Football | 11/5/2024 8:34:48 AM
Alfred University linebacker
Joe Copp and SUNY Brockport running back
Isaiah Simmons were named to the D3football.com Team of the Week on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Copp was honored for the third time in his career time, as 12 different Empire 8 players/position groups have combined to earn 15 D3football.com Team of the Week honors in 2024.
Copp, a native of Minoa, NY, was named the Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. He broke the Alfred record for career tackles, bringing his total to 416. He totaled 10 tackles (eight solo) with one sack for a loss of 5 yards, two forced fumbles, one interception and three quarterback hurries. Copp's efforts helped the Saxons to a 34-31 win over St. John Fisher.
This season, Copp has 59 tackles (36 solo), with seven tackles for loss and three sacks in seven games played.
Simmons, a native of Buffalo, NY, was named the Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week on Monday. He set a career-high with 259 rushing yards for two touchdowns on 30 carries in Brockport's 20-10 win at Utica on Saturday. He averaged 8.6 yards per carry in the contest. Simmons had six runs of 10-plus yards, including a long of 76 yards for the day. His pair of scores came on a 1-yard rush in the second and a 32-yard play in the fourth.
Simmons broke the 1,000-yard mark on Saturday for the season and now has 1,061 yards on the ground on 139 carries, averaging a stunning 7.6 yards per rush. he has 14 touchdowns on the ground (one receiving) and is averaging 132.6 yards per game this season. He leads the E8 in rushing yards, yards per carry and rushing yards per game and is fifth, sixth and fourth, respectively in all of Division III in those three categories. Simmons is also fourth nationally with 14 rushing touchdowns.
SUNY Brockport and No. 2 SUNY Cortland will play for the Empire 8 Football Championship from Bob Boozer Field on the campus of Brockport at noon Saturday, Nov. 9. Cortland enters the game 6-0 in Empire 8 play, while Brockport is 5-0.
The second to last weekend of E8 regular season play takes place this weekend and in addition to Cortland at Brockport features SUNY Morrisville at St. John Fisher University at noon, Alfred at Hartwick College at 1 p.m. and Utica University at Hilbert College at 2 p.m.
2024 Empire 8 D3football.com Team of the Week Recipients
Nov. 5 (Week 9) - Joe Copp, LB, Alfred
Nov. 5 (Week 9) - Isaiah Simmons, RB, SUNY Brockport
Oct. 29 (Week 8) - Dion Anderson, WR, Alfred
Oct. 29 (Week 8) - David Kelley, DT, SUNY Cortland
Oct. 29 (Week 8) - Elijah Grooms, CB, SUNY Brockport
Oct. 22 (Week 7) - Nate Graser, Aidan Glynn, Ryan Bitka, Jack McGrath, Cody Aikey, OL, SUNY Cortland
Oct. 8 (Week 5) - Jaden AlfanoStJohn, WR, SUNY Cortland
Oct. 8 (Week 5) - Mike Talbert, Jr., LB, SUNY Brockport
Oct. 1 (Week 4) - Alex Coffey, TE, Alfred
Sept. 24 (Week 3) - Jaden AlfanoStJohn, KR/WR, SUNY Cortland
Sept. 24 (Week 3) - Kyle Haettich, S, SUNY Brockport
Sept. 24 (Week 3) - Quamel Jarvis, TE, SUNY Morrisville
Sept. 24 (Week 3) - John Stroughn, DT, Utica
Sept. 17 (Week 2) - Dion Anderson, WR, Alfred
Sept. 17 (Week 2) - Kevin Whalen, Aidan Glynn, Ryan Bitka, Jack McGrath, Cody Aikey, OL, SUNY Cortland
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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