BROCKPORT, NY – The nationally-ranked No. 22 Brockport football program returns to the field for the first time since 2019 and begins its journey towards a fourth straight Empire 8 Conference crown on Saturday when the Golden Eagles travel to Framingham State in Massachusetts to take on the Rams at 12 p.m.

DATE – TIME: Sept. 4, 2021 – 12 p.m.
LOCATION: Bowditch Field – Framingham, Mass.
LINKS: Video  |  Stats | Game Notes .pdf
 
Back-to-Back-Back Champs: Brockport won its third straight Empire 8 Conference title and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Div. III Championship while registering a 9-3 overall record in 2019. The Golden Eagles won nine of their last 11 games of the season as they earned the conference's automatic NCAA bid for the third straight year. Brockport joined elite territory in 2019, becoming just the second program in the 18-year history of the Empire 8 to win three consecutive conference crowns.

Dominant Stretch: Brockport's three straight Empire 8 titles have come courtesy of truly dominant league play over the course of the last three seasons.  In this three year stretch the Golden Eagles are 19-1 in conference play.  The Empire 8 dominance has featured a 21-game winning streak in conference play. Over the course of the nine victories last season, the Golden Eagles posted three shut outs and allowed just 75 total points.
 
Meet the Sideline General: Following the 2019 season, Brockport ninth year Head Coach Jason Mangone and his coaching staff became the first group to earn three consecutive Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year honors in the 19-year history of the conference. Mangone has been named the AFCA Region I Coach of the Year in two of the last three seasons. He has an impressive 58-22 overall record at Brockport. Mangone and his staff have compiled a 33-5 overall record in the last three seasons.  In 2017 he was named the AFCA National Coach of the Year after guiding the Golden Eagles to the semifinals of the NCAA Div. III Championships.

In the National Spotlight: The Golden Eagles are ranked No. 22 in the D3football.com Preseason National Poll, No. 23 by College Football American Yearbook and No. 16 in the Inside the Huddle Fall 2021 Preseason Top 25.

All-Time Against Framingham: Brockport is 2-0 all-time against Framingham State.  The Golden Eagles defeated the Rams 14-0 in their home-opener back in 2019 and they also topped Framingham 40-27 at home in the first round of the NCAA Division III Championships back in 2018. 

Among the Best in the Nation: The Brockport defense, led by Defensive Coordinator Mike Fox, led the nation in 3^rd down conversion percentage defense in 2019 with a conversion percentage of .226.  They also led the nation in rushing defense, allowing an average of just 35.1 yards rushing per game in 2019. Brockport scored four defensive touchdowns, which ranked 12^th nationally. Brockport's 20 interceptions on the defensive side of the ball ranked fifth nationally and first in the Empire 8. The defense allowed an average of 16.8 points per game which led the conference.  Their total defense also ranked sixth nationally (236.1 ypg) and their time of possession ranked sixth nationally as well (34:27).  

Preseason All-American's: Senior offensive guard Luke Lodini and sophomore defensive back Raylens Boutin were named 2021 D3football.com Preseason All-Americans. Lodini was recognized on the first team offense at the guard position, while Boutin earned third team defense honors as a defensive back. Lodini made his first All-American team in the Fall of 2019 after earning all-region and Empire 8 All-Conference First Team recognition. In 2019, Lodini allowed just two sacks and had a 97% coaching grade on the offensive line for the Golden Eagles. He helped pave the way for the top rushing offense in the league as the green and gold averaged 214.2 yards rushing per game. Boutin was the only freshman in the region to earn a spot on the D3football.com all-region defensive team back in 2019.  He was also named the Empire 8 Conference Rookie of the Year following an impressive first year in the green and gold. He finished the year with a league best 16 pass break ups and he also added four interceptions.  He finished ranked fifth on the team with 44 tackles and he had two or more pass break ups in seven games.

Captains of the Ship: Brockport's three captains for this season include Luke Lodini, and senior linebacker's Lawrence Jenkins and Andrew Covais. Jenkins is now a two-time Empire 8 All-Conference selection, while Covais earned all-conference honorable mention in 2019. Jenkins finished his last season in the green and gold ranked second on the team with 54 tackles behind all-region graduate Alex West. Jenkins posted five pass breakups, 12.0 tackles for a loss and two interceptions. Covais stepped up in big situations all season long back in 2019, including a huge overtime interception to help Brockport secure the Empire 8 Conference crown with a thrilling come from behind victory at Cortland.  Covais finished the 2019 season with 48 tackles, three interceptions, 4.0 tackles for a loss and three pass breakups. 

