Football | 9/5/2026 8:51:00 PM
ALFRED, NY- The Alfred State football team won their season opener in dominating fashion against the Thiel Tomcats, 73-13. The Pioneers set a new record in points scored as they move to 1-0 on the season. Noah Currier led the Pioneer offense, rushing for four touchdowns and 217 yards on just 14 carries while averaging an impressive 15.5 yards per attempt. Ryan Joseph added 92 yards and a touchdown on nine carries, averaging 10.2 yards per rush, while Maddox Isaac chipped in with 35 yards and a touchdown on four carries.
Through the air, Elijah Georges paced the receiving corps with four catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. Jordan Jackson also hauled in a spectacular one-handed touchdown reception. Quarterback Chase Shepanski finished 9-for-13 passing for 117 yards and two touchdowns, while adding a rushing touchdown and 14 yards on the ground.
Defensively, Donnel Hall recorded four tackles and returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown. Andrew Bergman also came away with an interception and added a tackle. Thomas Pratton anchored the defensive line with 1.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, and four total tackles. Virgil Doiron and Marcus Roney each added a sack, with Doiron recording one tackle for loss and Roney adding two. Aaron Ellis led the defense with seven total tackles.
Alfred State wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, opening the game with a six-play, 62-yard drive that ended with a Shepanski-to-Georges touchdown connection. After forcing a quick stop, the Pioneers extended their lead when Shepanski scored on a five-yard rushing touchdown.
Currier opened the second quarter with a one-yard touchdown run to cap an 11-play, 74-yard drive. Thiel answered with a 92-yard kickoff return touchdown, but the Pioneers responded with a remarkable 36-0 run. During that stretch, Currier added three rushing touchdowns, Pratton recorded a sack for a safety, Hall returned an interception for a touchdown, and Jackson capped the scoring surge with his acrobatic one-handed touchdown catch.
The Pioneers continued their dominance in the second half. After forcing a stop on Thiel's opening possession, Alfred State needed just three plays to reach the end zone. Joseph broke free for a 42-yard touchdown run to make it 64-13. Later in the third quarter, Isaac added a one-yard scoring run to extend the lead to 71-13.
The scoring slowed in the fourth quarter, but Matthew Perry closed out the afternoon with a 29-yard field goal to set the final score at 74-13.
Alfred State will enjoy the season-opening victory before turning its attention to its home matchup against Hilbert on September 12, with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m.