Football | 11/7/2026 7:49:00 PM
ALFRED, NY – The Alfred State football team added a second victory to the Traffic Light trophy as they took a hard-fought 14-12 victory over Alfred University on Saturday afternoon at Yunevich Stadium. The win improves the Pioneers to 6-3 overall and 3-3 in conference play.
The Pioneers struck first midway through the opening quarter following an impressive 88-yard drive. Noah Currier capped the march with a 15-yard touchdown run to give Alfred State a 7-0 advantage with 7:04 remaining in the first quarter. Currier was the driving force offensively all afternoon, rushing for 144 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries.
Alfred State doubled its lead in the closing seconds of the first half. After Trevor Maly intercepted a pass and returned it 30 yards deep into Alfred territory, the offense capitalized quickly. Three plays later, Chase Shepanski found Jordan Jackson for a 15-yard touchdown pass with just 17 seconds left before halftime, giving the Pioneers a 14-0 lead at the break. Jackson finished with four receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown, while Shepanski completed 7-of-16 passes for 69 yards and a score.
The Saxons responded in the second half, controlling possession and cutting into the deficit with a pair of field goals, trimming the margin to 14-6 heading into the fourth quarter. Despite spending much of the second half on the field, the Alfred State defense continued to come up with key stops.
One of the game's biggest momentum shifts came late in the second quarter when Ceon Miles III forced a fumble on a quarterback sack and Aaron Ellis recovered it, ending a promising Alfred drive. The Pioneers finished the afternoon with two fumble recoveries, an interception, and two sacks.
Alfred threatened to complete its comeback midway through the fourth quarter after taking over possession at the Alfred State 45-yard line. The Saxons marched all the way to the two-yard line, but the Pioneer defense delivered another game-changing play as Ceon Miles III recovered a fumble at the Alfred State 11-yard line with just 1:31 remaining.
The Saxons mounted one final drive and scored with 26 seconds left to cut the lead to two points, but Alfred State's defense stood tall on the ensuing two-point conversion attempt to maintain the 14-12 advantage.
An ensuing kickoff out of bounds gave the Pioneers possession near midfield, allowing Alfred State to run out the clock and secure the rivalry victory.
Defensively, Chris Bergman led Alfred State with nine tackles, while Marcus Roney added eight stops. Demarii Thompson and Mateo Martinez each recorded six tackles, with Martinez collecting a sack. Trevor Maly's interception and Ceon Miles III's forced fumble and recovery highlighted a defensive effort that repeatedly answered the challenge in critical moments.
Behind Currier's 144-yard rushing performance, timely contributions in the passing game, and a defense that rose to the occasion throughout the afternoon, the Pioneers improved to 6-3 overall and 3-3 in conference play to close the final regular season road game with a rivalry win.
The Pioneers finished with 18 first downs, 190 rushing yards, and three takeaways in the rivalry victory, closing the regular season with a dramatic road win over their cross-town rival.
The Pioneers will close out the regular season next weekend as St. John Fisher comes to town. Kickoff for that game is set for 1 pm.