BROCKPORT, NY – The SUNY Brockport football team travels to St. John Fisher College on Saturday night for Courage Bowl XVI.  It's also the Empire 8 Conference opener for both teams and the contest is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. The game, which has become one of the largest fundraising opportunities for Camp Good Days and Special Times, can be viewed from anywhere in the world by clicking the links below.

DATE – TIME: Oct. 2, 2021 – 6 p.m.
LOCATION: Growney Stadium – Pittsford, NY
LINKS: Video | Stats | Audio | Game Notes .pdf

Tickets: Tickets are still available and will be sold at the Growney Stadium ticket window beginning one hour prior to kickoff.  Please note, only cash will be accepted at the door.  Those who are unable to attend, but are still interested in donating to Camp Good Days can do so by visiting www.campgooddays.com.

Courage Bowl XVI: For the game, Camp Good Days selects honorary coaches and cheerleaders for both teams. These are Camp Good Days campers who have been diagnosed with cancer and would normally not be allowed to participate in a real football game. The Camp Good Days Courage Bowl gives these campers that opportunity.  At the conclusion of the Courage Bowl, the Teddi Trophy, named in memory of Teddi Mervis, Gary Mervis' daughter and the inspiration behind Camp Good Days, will be presented, which will later be inscribed with the date of the game, final score of the game, names of the honorary coaches/cheerleaders and the names of one player from each team who displays exceptional leadership and sportsmanship.

Brockport Honorary Captains & Cheerleaders:
Jayce Imerese (age 6), Brockport Honorary Coach
Everett Dierks (age 2), Brockport Honorary Coach
Lillee Bronson (age 5), Brockport Honorary Cheerleader
Brylee Bronson (age 6), will be joining her sister as a cheerleader.

Week 3 Recap: Junior running back Jala Coad carried the ball 35 times for a career-high 214 yards and the Brockport defense held the University of Rochester Yellowjackets to just 134 yards of total offense in a 16-7 victory at home on Sept. 18th.  The Golden Eagles controlled the time of possession, 38:13-21:47, with strong defensive play and a sound rushing attack. The defense picked off three passes and held the Yellowjackets to a 1-for-13 effort on third down. Brockport posted 260 yards on the ground and 406 yards of total offense to earn the nine point victory.

Where We Stand: Brockport is currently 2-1 overall entering its first Empire 8 Conference contest of the season. The Golden Eagles topped Framingham 31-0 on the road in the season opener in week 1.  Brockport then fell to visiting and nationally-ranked No. 17 Ithaca College 23-8 before defeating visiting Rochester 16-7 at home in week three. 

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. Over the course of the nine victories in 2019, the Golden Eagles posted three shut outs and allowed just 75 total points.

Rushing into the Record Books: Junior runningback Jala Coad posted a career-high 214 yards rushing in Brockport's win over Rochester two weeks back. The last and only other time Coad broke the 200+ yard marker in the green and gold in a single game was back in 2019, when Bport topped host Cortland in overtime. He now needs just 134 yards rushing to eclipse the 2,000-yard mark for his career. He also has 19 career rushing touchdowns to go along with two receiving TDs. He needs just 255 yards rushing to tie Dave Cotter '82 for sixth on the program's all-time rushing list. 

Top Target: Senior receiver Imhotep Cromer currently ranks fourth in the nation and first in the conference with an average of 9.0 receptions per game. He leads the team with 27 catches for 300 yards and he also has one touchdown.  He now has 999 career receiving yards in the green and gold.

Tough to Score On: Brockport's defense has not allowed an offensive touchdown in two of three games this season.  The Golden Eagles have allowed just one offensive touchdown all season. 

In the National Spotlight: Brockport is currently receiving four votes in the latest American Football Coaches Association National Poll, and they are listed in the receiving votes category.

All-Time Against Fisher: In 25 meetings with Fisher, the Golden Eagles have posted a 17-8 overall record dating back to 1989. Brockport won the first 14 meetings. Brockport has won the last three meetings by a combined score of 104-14.  In 2019, Brockport topped host Fisher 17-0.  In 2018, the Golden Eagles topped the Cardinals 49-7 at home. 

60 Looks Good on You: Head Coach Jason Mangone posted his 60^th career victory following Brockport's win over Rochester two Saturdays ago. He now has a 60-23 overall record. Following the 2019 season, 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. Mangone and his staff have compiled a 35-6 overall record in the last four 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.

Among the Best in the Nation: Brockport's defense is ranked fourth nationally and first in the Empire 8 with eight interceptions this season. The Golden Eagles also rank fourth nationally and first in the league allowing an average of just 29.0 yards rushing per game. Brockport has allowed just 24 first downs all season, which ranks fourth nationally and first in the league.  The green and gold lead the conference and rank third nationally with an average of 10.7 tackles for loss per game and they also ranked ninth nationally in turnovers gained with 11. 

Tough on Third Down: Brockport ranks third nationally and first in the league in 3^rd down conversion percentage defense (0.174).

It's Your Loss: Senior linebacker Lawrence Jenkins leads the Empire 8 and is ranked 14^th nationally with an average of 2.2 tackles for a loss per game.  Ben Damiani and Josh Greenwood are tied for third in the league with an average of 1.7 TFL's per contest. 
 
Off The Edge: Senior defensive end Josh Greenwood is one of the top defensive ends in the country and leads the team with 18 tackles this season.  For his career he has 10 tackles, 17.0 sacks and 23.5 tackles for a loss.  He needs nine more sacks to tie the program record. 

Try to Throw on Us: The Brockport secondary has posted eight interceptions, including one which was returned for a touchdown by senior captain Lawrence Jenkins in the season opener at Framingham. Raylens Boutin and Kenny Hernandez are tied for the team lead with two interceptions each. Ben Damiani, Alaan Montgomery, Lawrence Jenkins, and Ben Marshall each have one. 

Reigning Empire 8 Rookie of the Year: Sophomore defensive back Raylens Boutin, the 2019 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, has a team-high three pass breakups this season.  He now has 19 career pass breakups and six interceptions in just 15 career games. Boutin was a D3football.com Preseason All-American this Fall. 

Freshman Phenom: Freshman quarterback Jack Cheshire leads the Empire 8 with an average of 21.33 completions per game.  He ranks second in the conference with an average of 190.0 passing yards per game. So far this season he has completed 64 passes for 570 yards and three touchdowns. 

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. Lodini was a 2021 D3football.com Preseason All-American First Team pick for the Golden Eagles.

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, 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. 

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.

Meet The Cardinals: Fisher is currently 2-2 overall. The Cardinals won their firsts two games of the season against Buffalo State and Framingham, before losing to regional powers Hobart and RPI in consecutive weeks.  Joseph Torrillo is the anticipated starter under center for the Cardinals.  Torrillo has completed 12 passes for 175 yards and zero touchdowns this season.  The receiving game is led by TySean Sizer and Pat Galer.  Sizer has 12 catches for 172 yards and a TD, while Galer had caught nine balls for 115 yards and a TD.  Dahmir Pross has carried the bulk of the load in the ground game and he has 211 yards rushing and two TDs.  Joe Miscia leads the team with 45 tackles and Justin Rodriguez leads the secondary with three INTs.