CORTLAND, NY – SUNY Cortland's Dakym Davis returned a blocked punt 35 yards for a touchdown with 11:10 left to play in the fourth quarter to help lift the host Red Dragons to a 24-23 victory over visiting Utica College on Saturday at Cortland's Stadium Complex.
The victory, combined with Alfred's loss at Brockport, clinches Cortland's berth into the inaugural New York State Bowl. The Red Dragons (6-3, 5-2 Empire 8) are guaranteed to be the top non-NCAA qualifying team in the conference and will travel to face a Liberty League opponent, to be determined, in the bowl game Nov. 18.
Cortland won despite being outgained 302-162 in total offense by the Pioneers (3-6, 2-4 Empire 8). The Red Dragons, however, blocked two punts - one early in the game to set up a field goal and the second that resulted in the go-ahead touchdown.
Utica's
Vinny Aloi (Chester, NY/Chester Academy) completed 27-of-48 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns, but was sacked seven times.
Donovan Brunson (White Plains, NY/White Plains) and
Peyton Miller (Chemung, NY/Waverly) each caught eight passes, with Miller and
Josh Hood (Oneida, NY/Oneida) making TD grabs. Utica Freshman kicker
Maki Medici (Watervliet, NY/Shaker) made all three of his field goal attempts, highlighted by a 44-yarder in the first half.
Derrick Sekuterski (Depew, NY/Depew) led Utica's defense with seven tackles and an interception.
Keanu Heedram (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta),
Jack Derby (Fonda, NY/Fultonville Fonda) and
Nick Yelich (Lancaster, NY/Depew) each forced fumbles and Anthony Bierra-Anderson broke up two passes.
Kyle Richard led Cortland's defense with a career-high 15 tackles, 12 solo, and Mark DeLuise registered 13 tackles, 12 solo.
Steven Ferreira finished 10-of-22 passing for 108 yards and two touchdowns before leaving the game with an injury late in the third quarter. He has thrown at least one TD pass in all nine games this fall and 22 of his 23 career appearances. Alex Wasserman caught six passes for 65 yards and a touchdown and Zach Tripodi finished with three receptions for 32 yards and a score. Nick Mongelli averaged 41.1 yards per punt on seven kicks.
Cortland trailed 20-17 after Aloi connected with Miller for a 14-yard TD pass with 14:08 remaining. The Red Dragons went three-and-out on their next possession, but held Utica on its next possession and forced a punt from near midfield. Carlson broke through to block the punt, and Davis scooped up the ball at the Pioneers' 35-yard line and ran in untouched for a score and a 24-20 lead with 11:10 left.
Utica drove 67 yards on its next series and faced a 4th-and-3 at the Cortland 20-yard line. The Pioneers elected to kick and Medici hit a 37-yard field goal to pull the guests within 24-23 with 5:42 left.
Cortland was able to gain two first downs on its next possession on a Brett Segala first-down 11-yard run and a 13-yard Segala pass to Tripodi on 2nd-and-13 from the Red Dragon 38. Cortland was eventually forced to punt, giving Utica the ball at its own 14-yard line with 2:44 remaining.
Utica was briefly able to keep its final drive alive on a pass interference call on 4th-and-12 from its own 26-yard line. Cortland's defense responded after that, however, as Richard sacked Aloi for a 7-yard loss on 3rd-and-8, and a fourth-down pass missed mark to turn the ball over to the Red Dragons on downs with 1:09 left.
Cortland's first blocked punt of the afternoon came during the game's opening series. My-Kell Farrar busted up the middle to block the kick and Cortland recovered on the Utica 9-yard line. The Red Dragons eventually settled for a William Holscher 21-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead.
Later in the quarter, Cortland took only four plays to move 66 yards for a touchdown and a 10-0 lead. Ferreira connected on a 22-yard pass to Nick Anderson and a 25-yard throw to Wasserman to start the drive. Two plays later, Ferreira found Tripodi on a 16-yard post pattern for the score.
Utica scored the game's next 13 points to take the lead. Hood caught an 11-yard TD pass to cap a 12-play, 51-yard drive late in the first quarter. Medici tied the game with his 44-yard kick midway through the second, and his 24-yarder with 3:06 left before halftime put the Pioneers ahead 13-10.
The guests got the ball back with 1:35 left, but on their first play Max Jean intercepted an Aloi pass at the Utica 37-yard line. Six plays later, Wasserman made a diving catch in the back right portion of the end zone for a 20-yard score on 3rd-and-10 and Cortland led 17-13 at the break.
The Pioneers return to action at home on Saturday when they host Morrisville State for Empire 8 play at 1 p.m. It will be senior day at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium as the Pioneers celebrate the careers of their graduating class.
