PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College football team (0-2) has its sights set on its first win of the 2018 season as the Cardinals head across town at 6 p.m. on Saturday evening to take on No. 4 The College at Brockport (3-0) in Courage Bowl XIV at Bob Boozer Field in what will be the Empire 8 opener for both teams.
Traditionally, Fisher has fared well in the Courage Bowl as the Cardinals have posted a 12-1 record over the last 13 seasons. Brockport, on the other hand, has won its last 12 games at Bob Boozer Field – its last loss came in 2016 against then-ranked No. 16 St. John Fisher.
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You can also get a more in-depth look at this weekend's matchup including stats, important information, a historical perspective and more by
checking out this week's GAME NOTES.
THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT: In case you missed it, Fisher Athletics launched its new mobile app last week - SJFC Athletics - in the App Store and on Google Play. The app, which gives fans, alumni, parents and more yet another opportunity to stay-up-to-date with the latest news, highlights, schedules and more, is free and features push notifications so you never miss a beat.
SERIES HISTORY: Saturday will mark the 24th time in program history that the Cardinals and Golden Eagles have met on the football field with Brockport holding a 15-8 advantage. The series, which began nearly 30 years ago in 1989, had the Golden Eagles winning their first 14 matchups with Fisher, however, since 2003, the Cardinals hold the edge and have lost just once in nine chances. Over that nine game stretch, head coach
Paul Vosburgh's squads have averaged over 35 points per game and have outscored Brockport, 319-204.
THE STAKES ARE HIGHER: Yes, this is an important game for both teams and yes, the conference standings will be impacted, but there's a much more important storyline at play during this week's game as it's the 14th annual Courage Bowl to benefits Camp Good Days. The Courage Bowl, which has become one of Division III's most anticipated contests, directly benefits Camp Good Days, which is a not-for-profit organization that provides thousands of children with cancer the opportunity to come together in a residential camping experience to be with the only ones who could truly understand what they were going through – other children with cancer. Since its founding by Fisher assistant coach Gary Mervis, Camp Good Days has impacted more than 45,000 campers from 22 states and 29 countries. With a small group of paid employees, Camp Good Days is a volunteer-based organization. To avoid placing any additional financial burden on the families served, all of the programs are offered free of charge for the participants.
HE'S CALLING THE SHOTS NOW: Junior quarterback
Joshua Michels has come in off the bench in each of the last games and produced some big numbers. Over two games, Michels has thrown for 585 yards and three touchdowns. Last week against an Ithaca defense that had not allowed a 200-yard passing game this season, Michels delivered a career-high 362 passing yards to go along with two touchdowns. The Hamlin native spreads the wealth too with nine different receivers having caught at least one pass this season.
FIRE AND ICE: Saturday's matchup pits the Empire 8's top passing offense against its top defense as the Cardinals enter play leading the conference at 335.0 passing yards per game through two games while the Golden Eagles allow just 136.3 yards to their opposition. With a pass-first mentality, Brockport's secondary will be tested in a big way come game time.
NICE TO HAVE OPTIONS: Speaking of receivers - Michels has several weapons at his disposal led by junior wideout
Will Blake. Through two games, Blake leads the team with 199 yards on 13 catches and has hauled in two touchdowns on the year. Sophomore
Pat Galer has also gotten off to a strong start with 177 yards on 12 catches and a touchdown. To give that some perspective - the two rank in the top seven in the Empire 8 despite playing one game less than everyone else. Junior
Dylan Harrington made his debut on Saturday and accounted for seven catches and 80 yards while
Willy Stevenson has 10 catches and 89 yards to his credit.
DEFENSE DELIVERS: The Cardinals' D looked sharp on Saturday as the team did not allow a passing touchdown for the first time since October 15, 2016. Take it a step further and Fisher surrendered just 58 rushing yards Saturday and held Ithaca to 304 total yards. Those are the Cardinals' lowest totals since October 29, 2016 when they yielded 45 rushing yards and 245 total yards in a win over Ithaca. Fisher, which did not record a sack in its week one game against Washington and Jefferson, totaled three last Saturday with
Terry White earning 1.5 sacks.
