Football | 11/21/2024 1:00:00 PM
SUNY Cortland senior quarterback Zac Boyes was named the Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight season, as the conference announced its 2024 Football All-Conference awards on Thursday, November 21. The awards are voted on by the league's head coaches. Empire 8 champion SUNY Cortland claimed four individual awards and had a league-best 20 players earn 23 all-conference honors.
In addition to Boyes, Cortland senior Nick Lardaro earned 2024 E8 Defensive Player of the Year honors, while place kicker/punter Mike Baloga was named the Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Year. The Cortland Coaching Staff, led by head coach Curt Fitzpatrick garnered the E8 Coaching Staff of the Year award for a fourth straight year, while Hartwick College first-year wide receiver Conor Cosgrove was named the Empire 8 Rookie of the Year.
Boyes, a 2023 Associated Press First Team All-American, is enjoying another tremendous season for Empire 8 Champion Cortland, having completed 176-of-249 passes this season, a 70.7 percent completion percentage, 2,529 yards, 25 passing touchdowns and just one interception in 10 games. In addition, he has rushed 84 times for 512 yards and six rushing touchdowns. Boyes has three 300-yard passing games and has had seven games with at least three touchdowns (passing or rushing) this season. Boyes is 11th nationally with a 188.3 passing efficiency rating and tenth in completion percentage. Boyes is closing in on 10,000 yards passing for his career and earned All-E8 first team honors for the third time in his career. He is the fourth player in E8 football history to earn back-to-back Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Lardaro, who was previously the 2021 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and is now a four-time All-E8 first team selection, is one of the leaders of a Cortland defensive unit that has allowed just over 12 points per game this season. He has 35 tackles from his defensive line position, including 16 solo tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Lardaro is the second Cortland player to win E8 Defensive Player of the Year honors, joining Dylan Dubuque, who was honored in 2021.
Baloga is the second straight Cortland student-athlete to earn Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Year accolade, joining Patrick Luby who was named in 2022 and 2023. Baloga has excelled as both a kicker and punter for the Red Dragons in 2023. He is averaging 60.9 yards per kickoff with 26 touchbacks, while averaging 39.9 yards per punt with five of his 19 punts placed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. Baloga is also 61-of-63 on extra points and 7-of-8 on field goal attempts this season.
Cosgrove has enjoyed an excellent debut season for Hartwick from his wide receiver position, with 65 receptions for 1,005 yards and seven touchdowns in 10 games. He leads the E8 and is among the NCAA leaders, averaging 6.5 receptions per game and second in the league in receiving yards. He finished the season with six 100-yard games and three games with at least 10 catches. Cosgrove had 13 catches for 157 yards in the regular season finale.
Fitzpatrick and his staff led the Red Dragons to their fourth straight Empire 8 Championship. Cortland earned the Empire 8’s automatic berth into the 2024 NCAA Championship Tournament, where they received a first-round bye and will host the winner of Endicott College vs. Alfred State College in the second round on Nov. 30 at noon. Cortland, the defending NCAA National Champion, is ranked fifth nationally, averaging 527.3 yards of offense per game and sixth in Division III, averaging 50.5 points per game. The Red Dragons enter the tournament having out-scored its opponents, 505-124 this season and are ranked No. 2 in both the D3football.com national poll and AFCA Division III Coaches poll. Cortland is making its 13th appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
The Red Dragons had 11 different players earn 13 All-Empire 8 first team accolades to lead the E8. Lardaro and teammate Jaden AlfanoStJohn both earned All-Empire 8 first team honors for the fourth time in their collegiate careers. AlfanoStJohn earned 2024 All-E8 first team honors at wide receiver, as a return specialist and all-purpose player after earning 2021, 2022 and 2023 first team accolades at running back. Boyes, linebacker Joe Copp of Alfred University and punter Dan Giangrasso of SUNY Brockport earned All-E8 accolades for the third straight year. Eight student-athletes garnered All-Empire 8 first team accolades for the second time.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2024 Football Sportsman of the Year Team. The Empire 8 Conference emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete's experience in conjunction with an institution's educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportsmen.
