CORTLAND, NY - The Utica College football team took a second straight loss on Saturday. Although the Pioneers led early on a Maki Medici (Watervliet, NY/Shaker) field goal, undefeated Cortland darted to a 44-9 run throughout the rest of the contest as the host Red Dragons defeated Utica by a 44-12 score in an Empire 8 game at the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex.

The Pioneers threw for 328 yards passing, but were held to 47 net rushing yards while notching 375 yards of total offense throughout the contest. Cortland State piled up a total of 576 yards of total offense on the afternoon en route to 44 points. The Red Dragons rushed for 298 yards, and passed for 278.

Starting quarterback Logan Wilcox (Utica, NY/Proctor) went 15-of-36 for 255 passing yards and had one interception. Reserve quarterback Ryan VanGalen (Clifton Park, NY/Shenedehowa) returned to the school he transferred from and completed 5-of-7 passes for 73 yards in the familiar environs at Cortland. Keegan Wright (Cicero, NY/Cicero North Syracuse) continued his recent hot streak with another quality performance at receiver with six catches for 97 yards. Nate Palmer (Verona, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill) made the most of his three receptions as he squeezed those catches for 87 receiving yards. Wide receiver Kevin Warmack (Utica,NY/Utica Notre Dame) made his first college catch of 22 yards. Running back Jamarious Morgan (Utica, NY/Thomas R. Proctor) scored Utica's lone touchdown on a rushing score in the fourth quarter.

On defense, linebacker Kwasi Addo (Menands, NY/Shaker) finished with a team-best twelve tackles. Safety Anthony Beaubrun (West Hempstead, NY/West Hempstead) had eleven out of the defensive backfield, and cornerback Robert Diaz-Judson (Rochester, NY/Irondequoit) had a career-high 10 tackles. Defensive lineman John Stroughn (Baldwin, NY/Holy Trinity) had eight tackles and one quarterback sack, and linemate Jack Derby (Fonda, NY/Fultonville Fonda) swatted two passes.

Maki Medici (Watervliet, NY/Shaker) averaged 39.2 yards on five punts, and the Pioneers did not concede a single punt return yard for a fourth time to begin 2019.

Running back Zach Tripodi rushed for over 100 yards for Cortland, while receivers Cole Burgess and Angelo Foster both posted over 100 yards receiving. Quarterback Brett Segala threw for 278 yards and four touchdowns.

The Pioneers posted points on the game's opening possession as Wilcox completed his first five pass attempts to help Utica march downfield on a 66 yard drive. That drive stalled out in the red zone at the Cortland 13, and prompted the Pioneers to bring on kicker Maki Medici (Watervliet, NY/Shaker) for a 28 yard field goal that gave Utica the early lead.

On the fifth play of the ensuing drive, Cortland took a shot downfield and was successful in taking the lead in the process. Segala fired a deep pass downfield to Angelo Foster for a 55 yard touchdown pass, and the kick was good to give the Red Dragons a 7-3 lead.

Another deep pass would propel Cortland further ahead early in the second quarter. Segala found Cole Burgess on a 47 yard touchdown pass to increase the lead to 14-3. Maki Medici (Watervliet, NY/Shaker) trimmed it back down to 14-6 on a second field goal of 31 yards, but Cortland's Tyrell Plaza had a rushing score to put the total at a 21-6 Cortland lead at halftime. The Medici field goal polished off a 31 yard drive that ended with multiple tries at the end zone through the air before the field goal unit was brought on with the ball on the Red Dragon fourteen yard line. 

Cortland scored the next 21 points of the game with Segala passing for two touchdowns and running for another, before Morgan recorded his touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Morgan's touchdown capped off a 75 yard drive led by Ryan VanGalen (Clifton Park, NY/Shenedehowa), who completed a pass to five different receivers over the course of the series. VanGalen completed balls to Robert Nicholas (Montclair, NJ/Montclair), Kevin Warmack (Utica,NY/Utica Notre Dame), Tim Hogan (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cove), Lamont McGriff (Yonkers, NY/Iona Prep), and Connor Darmetko (Menands, NY/Watervliet) as part of Utica's single touchdown drive. Cortland's Stone Murray returned the ensuing PAT after the Morgan touchdown for two points and the 44-12 final score.

The Pioneers will be back home on Saturday, October 12th as they meet St. John Fisher in the 3rd annual New York State Tool Believe Bowl. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.