By LIAM HOFFMANN
The Brockport Golden Eagles football team led by head coach Jason Mangone enters the 2024 season with one goal in mind: the Empire 8 title. What makes that target such a tall hill to climb is who they’ll have to go through for the crown: the defending national champion Cortland Red Dragons.
The rest of Brockport’s Empire 8 schedule has the same foes as last year with the addition of Hilbert College. Hilbert Football played its inaugural season in 2022 and joined the Empire 8 as an affiliate member this year.
Last year, the Golden Eagles defense ranked first nationally in total defense (155.1 yards per game) and third in scoring defense (5.38 points per game) when they strolled into the home of the No. 16 Red Dragons for the Empire 8 Championship. To that point, Brockport was undefeated in conference play. In the three weeks preceding the E8 title game, Brockport outscored Hartwick, Morrisville and Utica by a combined score of 150-3. Cortland got the better of Brockport 41-17.
“It was a disappointing game because I knew as a team we were up to their level and just didn’t play to their level,” senior returning captain and inside linebacker Ben Robinson said. “It’s even more reason to want to come back this year and end with some pride and give them one more.”
This year, Brockport will play three out-of-conference games with the same schedule as last year minus Lycoming College. They open the season at home versus the Buffalo State Bengals on Thursday Sept. 5 at 7 p.m.
On Saturday, Sept. 14 Brockport will visit the Susquehanna Riverhawks. Brockport’s homecoming game against the Wilkes Colonels is on Sept. 21 at 1 p.m.
Last season, the Golden Eagles fell 6-5 to No. 22 Susquehanna in Week 2. The following week against Wilkes, Mangone turned to freshman quarterback Ben Gocella.
Under Gocella, the Golden Eagles went on a six-game winning streak averaging 45.8 points scored per game. Gocella ended the season with 870 passing yards, 12 touchdowns through the air and eight interceptions thrown with a 53% completion rate.
Mangone was complimentary of the sophomore’s training camp play and named him the starting quarterback on Aug. 26.
“Since I’ve been here we haven’t had one stagnant quarterback, it’s been four years of a new quarterback every year whether that’s been a freshman or a transfer,” Robinson said. “So, seeing a freshman come in like Ben, six great games…a lot of the team really respects him and his talent and his ability to put aside the fact that he was a freshman and ball out. Everyone’s got really high hopes for him…”
With that, the rushing attack was the primary driver of Brockport’s offensive efficiency. Their season-end mark of 211.5 rushing yards per game was good for the 22nd-highest in the nation.
Senior running back Gino Fontanarosa, whose junior season was ended by an injury against the Morrisville Mustangs, projects to be the starter in the backfield. Across five full games Fontanarosa played in 2023, he averaged 86 rushing yards per game and scored nine total touchdowns.
Returning sophomore running back Isaiah Simmons’ 593 net rushing yards led the team last year with fellow sophomore running back Cam Mesh leading the pack in yards per rush with 6.7.
Another piece of Brockport’s backfield returning is junior quarterback Chris McGuire. McGuire offers a change of pace as a signal caller with more showcased running ability than Gocella. In Brockport’s final four regular season games, McGuire racked up 161 rushing yards plus 106 passing yards with six total touchdowns.
Sophomore wide receiver Nolan Slywka led the Golden Eagles in receptions (32) and receiving yards (388) in his freshman season. James Altenburger, now graduated, was the only other Golden Eagle to eclipse 12 receptions. Altenburger’s five receiving touchdowns led the team and Brockport will be seeking a new red zone threat in 2024.
Returners junior wide receiver Brian Caldwell Jr. (2023 Seton Hill transfer) and senior tight end Myles Goddard (2022 Rutgers transfer) will be depended on to step up. Daniel Manneh (2024 Hudson Valley Community College transfer) and Josh Limage (2024 Nassau Community College transfer) also joined Brockport’s receiving corps this past offseason and were cited by Mangone as weapons to look out for.
At 6’6 and 240 pounds, Goddard has more size than any other receiving option on the roster. Caldwell debuted for the Golden Eagles against Morrisville after being injured to start the year and while he went catch-less in his debut, he reeled in 10 catches for 94 yards with a touchdown down the stretch of the year.
Offensive line coach and offensive coordinator Steve Potter will work with an unfamiliar group on the o-line. Potter’s work includes replacing graduated left tackle and Gocella’s former blindside protector Scott Ochsner.
“There’s a lot of kids coming out of nowhere, showing their stuff and impressing me…they have a lot of talent,” Robinson said.
Junior Adam Montalvo spent time at center last year but was seen playing tackle in practice. Junior tackle Julian McGaughy also brings familiarity. He and Montalvo each appeared in seven games last year.
“It won’t change,” Mangone said. “We recruit for our system and although it may not be the same with the people, it shouldn’t change much in what we do.
Brockport’s inside linebackers are perhaps the strongest group on the roster. Senior and returning captain Ben Robinson as well as senior Mike Talbert Jr. (2023 Louisiana Christian University transfer) headline the group. In 2023, Robinson registered career-highs in solo tackles (30), tackles for loss (13.5) and sacks (5.5). In nine games in his first year as a Golden Eagle, Talbert Jr. had 32 solo tackles with 13 for loss and 3.5 sacks with seven pass breakups.
“This is the leadership position from an experience standpoint and talent standpoint,” Mangone said. “Having Robinson and Talbert will be a dynamic duo that will pay dividends for us.”
“We’re the part of the team that hypes everyone up, doesn’t let us get down on ourselves, and even when someone has a bad play we pick them up afterward,” Robinson said.
Brockport defensive backs coach David Blahowicz has seen lots of turnover in the secondary. Former Golden Eagles cornerback Raylens Boutin was selected as a 1st Team All-American and the Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year in his senior season last year. On special teams, he contributed two punt return touchdowns. Brockport also saw the departure of starting defensive back Louie Usera after last season.
However, returning starters from last year in cornerback Malik Kelly and safety Kyle Haettich bring experience. Kelly was the 2022 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year. He’s recorded 15 passes defended and two interceptions in his young career. Haettich broke out last year with 26 solo tackles, two interceptions and nine passes defended. He has also been chosen as a d3football.com Preseason 3rd Team All-American.
“It’s been great; we’ve played multiple guys over the season last year who are now in bigger roles,” Mangone said. “With Malik and Haettich back, we have a great deal of experience. Wright has lots of experience at Mercyhurst in addition to last year with us. Before (Andrea) Costanzi getting hurt, he was starting so we have a great group on the back end.”
Cornerback Marquise Wright (2023 Mercyhurst transfer) is entering his second year with Brockport but has been playing college football since 2019. Andrea Costanzi is a native of Florence, Italy. Last year he had an interception and two breakups to couple with ten tackles before going down after five games.
Senior defensive end Andre Marianetti and junior defensive tackle Jayson Thomas headline defensive line coach Hakeem Yaya’s returning defensive linemen. Mangone expects junior defensive end Marqwan Fluitt (2024 Robert Morris transfer) to be impactful.
Brockport’s captains are Robinson, Fontanarosa and Haettich. The captains will lead the Golden Eagles on their mission for Empire 8 supremacy. In-conference play for Brockport will begin after their bye week when on Oct. 5 they host the St. John Fisher Cardinals in the Courage Bowl.
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