The Red Dragons football team blazed their way to a 52-15 victory in Morrisville. With junior quarterback Zac Boyes at the helm, Cortland dominated the game from start to finish in their first game of Empire 8 competition.
The #19 nationally ranked Cortland Red Dragons controlled the entire game offensively, winning over Morrisville by a score of 52-15. Led by the dynamic junior quarterback, Zac Boyes, Cortland showcased a dominant performance from start to finish, setting the tone for their upcoming conference matchups.
Cortland’s offense amassed 659 yards in total offense compared to Morrisville’s 281. Boyes ended up completing 22 of 29 passes for 294 yards and four touchdowns. He also showcased his versatility by rushing for 111 yards and scoring two touchdowns on the ground.
Boyes was just six passing yards shy of becoming the second Cortland player in school history to pass for 300 yards and run for 100 yards in a single game. His performance earned him a spot on the D3football.com National Team of the Week, which includes the best performers by posistion among all Division III schools. Boyes was also awarded the Empire 8 Football Offensive Player of the Week, which is given to the best performing player in the conference.
The receiving corps was also impressive, with senior JJ Laap leading the charge by hauling in seven passes for 120 yards and a touchdown. Senior Cole Burgess caught six passes for 35 yards and a touchdown, while junior Andrew Tarpey and junior CJ Messina also had a TD reception in the game.
Junior Jaden Martinez filled the stat sheet defensively, with five total tackles, one sack and one tackle for a loss. Jack Winey led the defensive charge with seven tackles, while freshman Sam Cotton and junior Joe Ruggieri added their total with five.
Cortland opened up the game with a huge 70 yard passing touchdown from Boyes to Laap, scoring on a slant route competely untouched.
Following the big passing play, The Red Dragons established a balanced rushing attack. Cortland ran for 146 yards on 21 attempts, averaging just under seven yards per carry in the first half.
A late interception by Luke Winslow with just under a minute remaining before halftime allowed Cortland to retain the ball at their own 10-yard line. Following a few penalties, junior Mike Baloga kicked a 21-yard field goal as the half ended, sending Cortland into halftime with a 24-7 lead. Morrsiville only attempted eight rushes in the first half, relying on their passing game with 22 attempts.
Senior Ashton Capone, who led the team in rushing yards against Morrisville, spoke about the importance of understanding defenses tendencies leading up to a game.
“Breaking down a defense and having a game plan is just as important as playing the actual game, ” said Capone. “If you go into a game seeing what they do all week on film, there will be no surprises on the field come game day and you will make plays when needed.”
After giving up a touchdown on Morrisville’s first possession of the second half, the remainder of the game belonged to the Red Dragons. Boyes added another rushing touchdown and connected on a touchdown pass to Laap with a little under three minutes remaining in the quarter.
After a commanding performance in their conference opener, Cortland now faces the task of gearing up for a showdown against one of the Empire 8’s highest ranked opponents, Utica. Currently boasting an impressive 5-0 record, Utica have outscored opponents 172-86 to begin the season. Only two teams within the Empire 8 conference are ranked in the top 25, and those two teams are Cortland and Utica.
Cortland has never lost a game at home against Utica, and have won five in a row against the Pioneers. They meet this Saturday at Grady Field starting at 1 PM.