All-Conference Returners: 10 of Brockport's 12 Empire 8 All-Conference selections from 2019 return to the gridiron for the 2021 campaign.  On the defensive side of the ball, Josh Greenwood and Boutin return after being named All-Conference first team.  All-Conference second team defense selections include returners Jordan Harris, Kenny Hernandez and Lawrence Jenkins, while Andrew Covais was named honorable mention. On the offensive side of the ball, junior running back Jala Coad was a 2019 all-conference second team pick alongside senior receiver Imhotep Cromer. Lodini was a first team pick and offensive tackle Demetri Swann was an honorable mention selection. 

First Line of Defense: Senior defensive end Josh Greenwood leads a stout defensive line for the Golden Eagles.  He led all Bport defensive lineman with 41 tackles in 2019 and he also posted 3.0 sacks.  Junior Jordan Harris looks to command two blockers in the middle all season long after posting 15 tackles and adding 2.0 sacks in 2019. Hakeem Yaya and Joseph Rodda will also be mainstays on Brockport's defensive line this season. 

Ground & Pound: Brockport's rushing attack will be led by junior Jala Coad and sophomore Rashad Law.  Coad carried the ball 234 times for 1,040 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground in 2019. Law played in nine games and carried the ball 22 times for 176 yards and a rushing touchdown. 

Continuing a Long Tradition of Dominant Linebackers: Jenkins and Covais will lead another excellent group of linebackers at Brockport which also includes junior Ben Damiani and Elijah Aikens. Transfer Tory Rogers, senior John DeRidder and freshman Dylan Mann are also expected to see time in the rotation at the linebacker position.  Damiani posted 37 tackles, 9.5 tackles for a loss, 4.0 sacks and one interception back in 2019.

Big Up Front: Coach Potter's offensive line features five returners.  Scott Ochsner, a 6-foot-7 327-pound left tackle, will protect the blind side along with left guard Nicholas Kalke.  Conner Latimer will take on duties once again at the center position, while Lodini and Swann hold down the right side. Brockport's o-line helped protect an offense that averaged nearly 30 points per game, and he was a major contributor on an offensive unit that collected 4,706 yards of total offense in 2019. They helped Brockport total 45 touchdowns and he opened holes for a rushing attack that led the league with 2,571 yards on the ground. 

Aerial Attack: Brockport's receiving corps this season will be led by Imhotep Cromer, who transferred to Brockport in 2019 and made an immediate impact with a team-high 38 catches for 699 yards and four touchdowns. Alex Benson and Derrick Chance also saw a significant amount of action in 2019, finishing fourth and fifth on the team in receiving yards for the Golden Eagles. 

Under Center: Freshman quarterback Jack Cheshire is the likely starter under center for the Golden Eagles on Saturday.  Cheshire comes to Brockport following a highly decorated high school career at Sayville which included 1^st Team All-New York State, 1^st Team All-Long Island, All-County, league MVP and Boomer and Hansen Award winner honors in his senior campaign.  Also vying for time under center will be freshman James Knapp, sophomore Tameem Noory and Andrew Marshall. Knapp is a 6-foot-3 225 pound signal caller from nearby Victor who comes to Brockport after a much-celebrated high school career where he finished as one of the top players in the section. Tameen Noory transferred to Brockport from Shenandoah University and Andrew Marshall was a three-year varsity starter at Canastota High School.

Strong Secondary: Senior Alaan Montgomery, sophomore Raylens Boutin, junior Ben Marshall, who is the older brother of Andrew, and Kenny Hernandez will lead the way for the Brockport secondary.  Hernandez tied Boutin with four interceptions for the team lead last season and he also added eight pass breakups.  Montgomery posted three picks on the defensive end and made 30 tackles.  Marshall broke up eight passes, picked off one and made 24 tackles.

Home Opener: The Golden Eagles are set to host Ithaca College on September 11^th for their home opener at Bob Boozer Field.  The contest is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.

Meet The Rams: Framingham is a perennial NCAA qualifier and was recently selected as the preseason favorite to repeat as champs in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference.  They finished a perfect 8-0 in conference play in 2019 to take home the MASCAC regular season title. Returning to the team are two major award winners from 2019. MASCAC Offensive Rookie of the Year Devaun Ford (Mashpee, Mass.) returns after leading the league in total yards (1,003), yards per game (100.3), yards per rush (5.8) and was second in rushing touchdowns (9). On the other side of the ball, MASCAC Defensive Player of the Year Joshua Onujiogu (Wareham, Mass.) is back. He closed out the 2019 regular season with 44 tackles, including 24 solo along with eight sacks for a total loss of 47 yards.