Football | 10/4/2024 10:47:00 AM
BROCKPORT, NY – On Saturday, October 5, the SUNY Brockport football team will welcome the St. John Fisher Cardinals to Bob Boozer Field for the 19th Annual Courage Bowl, which benefits Camp Good Days and Special Times. Kickoff for this Empire 8 matchup is set for 1 p.m.
DATE – TIME: October 5, 2024 – 1pm
LOCATION: Bob Boozer Field – Brockport, NY
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Courage Bowl XIX: For the game, Camp Good Days selects honorary coaches and cheerleaders for both teams. These are Camp Good Days campers who have been diagnosed with cancer and would normally not be allowed to participate in a real football game. The Camp Good Days Courage Bowl gives these campers that opportunity. At the conclusion of the Courage Bowl, the Teddi Trophy, named in memory of Teddi Mervis, Gary Mervis' daughter and the inspiration behind Camp Good Days, will be presented, which will later be inscribed with the date of the game, final score of the game, names of the honorary coaches/cheerleaders and the names of one player from each team who displays exceptional leadership and sportsmanship.
Honorary Coaches & Cheerleaders:
Noah Harper – Brockport Honorary Coach
Everett Dierks – Brockport Honorary Coach
Zachary Lewis – Fisher Honorary Coach
Michael Maldonado – Fisher Honorary Coach
Hannah Koepsell – Brockport Honorary Cheerleader
Alayah Green – Brockport Honorary Cheerleader
Reagan Cutler – Fisher Honorary Cheerleader
Alanna Kahley – Fisher Honorary Cheerleader
Scouting St. John Fisher: The St. John Fisher Cardinals are heading into Courage Bowl XIX with a record of 1-2 overall so far. Saturday's special game for Camp Good Days will also mark the beginning of Empire 8 play for both squads. Last weekend the Cardinals suffered a hearbreaking loss to Wilkes University on the road, 28-21. After holding a 21-7 lead at halftime, Fisher was outscored 28-0 in the second half of the loss. After three games Fisher's offense is averaging 21.0 points and gaining 391.0 yards per game. On the defensive side, the team is allowing 41.0 points and 451.0 yards per game.
Solid Defensive Outing: During the Homecoming Weekend matchup with Wilkes University, the Brockport defense did its part to pick up the win, 31-17. Brockport's defense forced four turnovers in the contest with three interceptions and one fumble. Preseason All-American
Kyle Haettich came up with a pair of picks, including one he took back 93 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Mike Talbert Jr. (INT) and
Jahmere Clarke (FR) had the other two takeaways, as
Malik Kelly caused the fumble. The visiting Colonels were allowed to gain 315 yards of total offense, coming from 208 passing and 107 rushing yards on the day.
Moving the Ball: Last time out Brockport had its highest scoring output of the season so far with 31 points. The offense was able to move the ball well, totaling 374 yards of offense against Wilkes.
Ben Gocella's season-high 247 yards passing led the way, as he went 24-for-36 with two touchdowns and one pick.
Brian Caldwell Jr. and
Daniel Manneh both caught one touchdown. The run game totaled 127 yards in the contest.
Isaiah Simmons led the effort with 18 touches for 91 yards and a score. It was the Green and Gold's best showing this year in the passing game to go with the team's second-best rushing performance of 2024 so far.
Haettich's Big Week 3: Following Brockport's win over Wilkes on Homecoming Weekend, Kyle Haettich collected a pair of weekly awards. One day after being labeled the Empire 8 Football Co-Defensive Player of the Week, Haettich earned a spot on the D3football.com Team of the Week. The fifth year safety put the final nails in the coffin in Brockport's 31-17 win over Wilkes in week three. Haettich had two interceptions, both in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter. This included a 93-yard pick six which put the Golden Eagles up by 14. His second came with less than 10 seconds on the clock, to end the opponent's final possession. He also had five total tackles (three solo), including one tackle for a loss.