2024 Empire 8 Football All-Conference Selections
Offensive Player of the Year: Zac Boyes, Sr., QB, SUNY Cortland
Defensive Player of the Year: Nick Lardaro, Sr., DL, SUNY Cortland
Special Teams Player of the Year: Mike Baloga, Sr., K/P, SUNY Cortland
Rookie of the Year: Conor Cosgrove, Fr., WR, Hartwick
Coaching Staff of the Year: SUNY Cortland, led by Head Coach Curt Fitzpatrick
Empire 8 First Team Offense
Zac Boyes, Sr., QB, SUNY Cortland (Buffalo, NY/Kenmore West)
Isaiah Simmons, So., RB, SUNY Brockport (Buffalo, NY/South Park)
Ethan Gallo, So., RB, SUNY Cortland (Slate Hill, NY/Minisink Valley)
Alexander Coffey, Jr., FB, Alfred (Columbia, MD/Long Beach)
Ryan Belanger, Jr., OL, Alfred (Wayland, NY/Wayland Cohocton)
Adam Montalvo, Jr., OL, SUNY Brockport (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac)
Cody Aikey, Sr., OL, SUNY Cortland (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy)
Ryan Bitka, Sr., OL, SUNY Cortland (Amherst, NY/Amherst)
Aidan Glynn, Jr., OL, SUNY Cortland (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place)
Quamel Jarvis, Sr., TE, SUNY Morrisville (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena)
Dion Anderson, So., WR, Alfred (Buffalo, NY/St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute)
Nolan Slywka, So., WR, SUNY Brockport (Waterloo, NY/Waterloo)
Jaden AlfanoStJohn, Sr., WR, SUNY Cortland (Westhampton, NY/Westhampton Beach)
Jaden AlfanoStJohn, Sr., All-Purpose, SUNY Cortland (Westhampton, NY/Westhampton Beach)
Empire 8 First Team Defense/Special Teams
Danny Quinones, Gr., DL, Alfred (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott)
Nick Lardaro, Sr., DL, SUNY Cortland (St. James, NY/Smithtown East)
Max Llewellyn, Sr., DL, SUNY Cortland (Sayville, NY/Sayville)
David Kelley, Sr., DL, SUNY Morrisville (Macedon, NY/Victor)
Joe Copp, Gr., LB, Alfred (Minoa, NY/East Syracuse-Minoa)
Ben Robinson, Sr., LB, SUNY Brockport (Yorktown Heights, NY/Yorktown)
Jack Winey, Sr., LB, SUNY Cortland (Lindenhurst, NY/Lindenhurst)
Kyle Haettich, Sr., DB, SUNY Brockport (Buffalo, NY/West Seneca)
Nazair Jean-Lubin, So., DB, SUNY Cortland (Freeport, NY/Freeport)
Omar Jarvis, Sr., DB, SUNY Morrisville (Rochester, NY/Edison Tech)
Evan Salvaggio, Sr., DB, SUNY Morrisville (Geneseo, NY/Geneseo)
Mike Baloga, Sr., K, SUNY Cortland (New Windsor, NY/Cornwall)
Dan Giangrasso, Sr., P, SUNY Brockport (Poughkeepsie, NY/Arlington)
Dion Anderson, So., Return Specialist, Alfred (Buffalo, NY/St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute)
Jaden AlfanoStJohn, Sr., Return Specialist, SUNY Cortland (Westhampton, NY/Westhampton Beach)
Empire 8 Second Team Offense
Chris Kelly, Jr., QB, Alfred (Lake Ronkonkoma, NY/Sachem North)
Max Freeman IV, Sr., RB, Alfred (Painted Post, NY/Corning-Painted Post)
Matt Brantley, Sr., RB, Utica (Rochester, NY/Eastridge)
Mike Hanlon, Fr., FB, Hilbert (Brocton, NY/Dunkirk)
Ahmad Davis-Warner, Sr., OL, SUNY Brockport (Mount Vernon, NY/Mount Vernon)
Jayden Lont, Jr., OL, SUNY Cortland (Cornwall, NY/Cornwall)
Darrin Sloan, Jr., OL, SUNY Morrisville (Mount Vernon, NY/Mount Vernon)
Cole Williams, Sr., OL, SUNY Morrisville (Barton, NY/Tioga)
Cameron Lizardi, Sr., OL, Utica (West Babylon, NY/West Babylon)
Connor Mahunik, Sr., TE, SUNY Cortland (Auburn, NY/Auburn)
Daniel Manneh, Jr., WR, SUNY Brockport (Parkhill, NY/Curtis)
Jayson Zeva, So., WR, SUNY Cortland (East Northport, NY/St. John The Baptist)
Conor Cosgrove, Fr., WR, Hartwick (Warwick, NY/Don Bosco Prep)
Dion Anderson, So., All Purpose, Alfred (Buffalo, NY/St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute)
