The Cortland Red Dragons Football team secured a historic victory against Alma, allowing them to advance to their first-ever Division 3 tournament semifinal appearance. The game was tied at 36-36 at halftime, but Cortland claimed the victory with a final score of 56-41, allowing just 7 points in the second half.
The Red Dragons faced a unique journey to Alma, Michigan, opting for a bus ride that lasted nearly ten hours, aiming to replicate their familiar road-trip experience during the season. The absence of a substantial away crowd in Alma did not affect Cortland’s performance. Junior tackle Cody Aikey believes that the team feeds off the opposing crowds.
“It doesn’t matter if our away crowd is large or small,” said Aikey. “We know whenever we are playing, there are tons of people watching from home supporting us.”
Cortland and Alma put on an offensive clinic, amassing a total of 1,207 yards, with junior quarterback Zac Boyes leading the charge yet again for the Red Dragons. Boyes completed 24 of 33 passes for 400 yards and five touchdowns, setting a new single-game record. He also set the single season school record with 3,392 passing yards and 36 passing touchdowns
During the post game press conference, Boyes was asked about how Cortland managed to prevent Alma’s defense, ranked 1st in the country in takeaways, from seizing control of the ball throughout the game. Before discussing the teams success, Boyes took a moment to reflect on his performance over the last three matchups.
“I was very happy with how I made good decisions in the first nine games and the last three games I just made some really bone-headed plays and try to do a little bit too much,” said Boyes. “when you watch these guys on film that what they kind of they thrive off those with turnovers”
Boyes emphasized the importance of protecting the football, stating, “the ball is the program,” highlighting the goal of maintaining possession without committing turnovers. He also spoke about the importance of not providing Alma’s offense with unnecessary opportunities, especially when they weren’t performing at their best offensively.
“I just didn’t want to give them any momentum because they were not humming on offense,” said Boyes. “Going through the reads and making sure I’m making the right plays was huge this week.”
Cortland’s rushing game continued to roll through Michigan, which was led by junior running back Jaden AlfanoStJohn, contributing 193 of the team’s 248 total rushing yards. AlfanoStJohn is closing in on the Cortland all-time rushing yards leader, currently held by Dave Cook, who set the record with 3,455 yards from 1981 to 1984. Additionally, Ashton Capone also made a notable impact, rushing nine times for 58 yards, and contributing a touchdown in the win.
In response to a reporter’s question about Cortland’s performance, Head Coach Curt Fitzpatrick provided insights into the Red Dragon’s offensive approach. In reflecting on last week’s low scoring matchup against Grove City, Fitzpatrick felt that the team “left a lot on the table,” specifically in the passing game. He credited the players for executing the game plan according to what the defense was showing them against Alma, using the coverages to determine where the ball would be thrown.
“When they played cover one, we tried to run it,” said Fitzpatrick. “When they played cover three, we tried to throw it opposite of the rotation of the coverage. That was our plan and these guys executed it tremendously.”
Fitzpatrick credited Alma’s offense’s ability to work at a fast tempo, specifically mentioning fifth-year senior Devon Frenchko, who scored a touchdown to take the lead into the end of the 1st quarter. Alma’s sophomore quarterback, Carter St. John, had to leave the game in the first half with an injury but was able to return in the second half. He had 201 passing yards and 73 rushing yards with three total touchdowns.
Despite allowing 36 points in the first half, The Red Dragons defense held strong in the second half, only allowing 7 points. Addressing the challenge posed by Alma’s fast tempo offense, junior defensive linemen Nick Lardaro emphasized the importance of limiting the long ball. Lardaro acknowledged that the defensive line faced initial difficulties in the first half but pointed to a remarkable turnaround after halftime.
“We were definitely slow in the first half,” said Lardaro. “But at halftime we had great adjustments and we definitely stopped in the second half and had a much better performance.”
Cortland’s receiving corps showcased their depth against Alma, with three receivers reaching 80 receiving yards in the game. Sophomore Joe Iadevaio, caught seven passes for 82 yards and three touchdowns, tying the school’s single-game record for touchdown receptions. This came after entering the game with just one touchdown reception on the season.
Senior receivers JJ Laap and Cole Burgess also made contributions, with Laap finishing with 10 receptions for 172 yards and a touchdown, claiming his position as Cortland’s career leader with 31 touchdown catches. Burgess caught five passes for 116 yards and added another score to his impressive career tally, tying for second with 30 career touchdown grabs.
Iadevaio credited his teammates for providing him with opportunities to execute crucial plays. When asked about anticipating his significant role in the matchup, he emphasized the collective effort of the offense, with every player making plays throughout the game. Iadevaio highlighted the importance of a balanced passing and running game for the team’s success.
“It’s really important and thankfully we have the offensive talent to do both successfully week in and week out,” said Iadevaio. “We just have to keep getting better and thriving in big games like this.”
The Red Dragons will face Randolph-Macon College next week in the NCAA Division Three Semifinals. Randolph-Macon is coming off a 39-26 victory over Johns Hopkins, scoring on a late field goal to secure the win. In the second round, Randolph-Macon went head-to-head with Ithaca, dominating the Bombers with an impressive 46-0 victory.
Randolph-Macon hosted Cortland in the first round of the playoffs last season, winning a close game by a score of 35-28. Both teams have shown huge improvements from their previous season. Cortland will look to head home this time with not only a win, but a chance at the Division Three National Championship next weekend.
This Cortland football team has proven to be the most successful in school history, a testament to Coach Fitzpatrick’s ability to instill a winning mentality in these players. In just his fourth season, the team has achieved heights that have never been reached at Cortland. Coach Fitzpatrick himself articulates this best.
“We’ve had football for 118 years, and this is now the best Cortland team of all time”