Team Stat Rankings: Through week four the Golden Eagles remain ranked inside the Top-25 in the country for several statistical categories. The defense has done a great job forcing turnovers through the first three games. Thanks to nine takeaways, Brockport is T-20th in turnovers gained with five interceptions and four fumble recoveries which is T-15th in the nation. With a +4 turnover margin, the squad is T-23rd best in the country. The Green and Gold defense gained more recognition at T-15th in the nation in redzone defense, allowing just 50% of opponent trips to the redzone resulting in points. To go with all of this, Brockport's punt return unit is2 3rd in the nation with an average of 15.88 yard per punt return.
Defensive Front: The front seven of the defense has anchored the unit thus far, allowing teams just 2.8 yards per carry on offense. Highlighted by linebackers Mike Talbert Jr. and Ben Robinson, the Golden Eagles have not allowed much up the middle this season. Talbert has racked up 24 total tackles, four QB hurries, one sack, two pass breakups, one interception, and a fumble recovery. Robinson leads the defensive unit with 31 total tackles, including 14 solo stops. On the line, both Jayson Thomas and Marqwan Fluitt have made an impact. While Fluitt has been rushing the passer on the edge, he has forced two fumbles which its tied for sixth in the country. Thomas has been in on the action with two fumble recoveries, which has him third in the nation.
Playmakers in the Secondary: With five interceptions, the Golden Eagles have had their secondary playmakers step up early this season. Both Kyle Haettich and Malik Kelly have come up with a pair of interceptions through the first three games. Haettich had both of his picks in week three against Wilkes, including a 93-yard pick-6. Kelly recorded both of his interceptions in week one against Buffalo State. The corner also added a forced fumble against Wilkes. Haettich and Kelly are both tied for 18th in the nation, averaging 0.7 interceptions per game.
Simmons Running All Over: With no other ball carrier reaching 10 or more carries yet this season, Isaiah Simmons has become Brockport's workhorse in the backfield. The talented sophomore has 49 carries for 322 yards (6.6 ypc) and four rushing touchdowns. Running for 107.3 yards per game, Simmons currently ranks third in the Empire 8 and 22nd in the nation. In week one he ran for 185 yards and two scores against Buffalo State and found the endzone twice in week two against Susquehanna.
Gocella's Top Targets: Going into game number four of the season, Ben Gocella continues to get the job done as the starting quarterback. With a 133.81 passer rating, Gocella has thrown for 646 yards, five touchdowns (3 INT), and owns a completion rating of 62.64%. A pair of wideouts have emerged as the two top targets for the offensive passing game. Nolan Slywka leads the receiving corps with 18 catches, totaling 195 yards and one touchdown. Daniel Manneh has burst on the scene with 14 catches for team-highs of 237 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Brian Caldwell Jr. and Isaiah Simmons both have one touchdown reception each so far.
Special Teams Highlights: Some standout performances from the special teams unit should also be mentioned for the Green and Gold. Punter Dan Giangrasso is currently averaging 47.33 yards per punt (third best in DIII), has had four kicks of 50+ yards, and has pinned opponents inside their own 20 four times as well. After missing an extra point and field goal in week one, Sal Montaperto has gone 7-for-7 in the last two games on PATs and 1-for-1 on FGs. Daniel Manneh provided the unit's lone touchdown so far this season, breaking free for an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown against Susquehanna.
Last Courage Bowl: In 2023, St. John Fisher hosted for Courage Bowl XVIII which saw the Brockport Golden Eagles claim the trophy for a sixth consecutive season. Brockport jumped out to a 21-6 halftime lead on the way to a 35-18 win on the road over the Cardinals. Ben Gocella had an efficient night throwing the ball, going 12-for-19 with three touchdown passes. The offense had a balanced attack on the ground and through the air, taking advantage of good field position throughout the game. They totaled 288 yards of offense, gaining 145 from the ground and 143 through the air. On the defensive side of the ball, Brockport allowed 339 yards of total offense and forced two turnovers with a pair of interceptions.
Looking Ahead: Following the Courage Bowl this weekend, the Golden Eagles will prepare for back-to-back road trips. In week six of the season they will head to Hartwick for a 1 p.m. start on Saturday, October 12. Empire 8 play continues on Saturday, Oct. 19, when Brockport travels to Hilbert College for a 12 p.m. kickoff.
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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
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