Empire 8 Second Team Defense/Special Teams
Marqwan Fluitt, So., DL, SUNY Brockport (Buffalo, NY/South Park)
Andre Marianetti, Sr., DL, SUNY Brockport (Spencerport, NY/Spencerport)
Jayson Thomas, Jr., DL, SUNY Brockport (Mastic, NY/William Floyd)
John Stroughn, Gr., DL, Utica (Baldwin, NY/Holy Trinity)
Mike Talbert Jr., Sr., LB, SUNY Brockport (Wyandanch, NY/St. Anthony’s)
Jaden Martinez, Sr., LB, SUNY Cortland (Port Jefferson Station, NY/Comsewogue)
Joe Miscia, Gr., LB, St. John Fisher (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley)
Adam Mietz, Sr., DB, Alfred (Akron, NY/Akron)
Elijah Grooms, Jr., DB, SUNY Brockport (Bronx, NY/Paint Branch)
Ryan Isom, Jr., DB, SUNY Cortland (Levittown, NY/MacArthur)
Eli Douglas, Sr., DB, Utica (Ausable Forks, NY/Ausable Valley)
Dominic Bronco, So., K, Alfred (Rochester, NY/Aquinas)
Freddie Callo, Sr., P, Utica (Milton, NY/Marlboro)
Empire 8 Third Team Offense
Ben Gocella, So., QB, SUNY Brockport (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park)
Issac Sylvain, Sr., RB, SUNY Morrisville (Schenectady, NY/Green Tech Charter)
Peyton Nolan, Sr., RB, St. John Fisher (Newton, NJ/Newton)
James Kennedy, Sr., FB, St. John Fisher (Caledonia, NY/York)
Carter Fronk, Jr., OL, Alfred (Avon, NY/Avon)
Conor Todd, Jr., OL, Alfred (East Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse Minoa)
Liam Malgieri, So., OL, SUNY Brockport (Manlius, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius)
Gordon Wester, Gr., OL, St. John Fisher (Cazenovia, NY/Cazenovia)
Russell Porter, Sr., OL, Utica (Canajoharie, NY/Canajoharie)
Tyler Kolenda, Sr., TE, Utica (Harwinton, CT/Lewis S. Mills)
Brian Caldwell Jr., Jr., WR, SUNY Brockport (Philadelphia, PA/St. Joseph’s)
Antonio Cianfarani, Jr., WR, Utica (Scotia, NY/Scotia Glenville)
Jackson Cusack, So., WR, St. John Fisher (Fultonville, NY/Fonda-Fultonville)
Omar Jarvis, Sr., All-Purpose, SUNY Morrisville (Rochester, NY/Edison Tech)
Empire 8 Third Team Defense/Special Teams
Matt Ferrer, Sr., DL, SUNY Cortland (South Salem, NY/John Jay)
Junius Keys, Sr., DL, SUNY Cortland (Queens, NY/Eagle Academy)
Justin Anderson, Sr., DL, SUNY Morrisville (Jamaica, NY/George Washington Carver)
Jordyn Davis, So., DL, Utica (Hempstead, NY/Uniondale)
Dawin Fanor, Sr., LB, SUNY Brockport (Brooklyn, NY/Valley Stream)
Ellis Einbinder, Jr., LB, SUNY Cortland (Rochester, NY/Brighton)
Camerin Camacho, Fr., LB, SUNY Morrisville (Cape Coral, FL/Island Coast)
Anthony Luciano, So., DB, SUNY Cortland (Loudonville, NY/Shaker)
Taivaughn Roach, Sr., DB, Hilbert (Buffalo, NY/Cheektowaga)
DeAndre Green, Gr., DB, St. John Fisher (Cohocton, NY/Wayland-Cohocton)
Karyll Rony-Dorceus, So., DB, Utica (Jamaica Queens, NY/Christ The King)
Sal Montaperto, Fr., K, SUNY Brockport (Marlboro, NY/Marlboro)
Mike Baloga, Sr., P, SUNY Cortland (New Windsor, NY/Cornwall)
Daniel Manneh, Jr., Return Specialist, SUNY Brockport (Parkhill, NY/Curtis)
Empire 8 Sportsman of the Year
Andrew Cisco, Sr., OL, Alfred (Buffalo, NY/Canisius)
Marquis Wright, Sr., CB, SUNY Brockport (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta)
Andrew Tarpey, Sr., WR, SUNY Cortland (Sparkill, NY/Tappan Zee)
Jules Pierre, Sr., LB, Hartwick (West Babylon, NY/West Babylon)
Imari Jenkins, Jr., DL, Hilbert (Amherst, NY/Amherst)
Joshua Williams, Sr., DB, SUNY Morrisville (Yonkers, NY/Saunders Trades & Technical)
Evan DeLutis, Sr., WR, St. John Fisher (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy)
Izzy Moldonado, Sr., WR, Utica (Island Park, NY/Long Beach)
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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