Football | 9/2/2021 11:30:00 AM
PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The wait is finally over. It will have been 658 days since the St. John Fisher College football team last played, but all of that changes on Saturday as head coach
Paul Vosburgh's troops will kick off their 50th season at 6 p.m. on Saturday against Buffalo State in a non-conference tilt at Coyer Field.
Fans who didn't make travel arrangements to Buffalo for the Labor Day Weekend can still enjoy the game from anywhere with an internet connection by clicking the links below:
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Are you dying to learn more about this weekend's matchup including stats, records, tidbits and more?
Then check out this week's game notes.
GOLDEN DAYS: The traditional gift for 50 years of marriage is gold and this year marks the golden anniversary of the St. John Fisher College football program. Founded in 1971 as a club team, Fisher has won nearly 280 games and boasts a winning percentage of nearly .600 in that time. The College has enjoyed eight seasons with at least 10 wins, six Empire 8 conference title, five NCAA berths, three club national championships and hundreds of All-Conference honorees.
THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT: In case you missed it, Fisher Athletics launched its new mobile app last fall - 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. Speaking of apps, don't forget to download the Audacy mobile app to listen to each and every football game - just search ESPN ROCHESTER.
SERIES HISTORY: The Cardinals and Bengals have played 23 times over the last 40 years with Buffalo State holding a slight lead in the series, 12-11. The Cardinals, however, have won three of the last four meetings including two straight. The 2021 season marks the second year in a row that Fisher opens its year with the Bengals after winning their debut in 2019, 23-6.
WHEN LAST WE MET: The Cardinals and Bengals last meet nearly two full years ago on September 7th, 2019 in what marked the season-opener for both programs. Fisher jumped out to an early lead following one of two touchdowns on the ground from
Dahmir Pross while then freshman
Hunter Walsh threw for 185 yards without a pick in his first-career start.
Will Blake added five receptions for 110 yards while Justin Wheeler burst through the line for three sacks on the day to along with 13 tackles. The Cardinals controlled the tempo from the get-go and finished the game with over 35 minutes of possession time. In all, Fisher racked up 336 yards of offense and forced the Bengals into three interceptions overall.
TOE THE LINE: It's common knowledge that the five men who stand between the other team and their quarterback are key to the team's overall success. The Cardinals return a wealth of experience and size on their offensive line including graduate students
Emmett Hayes and
Tyler Andrews while juniors
Joe Howard and
Damien Zawatski both saw time during their freshmen campaigns. Rounding out Fisher's front five is
Joe Martinucci who is slated to play at left tackle.
FAMILIAR FACES: Even though it has been nearly two years since that Cardinals last suited up, the team still returns several key players from the 2019 season including quarterback
Hunter Walsh who was named Honorable Mention All-Conference as a freshman after throwing for nearly 3,000 yards and 17 touchdowns. The signal caller will have one of his favorite targets on the outside back for another year as
TySean Sizer is set to line up at receiver after hauling in 32 receptions for 678 yards and five scores.
Pat Galer,
Chris Park,
Johnathan Letta and
Matt Mackinder are all back in the lineup for Fisher while running back
Dahmir Pross is set to carry the load after accruing 748 yards and 11 touchdowns during his first season in a Fisher uniform.
Defensively, Fisher returns a corps group of players including All-Region safety
Jason Rodriguez who was among the leaders in Division III in 2019 with seven interceptions.
Vince DiMonte and
Evan Strassberger are set to man the middle of the field after the pair combined to record 100 tackles in their last season while
Max Bates and
Kyle Vachon will round out the linebackers after the duo combined to play in 18 games in 2019.
Anthony Manna will provide some depth down field as he will move to safety after registering 35 tackles at corner in 2019.
The Cardinals are also experienced on special teams with
Joe Dotterweich set to handle the kicking duties after converting 10-of-16 field goals and 31-for-33 extra point opportunities. The North Tonawanda native was also among the top punters in the league in 2019 after averaging nearly 36 yards per kick.
SCOUTING BUFFALO STATE: It's difficult to project what a team may look like after so much time has lapsed since it last played, but we'll try. The Bengals are slated to start Cam Sionko at quarterback on Saturday after a 2019 campaign that saw him register just three passing attempts overall. The junior will have an entirely new receiving corps on the outsides with Che'Kore Moore, Darion Jones and Cam Crosier set to handle the receiving duties. The team also features a massive offensive line at the Division III level as it averages nearly 300 pounds up front for newly-minted running back Omar Robinson.
On the defensive side of the ball, Buffalo State will turn to several underclassmen as it hopes to shut down what could be a high-powered Fisher offense.
LOOKING AHEAD: Following Saturday's pairing with Buffalo State, Fisher will host Framingham State on Saturday, September 11th in the Cardinals' home-opener in Growney Stadium. The contest will mark the first-ever meeting between these two programs.
