BROCKPORT, NY – The nationally-ranked No. 11/13 Brockport football program begins its journey towards a third straight Empire 8 Conference Crown on Saturday when the Golden Eagles travel to Hobart College to take on the Statesmen at 12 p.m.

DATE – TIME: Sept. 7, 2019 – 12 p.m.
LOCATION: Boswell Field at David J. Urick Stadium - Geneva, N.Y.
LINKS: Video  |  Stats  |  Audio (Radio 89.1 FM)
GAME NOTES - WEEK 1
 
Back-to-Back Champs: Brockport won its second straight Empire 8 Conference title and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Div. III Championship while registering an 11-1 overall record in 2018. The Golden Eagles set a new program-record, climbing as high as No. 3 in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and D3football.com national rankings.

In the National Spotlight: The Golden Eagles have rattled off 22 consecutive regular season victories on their way to national prominence.  Heading into the 2019 season, the Golden Eagles are ranked No. 11 by the AFCA and No. 13 by D3football.com.

All-Time Against Hobart: Brockport is 7-4 all-time against Hobart.  The Golden Eagles have outscored the Statesmen 92-27 over the course of the last two seasons.  The storied history of the rivalry dates back all the way to 1949, when the Golden Eagles kicked off the series and defeated the Statesmen, 30-6.

Sideline General: Seventh year Head Coach Jason Mangone has been named the AFCA Region I Coach of the Year in each of the last two seasons and he has an impressive 49-19 overall record over the course of six seasons at the helm. Mangone and his staff have earned two straight Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year honors after compiling a 24-2 overall record in that span.  In 2017 he was named the AFCA National Coach of the Year after guiding the Golden Eagles to the semifinals of the NCAA Div. III Championships.

Setting New Standards: The offense put its stamp in the Brockport record books in 2018, setting a new mark for average points per game (41.67) behind a record 69 touchdowns, 30 of which were through the air, another program best. The Green and Gold also set a new mark in yards per game with 496.4-yards and most net rushing yards in a season (2,733-yards).

Defensive Dominance: Mike Fox was named the Football Scoop Division III Defensive Coordinator of the Year following a truly dominant 2018 season by the Brockport football program.  The defense set national standards in 2018, stifling the opposition in all facets. Through 11 of the Golden Eagles' 12 games last season, Brockport held its entire schedule to negative rushing yards (negative 28-yards). Over the course of the season the Green and Gold led all divisions (FBS, FCS, Division II and Division III) in rushing defense, allowing a mere 6.8-yards per game. The Golden Eagles also led the nation in defensive third down conversion percentage (0.158) and finished 2018 as the No. 2 overall defense (209.0). Brockport was top 20 in the nation in red zone defense (2nd, 0.346), fourth down conversion defense (3rd, 0.143), passes intercepted (3rd, 23), team passing efficiency defense (3rd, 86.46), scoring defense (7th, 10.3), team sacks (8th, 3.83), team tackles for loss (6th, 9.6), defensive TDs (15th, 4), and first down defense (18th, 153).

One of the Best in the Country: Senior captain Alex West was named to D3Football.com's preseason Second Team All-American list heading into the 2019 season. The Dansville, N.Y. native capped off the 2018 season with 56 total tackles, including 24 solo, and 15.5-tackles for a loss of 76-yards, and 6.5 sacks. West also accounted for nine pass breakups, 12 quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and one interception. His dominating presence grabbed him a spot on the D3football.com 2018 All-East Region third team. During his four years with the Golden Eagles, West has helped lead the Brockport defense to record breaking performances. In the 2018 season alone, the Green and Gold led all divisions (FBS, FCS, Division II and Division III) in rushing defense, allowing a mere 6.8-yards per game and held opponents to negative rushing yards average.

Senior Stepping Up: Senior quarterback Jason Hellwig brings veteran leadership, incredible athleticism and an extremely high football IQ to the table as the Golden Eagle's signal caller for 2019.  Hellwig, a two-sport star who also plays baseball, played in 10 games last season and has 20 games of collegiate experience to his credit.  Hellwig's commitment to Coach Mangone's system over the course of the last three seasons has certainly paid dividends as he took the reins under center during this offseason. 

