tyson Taylor (Middle Island/Longwood) ran eight times for 37 yards and caught four passes for 38 yards and Boyes ran seven times for 36 yards.
(NOTE: There will likely be some stat adjustments that will change Boyes to 20-of-28 passing for 298 yards as well as change some fourth-quarter rushing totals.)
Jack Winey (Lindenhurst) led Cortland with nine tackles, six solo, Ellis Einbinder (Brighton) had seven tackles and Anthony Luciano finished with six tackles. Max Llewellyn (Sayville) recorded two sacks and a forced fumble and Ryan Costello (Port Jervis) forced a fumble.
Mike Baloga (New Windsor/Cornwall) made a 27-yard field goal and all eight of his PAT kicks. He also averaged 40.5 yards on two punts and 63.0 yards on 10 kickoffs with four touchbacks.
Alfred's Max Freeman IV ran 16 times for 107 yards and Chris Kelly completed 13-of-26 passes for 119 yards and a TD. Dion Anderson caught five passes for 44 yards, Andrew Morling had a TD catch among his three receptions, and Alexander Coffey ran for a TD. Joe Copp led the Saxons with nine tackles, including a sack, and Roque Santiago, Luke Atlas, Steve Cordell Hoskins III and Danny Quinones made seven tackles apiece.
Cortland led 31-10 at halftime as Gallo ran for two first-half scores, AlfanoStJohn caught two TD passes, and Baloga connected on a field goal with three seconds left in the half. Alfred posted its first-half points on a Dominic Bronco 21-yard field goal late in the first quarter to make it 7-3 and a 13-yard Kelly to Morling TD pass to draw with 21-10 in the second.
Alfred drove 65 yards on five plays to open the second half, with Coffey's 2-yard TD run bringing the Saxons with 31-17. Cortland, however, responded with a 7-play, 63-yard drive capped by Gallo's 21-yard TD run to give the Red Dragons a 38-17 lead. After the Cortland defense forced a 3-and-out, Boyes hit AlfanoStJohn on a 34-yard completion on the second play of the ensuing drive to push the ball to the Alfred 23-yard line, and two plays later Gallo ran in from 20 yards out to extend the lead to 45-17. Cortland's final two scores came on Jordan's 12-yard TD catch late in the third and Klein's 11-yard scoring grab early in the fourth.
Cortland finished with 581 yards of total offense - 300 passing and 281 rushing - and recorded 35 first downs. The Red Dragons converted on 9-of-11 third-down situations. Alfred closed the day with 13 first downs and 239 offensive yards - 120 rushing and 119 passing.
Cortland will host St. John Fisher in league play next Saturday at 1 p.m.
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.
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