Brockport, NY – On Saturday, September 30^th, the SUNY Brockport football team will travel to play St. John Fisher in the 18^th Annual Courage Bowl. The game will be played under the lights at Growney Stadium for a 6pm kickoff.
 
DATE – TIME: September 30^th, 20223 – 6pm
LOCATION: Growney Stadium – Pittsford, NY
LINKS: Video | Stats | Tickets
 
Courage Bowl XVIII: 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. 

Honorary Coaches & Cheerleaders:
Maxwell Bouchey - Brockport Honorary Coach
Camren Wright - Brockport Honorary Coach
Armyni Russell - Brockport Honorary Cheerleader
Miles Holcomb - Fisher Honorary Coach
Ryan McNamara - Fisher Honorary Coach
Mia Decamillia - Fisher Honorary Cheerleader
Nataly Humphrey - Fisher Honorary Cheerleader

Last Time Out: The Brockport football team dominated the Lycoming Warriors, 59-3, on Saturday, September 23^rd. The Golden Eagles' 56-point win is the largest blowout since the Green and Gold's 58-point victory over Buffalo State in 2018. Brockport moved to 3-1 overall following the win.
 
The Golden Eagles dominated the Warriors in all 3 phases of the contest to secure back-to-back wins. The Brockport defense played its best game of the season thus far, holding Lycoming to just 22 yards of total offense (-23 rushing yards), and allowing the Warriors to reach the first down marker just 4 times. The Green and Gold offense exploded for 463 total yards on the day, with 279 yards coming by way of the running game. The special teams unit made good on every extra point or field goal attempt and contributed at 74-yard punt.
 
Empire 8 Weekly Awards: This week, the Brockport football team claimed a pair of weekly awards given out by the Empire 8 Conference. Gino Fontanarosa was named the Co-Offensive Player of the Week, while Nate Wigent took Special Teams Player of the Week.
 
In a 59-3 win over Lycoming last weekend, Gino scored a trio of rushing touchdowns for the Golden Eagles. All three of his scores were 3-yard runs, as he totaled 109 yards on 19 carries. He hits the century mark for back-to-back weeks.
 
Wigent claims the weekly award for special teams, keeping it in Brockport for a fourth consecutive week. The senior kicker went 8-for-8 on extra points and made a 23-yard field goal for his lone attempt in the game. He totaled 11 points in a blowout win over Lycoming. He is perfect on his kicks this season at 18-for-18 on extra points and 3-for-3 on field goals.
 
Nearly Historic Performance: The Golden Eagle defense continues to shutdown opposing offenses, and last games effort against Lycoming was nearly extra special. They allowed the visiting Warriors to gain just 22 yards of total offense. The current program record for fewest yards allowed in a single game is 16 yards, set back in 2022 against Buffalo State.
 
Dominant Defense: Brockport's defense has been great all season and is ranked top 25 in the nation in multiple categories to prove it. As one of just two defenses in the country to allow just one touchdown, the Golden Eagles rank sixth in scoring defense. Their passing efficiency defensive rating of 69.11 is third best in all of DIII football.
 
Defensive Coordinator Mike Fox's unit also ranks 10^th in the country in 3^rd down conversion percentage (.217). They are one of just 23 teams in the country to register two defensive scores. Allowing just 67.0 rushing yards a game, Brockport is tied for 25^th in the country.
 
E8's Top Run Game: Now averaging 206.8 yards per game on the ground, Brockport's rushing attack ranks at the top of the Empire 8 heading into week five. Totaling 827 yards for 12 touchdowns, the offensive unit is averaging 4.5 yards per carry. Gino Fontanarosa is the fifth-leading rusher in the conference, averaging 69.8 yards a game. He is tied for first in the Empire 8 with five rushing scores and is fourth with a total of 279 yards rushing. Jala Coad sneaks inside the top 10 at eighth in the conference with his average of 61.0 yards per game. Coad is one of just six backs in the league to rush for four touchdowns so far this season.
 