Unmatched Depth in the Backfield: Senior Justin Morrison and sophomore's Zach Samborski and Jala Coad will see the bulk of the carries this season at the running back position. Morrison is currently enrolled in graduate courses at Brockport and looks to return to the workload he experienced during the Golden Eagle's NCAA Final Four run where he posted 1,004 yards rushing and nine TD's on the ground.  The former All-Conference, All-Region and preseason All-American pick will also provide a lift to the passing game after catching 17 balls for 153 yards and one receiving touchdown in 2017.  Samborski earned extremely valuable time in the backfield last season as he carried the ball 114 times for 560 yards and seven touchdowns.  Sophomore Jala Coad will also continue to see a heavy workload, much like his freshman campaign where he posted 85 carries for 518 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Empire 8 All-Conference fullback Samuel Bergman also returns as the top option at the fullback position. Bergman will help pave the way up front and also has pass catching abilities after snagging four balls for 40 yards and a TD in his freshman campaign.

Aerial Assault: Brockport's offense will once again feature one of the most talented and deep wide receiving corps in all of Division III football. The record-breaking duo of DaQuan Hubbard and Joseph Ortiz will provide Hellwig with one of the most dangerous 1-2 punches in the nation.  Ortiz is a four year stud for the Golden Eagles and enters his senior campaign with 205 career catches, just 15 shy of the school-record set back in 2013 by Jake Spalik. He also needs just 25 yards receiving to eclipse 2,000 for his career. His 81 catches back in 2017 is a program single season record.  Senior DaQuan Hubbard joins Ortiz and boasts a similarly impressive resume.  In 27 career games he has 79 catches for 1,749 yards and 17 touchdown receptions.  Hubbard holds the program's single season record after pulling in 1,081 receiving yards in 2017.  Other notable receiving threats for the Golden Eagles include Alex Benson, Derrick Chance, Imhotep Cromer and Raphael Odey.  Benson transferred in from Pace last season and made an immediate impact as he caught 29 balls for 484 yards and two touchdowns.

Big & Talented: Coach Potter's offensive line unit is young, big and talented.  Junior Conner Latimer is taking first team reps under center with Hellwig. Sophomore's Demetri Swann and Scott Ochsner will protect Hellwig's blindside, while Nick Romeo and Shawn Pridell have secured the top slot on the most current two-deep at right guard and right tackle.  Brockport's offensive line paved the way for an average of 41.67 points per game last season.  The Golden Eagles rushed for 2,733 yards on the ground last year and the offensive line also played an intricate role in piling up 3,224 yards through the air. Pridell and senior left guard Luke Lodini will provide key veteran leadership on the 0-line for the Golden Eagles.

Ball Hawks: Alex West and Lawrence Jenkins lead yet another talented group of linebackers.  Jenkins was an all-conference pick a year ago after leading the team with 7.0 sacks. He also posted nine QB hurries, eight pass breakups, two interceptions and finished second on the team with 61 tackles. Andrew Covais and Jason Karteron will see increased action at inside linebacker.  Kareem Leaver, Ben Damiani, Joel Atuahene and Derrick Cipriani will all add significant depth to the Golden Eagles impressive group of linebackers.

It Starts Up Front: The graduation of first-team All-American defensive lineman Austin Dean provides an excellent opportunity for several player's to step up on Coach Fox's aggressive five-man pressure defense. The Brockport faithful will once again see several players rotating in on the defensive line, beginning with junior Josh Greenwood, senior Allassane Coulibaly and nose guard Jordan Harris.  Hakeem Yaya, Brandon Cutter and Tafari Nedrick will also be a part of the rotation on the defensive line. Greenwood, an all-conference pick last season, returns with loads of potential after posting 6.0 sacks and seven QB hurries just one year ago.  Harris saw action in seven games as a freshman and will look to build upon his 2.5 TFL's of a year ago. 

All-League Kicker: E8 All-Conference kicker Dustin Moyle returns for his senior season following a consistent junior campaign where he made 55 PATs and seven field goals. He also added 73 kickoffs for 3,959 yards.

In the Secondary: The featured Golden Eagles in the secondary on the week one two-deep include sophomore Ben Marshall, junior Alaan Montgomery, senior Bryce Szudzik and freshman Raylens Boutin. Marshall played in all 12 games as a freshman and posted 35 tackles and six pass breakups. Montgomery and Szudzik both return with key collegiate experience under their belts.  

All-American Lineage: Since 2015, 10 different Brockport players have been named postseason All-American by the Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) or by D3football.com. Four different student-athletes earned All-American recognition last season alone.

Home Opener: The Golden Eagles are set to host Framingham State in the home opener at Bob Boozer Field at Eunice Kennedy Shriver Stadium on September 14^th at noon. The contest will be a rematch of the first round of the 2018 NCAA Division III Championships where the Golden Eagles came away with a 40-27 victory.