on Saturday night in front of 5,461 fans at Fisher's Growney Stadium. The game was dedicated to the children of Camp Good Days and Special Times.
Fisher (2-1), who scored 21 straight points and led 35-13 going into the fourth quarter, needed to recover an on-sides kick with 47 seconds left to preserve the win. Fisher, who had not committed a single turnover all season, gave the ball away three times (two fumbles lost and one interception), all in the final 13 minutes.
Rochester's Clarence Onyiriuka (Painted Post) caught two touchdown passes in the final 3:03, both of which came from reserve-quarterback Braezen Subick (Mahwah, NJ).
After Rochester converted a fourth-and-16 play with just over a minute left, Onyiriuka scored on an eight-yard screen pass with 48 seconds left, making the score 35-33. On the ensuing two-point conversion, Subick's pass to receiver Mike Coolbaugh (Weedsport), was ruled a trapped/incomplete pass.
Coolbaugh started Rochester's three-touchdown spree with 10:33 left in the game, capping an eight-play, 72-yard drive.
Coolbaugh finished the game with eight catches for 67 yards, while Subick was 18-for-28 for 210 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions – all of which came in the final 24 minutes of the game. Onyiriuka rushed for 74 yards on 19 carries and caught five passes for 50 yards. Pedro Sosa (Rochester) snagged seven balls for 81 yards.
The Cardinals scored touchdowns on their first two possessions of the second half.
Tim Bailey hooked up with
Cory Hopkins for 47-yard strike down the left sidelines, making it 28-13. Freshman
Christian Zemaitis scored his third career touchdown on Fisher's next drive, plunging into the end zone from one-yard out with 6:55 left in the third quarter, making it 35-13.
Fisher enjoyed a 21-13 lead at intermission. The Cardinals drove 53 yards in the final minute of the first half with
Ryan Francis catching an 18-yard touchdown pass from Bailey with four seconds left in the second quarter.
Both teams traded touchdowns early in both the first and second quarters. Fisher marched 42 yards on the first possession of the game with Marcus Miles scoring on a 10-yard strike from Bailey. Rochester answered, however, driving 71 yards on 11 plays on its first possession with Corey Brizzee (Livonia) catching a 10-yard pass from quarterback Patrick Keegan (Marcellus), tying the game at 7-7.
Fisher took a 14-7 lead on the first play of the second quarter, as Brad Carlton scored on an eight-yard run. The 14-yard drive was set up by a blocked punt by Dave Vosburgh.
Rochester answered Fisher's score again as Elvis Njoku (Irondequoit) got past the Fisher defense and catch a 41-yard touchdown pass from Keegan with 12:07 left, but the extra point by Zachary White-Stellato (Albany) sailed wide left.
For Fisher, Bailey was 14-for-19 for 199 yards and three touchdowns. Hopkins tallied four receptions for 92 yards (both career-highs). Carlton led Fisher in rushing with 49 yards on 11 carries.
Defensively, Mike Leavell, John Sheridan and Andy Episcopo each made nine tackles. Sheridan also intercepted a pass and returned the ball 58 yards, setting up Fisher's final score.
Fisher will return to action next week at Salisbury University, while Rochester will host Union College.