2-0 as the Starter: Freshman Ben Gocella has now won both of his first two starts at quarterback for the Green and Gold. He finished with 184 yards passing, completing 16 of his 24 attempts. He threw for one touchdown, connecting with Nolan Slywka for a 3-yard score. He owns a passer rating of 127.53, averaging 141.0 yards a game through the air with two touchdowns and just one interception so far.
 
Monster in the Middle: Linebacker Mike Talbert Jr. has made stops all over the field for this strong defense. He leads Brockport with 31 tackles (17 solo, 14 assisted), 8.5 tackles for a loss of 48 yards, 2.5 sacks for 30 yards, and is tied for the team lead with six pass breakups. Talbert is top 10 in the Empire 8 across the board in all of these statistical categories.
 
More Defensive Playmakers: Kyle Haettich, Raylens Boutin, Andrea Costanzi, and Louie Usera have all come away with interceptions for the secondary. Against Lycoming, Usera took his first career pick back 56 yards for a touchdown. Haettich is joined by Ryan Culhane as the two defensive players that have both caused and recovered a fumble. Ben Robinson ranks second on the team with 29 total stops from his linebacker position (11 solo, 18 assisted).
 
Young Contributors: Brockport's offense has seen several young players step up to put points on the board in the this season. Freshmen Ben Gocella, Cameron Mesh, Isaiah Simmons, Nolan Slywka, and Jake Ritts have all scored touchdowns in their first collegiate season.
 
Top Tier Special Teams Tactics: Through four weeks of the 2023 season, the special teams unit for the Green and Gold has been incredible. In three of the four games played, Special Teams Coordinator Matt Arita's unit has produced points on the board. In week one, Raylens Boutin took a punt return back 42 yards for a touchdown. Against Susquehanna, Ryan Jafarjian blocked a punt to cause a safety. Louie Usera fell on a fumbled snap by the punter, which resulted in a touchdown against Wilkes. On top of the scoring, both Mike Talbert Jr. and Vincent Daviero have blocked field goals this season.
 
Big Red's Boot: Dan Giangrasso continues to prove why he was selected as a Preseason All-American at punter. Against Lycoming he launched the longest punt of the season, a 74-yarder for a touchback to flip the field. It was his fifth punt of the season of 50 yards or longer and is the ninth kick that landed inside the 20.
 
Wigent Still Perfect: Kicker Nate Wigent has now gone four games without missing an extra point or field goal in 2023. His totals for the season stand at 3-for-3 on field goals and 18-for-18 on point after attempts.
 
Scouting Fisher: The Golden Eagles head to Fisher for the start of conference play for both teams. The Cardinals enter the game on Saturday with an overall mark of 3-1, picking up wins against Hilbert, Keystone, and Wilkes. St. John Fisher is averaging 33.25 points a game, while the offense is gaining 377.3 yards a game. The run game is earning 179 yards each week on average, led by Peyton Nolan. Nolan has already gained 488 yards on the season for five touchdowns and 122.0 rushing yards a game. Quarterback Aaron Chase has thrown for eight scores compared to just two picks, totaling 638 yards through the air. Chase's favorite target through the air has been Ethan Curtis, who has made 12 catches for 213 yards and four touchdown receptions. Joe Miscia leads the Cardinal defense with 37 tackles (12 solo, 25 assisted), as the unit has allowed 255.5 yards of total offense per game through four weeks.
 
Courage Bowl Tradition: Going into the 18^th Annual Courage Bowl, benefitting Camp Good Days, Brockport has won five in a row over the St. John Fisher Cardinals. During this five-game span, the Golden Eagles have posted two shutouts defensively. They have allowed just 21 points in the last five Courage Bowl matchups. At last year's event, Brockport took the win on its home field by a final score of 25-0. The Green and Gold nearly rushed for 300 yards, totaling 297 on the ground with rushing touchdowns by Gino Fontanarosa and Rashad Law. The team looks to make it six years in a row against Fisher on Saturday night.
 
Homecoming Weekend: Following Courage Bowl weekend, Brockport turns around for another big event with Homecoming. On Saturday, October 7^th, the Golden Eagles will host the Hartwick Hawks for a 1pm kickoff at Bob Boozer Field.