Leyton Miner had a sack while
LeMar Peters was credited with a half sack. Need more convincing that the defense was sharp? Fisher also came down with two key interceptions against Ithaca with
Demarre Nelson and
Christopher Biryla each picking off a pass. Currently, there are four teams that have more INTs than Fisher and remember - they've each played three games compared to Fisher's two.
EMPIRE 8 RECOGNITION: Speaking of
Demarre Nelson - the senior corner back received a boost on Monday as he was named the Empire 8's Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Ithaca. Nelson, who was matched up with the Bombers' All-American receiver throughout the contest, came away with 11 tackles including eight solo stops. The East Rochester native moved into a tie for third place on the program's all-time interception list after he corralled his 11th career pick on Saturday, which set up a touchdown drive for the Cardinals. He was also credited with a pass breakup on the day as the Cardinals' defense did not allow a passing touchdown.
SCOUTING BROCKPORT: The Golden Eagles are coming off their most successful season in team history after going 13-1 and advancing to the NCAA Division III Football Semifinal. This year's team is equally talented with five players being named Preseason All-American by D3football.com. To date, Brockport leads the Empire 8 in total yards per game (520.7) and rushing (215.7) while its defense leads the conference in yards allowed (146.3), rushing yards per game (10.0), passing yards per game (136.3), sacks (10) and scoring (8.7).
On the offensive side of the ball, Joe Germinerio, who was named the Empire 8 Player of the Year in 2017, leads the way as the quarterback has amassed 809 passing yards through three games with six touchdowns against just one pick. Germinerio's favorite target so far has been Tyree Brown. The former Empire 8 Rookie of the Year owns 208 receiving yards on 21 catches while Joseph Ortiz has 21 receptions for 201 yards and two scores. Eamon Gillespie has caught 13 passes for 207 total yards.
In the backfield, Brockport is led by Joe Benedict's 181 yards on 24 carries with Zach Samborski attaining 163 yards on 38 touches. The duo has combined to produce five touchdowns on the ground.
On the defensive side of the ball, Brockport is led by Matt Szymanski's 17 tackles. Tim Terry has racked up 16 stops including five tackles for a loss while Alex West owns 11 tackles with three sacks. Matt Arita leads the team's secondary with two interceptions through three games.
HALL OF FAME NEWS: St. John Fisher College is set to induct seven new members into its Athletics Hall of Fame later this fall including Brennan Fortune '08 who played a significant role in helping to build the team in to what it is today. Fortune could be considered not only one of the greatest offensive lineman to have played at Fisher, but one of the best in Division III history. A three-time All-American (one preseason), Fortune was named to the All-Decade Team by D3football.com. During his four seasons, Fisher amassed 41 wins including three berths in the NCAA Division III Championship. In 2006, the Cardinals vied for a national championship and reached the semifinals for the first time in team history. With Fortune on the line, the running game exploded for the Cardinals' offense as he helped block for Mark Robinson who is currently in our hall of fame. He is a three-time All-Conference honoree. Joining Fortune in this year's class are Jenna Waldron '10 (women's volleyball), Dave Wood '09 (men's lacrosse), Dan Jurik '10 (baseball), Rev. Albert Gallmon '74 (men's basketball), Nicole Lanieu '02 (softball) and Patrick Tobin '62 (Honorary).
WHAT'S NEXT: Following Saturday's contest, Fisher will prepare for another road bout as the Cardinals are scheduled to travel to Utica at 2 p.m. on October 6th to face the Pioneers in another Empire 8 tilt. Last season at Growney Stadium, Fisher and Utica locked horns in what was not only the longest game in program history, but one of the longest in Division III history as it took the Cardinals five overtimes to eventually defeat their opponent, 39-36. Entering this week's matchup with the Cortland Red Dragons, Utica stood at 2-1 after suffering its first loss of the season in triple overtime to No. 20 R.P.I.
