BROCKPORT, NY -- The Empire 8 Conference champion College at Brockport football team is set to take on host Western New England University in NCAA Division III Football Championship First Round action on Saturday at 12 p.m. in Springfield, Mass. 

DATE – TIME: Nov. 23, 2019 – 12 p.m.
LOCATION: Golden Bear Stadium | Springfield, Mass.
LINKS: Video  |  Stats  |  Audio (Radio 89.1 FM)
 
Follow The Action: Live video and stats will be provided by Western New England's athletic communications office and can be found on Brockport's football schedule page at www.gobrockport.com. Live audio for all games will be provided by 89.1 The Point, Brockport's student radio station.

NCAA Appearance History: The Golden Eagles have now won three straight Empire 8 Conference Championships, earning the leagues automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Football Championship in each of the last three seasons. Brockport is making its seventh appearance in the NCAA Football Championship in program-history.  Saturday will be the 13^th NCAA Football Championship game in the history of the program.  Brockport qualified for the first time in program-history back in 2000 following a perfect 8-0 regular season.  The Golden Eagles made four straight NCAA appearances from 2000-2003.  In 2002 they won their first two NCAA Tournament contests before falling in the quarterfinals, 16-10, against John Carroll.  In 2017 they set a new program standard, winning 13 straight games on their way to an appearance in the national semifinals where they took on Mary Hardin-Baylor.  Last season the Golden Eagles put together another perfect 10-0 regular season and advanced as far as the second round of the NCAA Championships before falling at home against RPI.  Brockport heads into Saturday's matchup with a 6-6 record all-time in NCAA postseason contests.  In the last two years, the Golden Eagles are 4-2 in postseason games. Brockport is 4-1 all-time in NCAA first round games.  Saturday will mark the sixth time the Golden Eagles will play an NCAA postseason game on the road.

Watch Party: If you can't make it to Western New England on Saturday, come support the team with other Golden Eagle fans at a Watch Party hosted at Bill Gray's Tap Room in Brockport starting at noon!
 
Three-Peat: Brockport's three straight Empire 8 titles have come courtesy of truly dominant league play over the course of the last three seasons.  In this three year stretch the Golden Eagles have went 19-1 in conference play and they are now 21-1 in their last 22 Empire 8 games.  Last Saturday marked their first conference loss dating back to Oct. of 2016.   The Empire 8 dominance featured a 21 game winning streak in conference play.

How We Got Here: Brockport (8-2, 5-1 Empire 8) rattled off eight straight victories to earn a spot in their third straight NCAA Championship. Over the course of the eight victories, the Golden Eagles posted three shut outs and allowed just 75 total points.  Brockport has outscored its opponents 289-100 over the course of the last nine games and the Golden Eagles are averaging 32.1 points in that stretch. Arguably the biggest win of the season to date came on the road on Nov. 2^nd when the Golden Eagles rallied from a 23-0 first half deficit, outscoring host and nationally-ranked No. 18 Cortland 32-3 down the stretch, as Brockport came away with a thrilling 32-26 overtime victory. Brockport needed one win in its final two games of the regular season to clinch the Empire 8 title and did so in game nine when the Golden Eagles topped Alfred University 16-7 to hoist the Empire 8 trophy at the friendly confines of Bob Boozer Field.

Dynasty?: Brockport joined elite territory this season, becoming just the second program in the 18 year history of the Empire 8 to win three consecutive conference crowns.  Brockport joined Ithaca College, which won four straight titles from 2002-2005.

Regional Rankings: The Golden Eagles finished the regular season ranked ninth in the final NCAA Division III East Regional rankings. Western New England was ranked fifth in the final rankings.  Salisbury finished as the No. 1 seed in the east region, followed closely by Wesley and Delaware Valley. 

National Polls: Brockport is currently in the receiving votes category of the final regular season D3football.com and American Football Coaches Association national polls. The Golden Eagles rose to as high as No. 3 in the national polls headed into the second round of the NCAA Division III Championships last season. Brockport has been a fixture in the top 25 each week dating back to week 1 of 2017. The top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, Sports Information Directors and media members from across the country, and is published weekly.

Success on the Road: Brockport is 18-4 in away games dating back to the beginning of the 2016 season.

Stat Comparison:  Brockport boasts the top scoring defense in the Empire 8, holding opponents to an average of 13.2 points per game through 10 contests this season.  The defense has allowed just 18 TD's this season (conference best) and a total of 132 points. Western New England heads into Saturday's contest averaging 40.6 points per game. The Golden Bears led the Commonwealth Coast Conference with 54 total touchdowns this season. WNE totaled 4,882 yards of total offense on the season, leading the conference in both passing yards (2,900) and rushing yards (1,982).

Best Rushing Defense in the Country: Brockport's rushing defense leads all levels of college football, allowing an average of just 28.3 yards rushing per game. The Golden Eagle defense has held its opponents to negative rushing yards in three of its last six games.  Over the course of the last six games, Brockport has allowed a total of 72 yards rushing.
 
