Suny Brockport Football Defeats #17 Ithaca, 21-20

[DJRamFan]

Brown scores TD in final minutes, Mariani blocks winning field goal attempt


BROCKPORT, N.Y. - Senior defensive end Anthony W. Mariani (Milton/Marlboro) blocked a field goal attempt with 40 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter for SUNY Brockport in a 21-20 victory over #17 Ithaca at Special Olympics Stadium Saturday afternoon.

The Golden Eagles improved to 4-2 while the Bombers fell to 4-2 after the non-league contest.

Ithaca sophomore kicker Brett Kitenplon (Seminole, FL/Admiral Farragut) attempted a 42-yard field goal with 40 seconds left but Mariani blocked the kick to preserve the Golden Eagles' victory. Junior running back Jon Brown (Rochester/Greece Arcadia) tied the game at 20-20 with 2:58 remaining in the third and sophomore Collin Hoffman (Oneonta) gave Brockport the lead with the point after. The teams were scoreless in the fourth quarter.

Senior quarterback Bob Darnley (N. Tonawanda/Wheatfield) was 14 for 25 for 167 yards and two touchdowns, and broke the career completions record (393) in the first quarter. Brown had 12 carries for 57 yards and the touchdown. John Walther (Dansville) led the Golden Eagles wtih 12 tackles, two for losses, an interception and a sack. He intercepted Josh Felicetti (Doylestown, PA/Center Bucks East) at the Ithaca 47 with 9:44 remaining in the fourth quarter to stop a Bombers' drive.

Jamie Donovan (Washington, DC/Sidwell Friends) led the Bombers with a career high 28 yards on 37 carries with a touchdown. He is the first 200-yard Bomber back since 1992 and first Ithaca runner over 100 yards against Brockport since 1998. Felicetti was 16 for 34 with two touchdowns and 187 yards, and had four passes intercepted. Vince Dargush (Amsterdam) led Ithaca with five catches for 62 yards and a touchdown.

Ithaca took over at the Bombers' 32 with 4:42 left, and Donovan rushed for 17 yards on a nine-play drive. Felicetti kept it alive with a 12-yard run on 3rd-and-16 to the Brockport 25, to set up the winning field goal attempt.

Ithaca took a 7-0 lead in the first when Jeff Welch (Ithaca) caught a nine-yard touchdown from Felicetti with 3:11 left in the period. It capped a 16-play, 80 yard drive that took 6:13. Dargush made it 13-0 (the kick was blocked) just 35 seconds into the second quarter. He caught a 30-yard pass from Felicetti to finish a four-play, 58-yard drive that consumed 1:38.

Mike Bond (Fairport) put Brockport on the board at 10:18 of the third when he caught a 15-yard scoring strike from Darnley. It convered an eight-play, 47-yard drive that took 4:07. But Donovan ran for a 17 yard score at 7:22 for a 20-7 Ithaca lead with 7:22 left in the first half. Brown closed out the second quarter scoring at 5:22, catching a 27-yard touchdown pass from Darnley to pull the Golden Eagles to within six at 20-14. Brown then scored the final points of the game with his third quarter touchdown run.

Charlie Stephens (Westport, CT/Staples) and Bryan Steele (Hudson Falls) led the Bombers with 12 tackles each, while Dustin Ross (Salamanca) had three tackles for losses for Ithaca. Walther was joined by solid Brockport defensive efforts by Chris Beh (Webster), who had 11 tackles, and Mark Ferry (Depew/Cheektowaga), with 10 tackles.

Ithaca hosts Utica next Saturday at 1 p.m. while Brockport travels to Atlantic Central Football Conference rival Wesley for a 1 p.m. game Saturday.