Brockport, NY – The Golden Eagle football team blanked Morrisville on Saturday at home, 24-0, for their fourth consecutive shutout victory this season. Brockport is now 6-1 overall and 4-0 in the Empire 8 after extending its win streak to five.
The defense once again kept the opposing team from getting on the scoreboard, proving why Brockport has the top ranked scoring defense in the nation (6.29 ppg). Brockport held Morrisville to 172 yards of total offense, including just 30 yards rushing on 32 carries (0.9 ypc). The Golden Eagles had four takeaways in this one (3 INT, 1 FR) and got after the Morrisville quarterback with five sacks.
Elijah Grooms had a big day for the defense, causing three turnovers from his secondary position. Grooms forced one fumble and had two interceptions, including a 35-yard interception ran back for a touchdown. Ben Robinson led the team with 13 total tackles and 2.0 sacks. Mike Talbert Jr. got in for the stop on 11 tackles to go with 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and two pass breakups. Andre Marianetti had a great outing as well with nine tackles, 0.5 sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss, and a fumble recovery.
Offensively, it was another strong showing for the sophomore back, Isaiah Simmons. Simmons totaled 155 rushing yards, 14 receiving yards on two catches, and found the endzone twice on the ground. Breaking the century mark for the fourth time this year, he scored from 13 and 24 yards out against the Mustangs on Saturday. Ben Gocella threw for 104 yards in the game, helping lead the offense to 293 yards of total offense for the game. Nolan Slywka had three receptions for 64 yards to lead the receiving corp.
This Empire 8 matchup began as a defensive battle throughout most of the first half. The first seven possessions of the contest resulted in either a punt or a turnover at Bob Boozer Field. However, it was the home town sporting the Green and Gold that got on the board first.
After finally getting to move the ball down the field, the Golden Eagles took advantage of leverage up front. A combination of Isaiah Simmons and Cameron Mesh set the team up inside the redzone. Simmons finished off the drive with a 13-yard touchdown scamper that put Brockport up 7-0 late in the second quarter.
The game would remain steady at 7-0 in favor of the hometown Golden Eagles heading into halftime.
After a slow offensive showing in the first half, Brockport switched it up to start the second half thanks to a special teams spark. Daniel Manneh ran the opening second half kickoff back 65 yards, giving the offense possession at the Morrisville 32-yard line.
Gocella then handed the ball off to Simmons on three straight plays. After a couple of mediocre gains, Simmons broke loose on his third touch of the second half. He took off for a 24-yard touchdown run to make it a 14-0 lead for the Golden Eagles early on in the third quarter.
The Brockport defense was ready as always to get a quick stop to give the offense the ball back. This defensive unit forced several punts in the third quarter, but the Mustang defense kept the score at 14-0 going into the fourth quarter.
Holding a 2-touchdown lead, Brockport was in control of the game with the luxury of being able to start running out the clock. This meant more work for Simmons out of the backfield in the run game. With just over four minutes left to play, Sal Montaperto added to the Brockport lead with a made field goal from 31 yards out. Brockport led, 17-0, heading into the final stretch.
On the ensuing Morrisville possession, the Golden Eagle defense added the cherry on top of an already dominant performance. Elijah Grooms came up with the interception on third down, recording a 35-yard pick-6 to put the game away. Grooms' touchdown late in regulation polished off Brockport's 24-0 shutout win at home.
The Golden Eagles are back on the road next weekend for yet another E8 battle. They will head to Utica University to face the Pioneers for a 12pm kickoff on Saturday, November 2nd.
Brockport Football Takes Down Morrisville for 4th Straight Shutout
/seasons/2024/boxscores/20241026_rha1.xml
2024
Morrisville State
0
Brockport
24
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morrisville State (3-4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brockport (6-1) | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
Oct 26, 2024