Defense Wins Championships:  The Golden Eagles rank 12^th nationally allowing an average of 13.2 points per game and they rank fifth in the country in total defense, allowing just 222.8 yards per game.

Series History: Saturday will mark the first meeting all-time between these two programs.  Brockport's football program began back in 1947, while Western New England began participating at the NCAA level in 1981.

It's Awards Season: Brockport landed 13 student-athletes on Empire 8 All-Conference teams in a release of the league's major award winners and all-conference teams on Thursday.  Head Coach Jason Mangone and his staff earned Coaching Staff of the Year honors for a record third straight season, while freshman defensive back Raylens Boutin was named the Empire 8 Rookie of the Year. Brockport led the way with four selections to the all-conference first team on the defensive side of the ball. Eight Brockport defensive players were named either first team, second team or honorable mention. Four Golden Eagles were honored on the offensive side. Senior Alex West, classmate Allassane Coulibaly, junior Josh Greenwood and freshman Raylens Boutin were named to the all-conference first team defense.  Junior offensive captain Luke Lodini earned first team all-conference on the offensive line. Sophomore running back Jala Coad and wide receiver Imhotep Cromer were each named to the all-conference second team on offense, while junior Lawrence Jenkins and sophomore Jordan Harris earned second team defense.  Andrew Covais, Kenny Hernandez and Demetri Swann rounded out the all-conference selections for Brockport as they were listed in the honorable mention category.  Senior linebacker Jason Karteron was Brockport's selection to the Empire 8 Sportsman of the Year Team.

Win the Time of Possession Battle: Brockport currently ranks sixth nationally and first in the Empire 8 in time of possession. The Golden Eagles are averaging a 34:19 TOP per contest. Western New England heads into Saturday's matchup with an average time of possession of 28:56.

Captain America: Senior captain and three-time all-conference first team selection Alex West finished the regular season with a league best 9.0 sacks. He totaled seven solo sacks to go along with four assisted sacks. His average of 1.7 tackles for a loss per game ranks third in the E8 and 31^st nationally.  He led the team with 56 total tackles.  West is now just a half sack away from tying the college's career sack record of 26 set back in 2002 by Mike Condello. West now has 188 career tackles to go along with 33.5 career tackles for a loss.

Dangerous Secondary: The Golden Eagles have nine interceptions in their last four games and now rank third nationally with 19 interceptions this year. Raylens Boutin and Kenny Hernandez are tied for second in the E8 with four interceptions each. Alaan Montgomery and Andrew Covais are tied for fifth in the conference with three interceptions.

Three and OUT: The Brockport defense ranks second nationally in third down conversion percentage defense.  The opponent's offense has converted on third down just 27 times on 137 chances this season (19.70%). 

First Downs Are Tough to Come By: The Golden Eagles have held opponents to just 124 first downs this season, a stat that ranks seventh in the nation. 

In the Backfield: Brockport's pressure defense has disrupted plays in the backfield all season long.  The Golden Eagles currently rank 25^th nationally with an average of 8.1 tackles for a loss per game.

Running Away With It: Brockport's consistent rushing offense is among the best in the nation.  The Golden Eagles rank 30^th nationally and first in the conference with an average of 223.3 yards rushing per game. Brockport had four ball carriers finish in the top 12 in the conference in rushing yards per game including Jala Coad (82.2), Freddy June (48.0), Justin Morrison (43.6), and Rashad Law (25.1).
 
Finding the Endzone: Sophomore all-conference running back Jala Coad is having a banner year in the backfield for the Golden Eagles.  Coad, who eclipsed 1,000 career rushing yards this season, led the Empire 8 with 102 total points this season. He finished the regular season tied for the league lead and ranked 11^th nationally with 16 rushing TDs. He ranks fourth in the league with an average of 82.2 rushing yards per game. He now has 21 career touchdowns and 1,331 rushing yards to his credit in 21 games played.

Record Setting Coaching Staff: Brockport seventh year Head Coach Jason Mangone and his staff were recently named the Empire 8 Conference Coaching Staff of the Year for a record third straight season. No other coaching staff in the 18 year history of the Empire 8 has earned three straight staff of the year honors. He has guided the Golden Eagles to a 32-4 overall record in the last three years.  Mangone has been named the AFCA Region I Coach of the Year in each of the last two seasons and he recently picked up his 57^th career victory as the Golden Eagles defeated Alfred at home two weeks ago. Mangone has an impressive 57-21 overall record over the course of nearly seven full season seasons at the helm. 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.

Empire 8 Rookie of the Year: Freshman defensive back Raylens Boutin was named the Empire 8 Conference Rookie of the Year following an impressive first year in the green and gold. He ranks eighth in all of Division III football and first in the E8 with an average of 1.8 passes defended per game.  He has 14 total pass breakups and four interceptions, two of which were returned for a touchdown. He also ranks fourth on the team with 37 tackles this season.

