Football | 10/3/2026 11:35:00 PM
BROCKPORT, NY - In the game that means more than football, SUNY Brockport showed plenty of heart. The Golden Eagles won Courage Bowl XXI at home on Bob Boozer Field, 38-28, over St. John Fisher. With the victory, Brockport Head Coach Jason Mangone hits 100 career wins leading the Golden Eagles.
After falling behind 14-0 in the first four minutes, Brockport rattled off 17 unanswered points and never trailed again, defeating rival St. John Fisher. The win moves Brockport to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the Empire 8, in front of 3,905 fans on a sunny afternoon in Brockport.
The Courage Bowl, the annual rivalry game between the Golden Eagles and Cardinals that raises money and awareness for Camp Good Days, once again delivered a classic.
Fisher Starts Fast, Brockport Answers
St. John Fisher came out flying. Quarterback Ryan Whitney, who finished 19-of-29 for 252 yards and added two rushing touchdowns, needed just two plays to strike first - a 34-yard touchdown run at the 14:36 mark. After forcing a punt, Fisher went 65 yards in 9 plays capped by another Whitney 3-yard TD to make it 14-0 with 8:15 left in the first quarter.
Brockport settled in behind quarterback Zymier Jackson. The dual-threat QB engineered a 9-play, 72-yard drive to get on the board, punching it in from 1-yard out. After a Fisher fumble recovered by Colton Thorp, Jackson found Nolan Slywka for a 17-yard touchdown to tie it at 14-14 with 11:26 left in the second quarter.
A 21-yard field goal from Christopher Bascetta gave Brockport its first lead at 17-14, before Jackson hit Xavier Smith for a 3-yard TD with 2:27 left in the third to push the lead to 24-14.
Special Teams Swing
St. John Fisher wouldn't go away. Jackson Cusack returned a punt 46 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to cut the Brockport lead to 24-21 at the 11:52 mark.
That was as close as Fisher would get.
Brockport answered immediately. On the very next drive, Zymier Jackson broke free for a 60-yard touchdown run - part of a huge day on the ground for the Golden Eagles - to make it 31-21 with 10:10 to play.
After a Fisher drive stalled on downs, Brockport's ground game took over again. Derrion Battle capped a 6-play, 38-yard drive with a 4-yard TD run to extend the lead to 38-21 with just 3:09 remaining.
Fisher got one more on a trick play - a 21-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Whitney to Shawn Watson to make it 38-28 with 1:49 left - but Brockport recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.
By The Numbers
Brockport dominated on the ground and in time of possession, rushing for 246 yards on 47 attempts while holding Fisher to just 43 rushing yards. Brockport held the ball for 37:30 compared to 22:30 for Fisher.
Brockport leaders:
- Zymier Jackson: 14-21 passing, 133 yards, 2 TDs; 15 carries, 111 net yards, 2 TDs, long of 60
- Allan Paul: 17 carries, 88 yards
- Derrion Battle: 10 carries, 40 yards, 1 TD; 1 reception, 11 yards
- Nolan Slywka: 6 catches, 82 yards, 1 TD
- Defense: Jahmere Clarke - 8 tackles, 1 interception; Nazhier Wilson - 4 tackles, 0.5 sack, 1 pass breakup, 3 QB hurries
Brockport was perfect where it mattered most: 5-for-5 in the Red Zone with 4 touchdowns, and 4-for-4 on fourth down conversions.
The Golden Eagles reclaim the Teddi Trophy after losing the hardware to Fisher last season. Week 6 of the regular season marks the bye week for Brockport. The squad gets back on the field on October 17th for a road game against Alfred State.