Brockport Celebrates Courage Bowl with Convincing 49-7 Win Over SJFC

BROCKPORT, N.Y. – In the 14th annual Courage Bowl, The No. 4 ranked College at Brockport football team overwhelmed St. John Fisher College, winning their second straight in the rivalry, 49-7. The Golden Eagles improve to 4-0 on the season and boast a 1-0 start in Empire 8 play, while the Cardinals fall to 0-3 in 2018 and have a mark of 0-1 in league action. After an unusually sluggish start for the Green and Gold, it was the Brockport defense that got things rolling, as a Matt Arita 75-yard pick-six put the first points on the board of the contest. Again, it was the Brockport defense that came up big on the ensuing Cardinal drive, with another turnover turned into points, as Matt Szymanski snagged the interception setting up the Brockport scoring drive. It took the Golden Eagles just six plays to post the 14-0 lead, when Joe Germinerio capped off the drive, connecting with Joseph Ortiz for the TD. In the second quarter, the Green and Gold offense found its rhythm, as Germinerio connected with Eamon Gillespie on two different occasions for 41-yards, to lead to a Germinerio to Tyree Brown hook up for the score, topping off the 68-yard drive and post a 21-0 lead. The Golden Eagles erased a rare turnover, posting points on the following possession, capitalizing for a 10-play, 93-yard drive and the 28-0 lead. The drive featured several key pickups, including a 14-yard Germinerio to Alex Benson completion to start the drive. Germinerio to Brown for 26-yards kept the drive rolling, as did a Zach Samborski 22-yard rush. A 20-yard completion to Ortiz set up the Jala Coad five-yard rushing touchdown. The Brockport offense cooled down at the start of the second half until Benson returned a St. John Fisher punt for an electrifying 85-yards and a touchdown with 34 seconds left in the third quarter. Starting the fourth 35-0, freshman running back Joe Benedict led the offense gaining yards on every rush. The 41-yard drive was finished with a one-yard rush by Benedict putting the Golden Eagles up by 42. Brockport's final touchdown came after the Cardinals added points of their own, and was again led by the impressive running of Benedict, setting himself up to complete the drive with a 30-yard touchdown on the play. He finished with 16 rushes and 122-yards on the day. The Green and Gold finished with a total of 410 offensive yards compared to the Cardinals 231 yards of total offense, including a negative 51-yards rushing. Brockport's defense also contributed to the dominant win with eight sacks and a defensive touchdown. Leading the Golden Eagles were Austin Dean and Szymanski with 4.5 tackles a piece, while the two also accounted for 1.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss. Rashad Baker added four tackles and had a hand on three pass breakups. The Golden Eagles will return to action on Oct. 6 when they continue Empire 8 play on the road against Hartwick College. The contest is set for a 2 p.m. kick off in Oneonta, N.Y. Be sure to stay up to date on all your Golden Eagle news, scores, and awards by following @BportAthletics on Twitter and by liking the "Brockport Golden Eagles" Facebook page.