Dominant Defensive Line: Three members of Brockport's defensive line earned all-conference accolades. Allassane Coulibaly and Josh Greenwood each earned first team status, while Jordan Harris was named to the second team.  Greenwood made his second straight appearance on an all-conference team after earning second team honors as a sophomore in 2018. Greenwood finished the year ranked fifth on the team with 35 tackles and third on the team with 9.0 tackles for a loss of 28 yards. Coulibaly is having his best season to date as he posted 26 tackles, 2.0 tackles for a loss and one sack to go along with two tipped passes, one forced fumble and one blocked kick in his senior campaign.  Jordan Harris made his first appearance on an all-conference team after a breakout sophomore campaign. He registered career-highs in all categories as he totaled 11 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss and two sacks for the Golden Eagle front four.

We're Coming For You: The linebacking duo of Alex West and Lawrence Jenkins have wreaked havoc on the opposing team's QB's all season long.  The tandem has combined for 11.0 sacks, 27.0 tackles for a loss of 135 yards, 10 QB hurries and seven pass breakups. Jenkins recently earned all-conference second team status for the second straight season. He finished the year ranked seventh in the league with 10.0 tackles for a loss. Jenkins has been all over the field this season as he ranked third on the team with 42 tackles and he also added one interception, five pass breakups, four QB hurries and 2.0 sacks. Linebacker Andrew Covais was recently named an honorable mention on the all-conference list. Covais has stepped up in big situations all season long, including a huge overtime interception to help Brockport secure the Empire 8 Conference crown with a thrilling come from behind victory at Cortland.  He has added depth to an already dominant linebacking crew and finished the regular season ranked second on the team with 45 tackles to go along with three interceptions, three pass breakups, 4.0 tackles for a loss, 1.0 sack and two QB hurries.  He also returned an interception for a score against Morrisville.

2000 Yard Club: Senior receivers Joseph Ortiz and DaQuan Hubbard both joined the 2,000 yard receiving club this season. Ortiz now has 2,307 career receiving yards, while Hubbard now has 2,218.
 
All-Time Receptions Leader: Joseph Ortiz caught two more balls against Morrisville on Saturday and extended his lead in the College's all-time receptions record book with 232. He has 27 catches this season for 332 total yards.

Talented Freshman QB: Freshman quarterback Freddy June is approaching 1,000 yards passing for the season.  He has completed 60-of-107 attempts for 948 yards and six touchdowns. He has a 145.26 passer rating. He also ranks third on the team with 61 carries for 336 yards and five rushing touchdowns.

Hellwig Managing the Offense: Senior quarterback Jason Hellwig has completed 53 passes for 735 yards and one TD this season. He also scrambled for the game-winning touchdown in overtime three weeks back to help the Golden Eagles secure a thrilling come from behind victory over nationally-ranked Cortland.

Open Downfield: Senior wide receiver DaQuan Hubbard leads the league and ranks eighth nationally with an average of 22.33 yards per reception.  He has 21 catches this season and averages 52.11 yards receiving per game. He also has one touchdown.

Another BIG Target: All-Conference second team selection Imhotep Cromer leads the team with 543 yards receiving this season. He has 30 catches and three touchdowns. He is averaging 18.10 yards per catch.

In the Trenches: Junior captain Luke Lodini, an all-conference first team pick, leads the way for the Brockport offensive line.  Lodini was joined on the all-conference list with honorable mention left tackle Demetri Swann. The o-line has paved the way for the top rushing offense in the league as the green and gold average 223.3 yards rushing per game.  They have helped protect an offense that averages nearly 30 points per game and they were major contributor's on an offensive unit that collected 4,064 yards of total offense.

Meet Western New England: Western New England enters Saturday's contest with a 9-1 regular season record and the Golden Bears earned their fifth straight NCAA appearance after winning the Commonwealth Coast Conference's automatic bid. Second-year head coach Jason Lebeau was recently named the CCC Coach of the Year for the first time in his career after leading the Golden Bears (9-1, 7-0 CCC Football) to their third straight CCC title and fifth consecutive conference championship overall. Western New England went undefeated against Division III competition this season with the team's only loss coming against NCAA Division I FCS program Stetson University back in September. Lebeau's squad led the CCC in many statistical categories, including scoring offense (40.6 PPG), total offense (487.2 YPG), third down conversion rate (48%) and sacks (24). Senior quarterback Alec Coleman repeated as Offensive Player of the Year following another impressive campaign directing the Western New England attack. Through the end of the regular season, he has completed 146-of-214 pass attempts (68.2%) for 1,974 yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions. Junior linebacker Erich Keutmann enjoyed a breakout junior season on his way to Co-Defensive Player of the Year recognition. He led the CCC and currently ranks fourth in all of NCAA Division III with 119 total tackles. Seven of his tackles resulted in a loss of yardage, including three sacks.

Up Next: A win on Saturday would send the Golden Eagles to the Sweet 16 for the third straight year.  Brockport would take on the winner of the nationally-ranked No. 4 Muhlenberg and MIT matchup. Time and location are to be determined.