MORRISVILLE, N.Y. – The Morrisville State College football team shocked visiting SUNY Cortland Saturday afternoon, recording the 38-31 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) victory in front of a packed house in Morrisville on Mustang Weekend (homecoming).
The win boosts the Mustangs to a 3-1 start on the season as they are the first team to claim a conference victory in the 2014 season. It's the first time in ten meetings Morrisville State has topped Cortland.
The Red Dragons drop to 0-3 overall and 0-1 in conference play, a mark Cortland hasn't seen since the 1986 campaign.
Morrisville State outgained the visitors 495- to 426-yards total offense on the day, including a total 384-yard effort from senior quarterback Lemar Johnson (Ossining, N.Y.).
Johnson went 19-for-39 on the day for 244 yards and four touchdown scores, adding 140 net yards on 21 carries on the ground. Seven of his completions were to junior Anthony Mella (Brooklyn, N.Y.) who tallied 92-yards and two scores for the Mustangs. Anthony Gray (Smallwood, N.Y.) added three receptions for 55-yards and two scores, while Josh Powell (Yonkers, N.Y.) registered six catches for 57 yards.
Defensively, Delroy Young (Binghamton, N.Y.) had a monster game for the Mustangs, posting a collegiate best 15 total stops, eight solo, while registering a sack for a loss of four yards. Wally Stephens (Kingston, N.Y.) added a 14 tackle effort, as teammates Shane Carroll (Morrisville, N.Y.) and Caleb Wright (Cortland, N.Y.) each contributed 11 stops on the day.
Terrell Perryman (Centereach, N.Y.) added eight tackles and two pass breakups, while registering the lone interception of the game, a feat that was returned 39 yards and led to a Mustang score.
Junior quarterback John Grassi connected on 25-of-39 attempts for 170 yards on the day, while teammate Lou Buschi added a 4-for-4 effort for 53-yards and a score.
Jon Mannix led the wide receiving corp for Cortland, registering 12 receptions for a team high 79 yards. The Red Dragons lone touchdown came from receiver KJ Zinermon who registered seven receptions for 62-yards.
Dylan Peebles led the Cortland efforts in the running game, recording a net 124 yards and a score on 24 carries, and added a second score on a kickoff return that was returned 90 yards into the endzone.
Andrew Tolosi and Tristan Laurore each posted 11 tackles to lead the defensive unit in the loss, Tolosi making 10 solo stops.
Morrisville State struck first, scoring on their opening drive as Cristian Pena (Ridgewood, N.Y.) capped off the 12 play, 60-yard drive on a four yard carry into the endzone just two minutes in.
Morrisville State was able to extend their lead to 14-0 with just over four minutes remaining in the opening quarter, as Johnson hit Mella in the back of the end zone on a three-yard pass play.
Cortland was able to get on the board late in the quarter, after a fumble by the Mustangs special teams on a punt return that positioned the Red Dragons on the Morrisville State 19. The Mustangs defense was able to force Cortland to settle for a 33 yard field goal by Shane Cronin with nine seconds left on the clock.
In the second, Cortland was able to cut the lead to four early in the second quarter, as Peebles found ground in the running game, capping off the 71-yard drive in 10 plays with a 2-yard rushing score.
Morrisville State made it a 21-10 game late in the quarter, as Johnson hit Mella who was left wide open on the left sideline and walked into the end zone for the score.
The 11 point lead was short-lived, however, as on the ensuing kickoff, Peebles returned the ball 90-yards up the Mustang sideline after four missed tackles for the score, and sending the game into the halftime break with a score of 21-17.
Cortland started with possession in the third, and quickly turned the ball over to the hosts, as Perryman stepped in front of the receiver to intercept Grassi, returning the ball 39 yards and giving Morrisville State a drive starting within the red zone.
The Red Dragons were able to hold the Mustangs to a field goal that Zach Drake (Canastota, N.Y.) nailed between the uprights from 21-yards out.
Cortland brought the game back within four late in the quarter, as Cronin hit his second field goal of the game, this time from 22 yards out, cutting it to 24-20 with four minutes to go in the third.
Within minutes, Morrisville State regained the double digit lead, as Johnson hit Gray who was wide open in the middle of the field, and proceeded to break two tackles and walk into the endzone for the 31-20 lead.
Cortland carried possession into the fourth quarter and had a chance to make it a one possession game, but the 29-yard field goal attempt by Cronin sailed wide left.
The Red Dragons forced a quick three-and-out on a drive that took just 51 seconds off the clock, and capitalized on their ensuing drive, driving 56-yards in just six plays, and completing the drive with a 32-yard scoring pass play from Buschi to Zinermon. Grassi hit Josh Riley in the right corner of the end zone for the two-point conversion, making it a three point game with 10 minutes showing on the clock.
Morrisville State responded four minutes later, as Johnson hit Gray who was left wide open for a second time on a slant in the endzone for the score and 38-28 Mustang lead.
Cortland was able to bring the game back within a score with a 33 yard field goal from Cronin with 3:41 to go, but the visitors could not regain possession as Morrisville State picked up the conference win.
Morrisville State returns to the field next Saturday, hosting The College of New Jersey at noon on Drake Field.