MORRISVILLE, N.Y. – The Morrisville State College football team rolled to a season ending 62-20 victory over non-league opponent Alfred State College Saturday afternoon, wrapping up the season with a final victory on Drake Field in Morrisville, for its graduating senior class.
Morrisville State dominated the game from the start, collecting a season high 586 yards total offense to the Pioneers 333. More than 300 yards of the offensive blitz came from senior quarterback Cory Benedetto (Rochester, N.Y.) who completed 13 of 23 passes for 292 yards and three scores, while adding 69 net yards rushing on nine attempts, and a touchdown.
Marcus Jackson-Conner (Sodus, N.Y.) for a third time this season led the receiving unit with a 100+ yard game, registering 103 total yards on six catches for a touchdown. Jermaine Cooper (New York, N.Y.) caught two for 87 yards and a score, contributing to the Mustangs 325-yard air attack.
Kraig Gilbert (Silver Creek, N.Y.) added 75 yards to the Mustangs 261 yard total in the running game, posting six carries and a score in the victory.
Senior linebacker Wally Stephens (Kingston, N.Y.) ended his collegiate career leading the defensive unit with 14 total tackles, nine solo, while recording two sacks for a loss of 16 yards and forcing a fumble. Lucas Graves (Goshen, N.Y.) added nine stops, including 2.5 tackles for a loss of seven yards.
The Mustangs jumped out to a 20-13 lead after the opening quarter, with Darrel West (Syracuse, N.Y.) posting back-to-back touchdowns with two- and three-yard scoring runs, before Jackson-Conner caught a 17-yard scoring pass from Benedetto up the center of the field.
Morrisville State then rattled off two additional scores in the second quarter on the long ball from Benedetto for a commanding 34-13 halftime lead, the first a 75 yard strike from Benedetto to Cooper in one play with 10:01 to go in the quarter, as Cooper reeled in the bobbled ball with defensive pressure to walk into the end zone.
At the 6:13 mark, Benedetto completed a 62-yard pass to Kyle Flash (Bronx, N.Y.) to compete a six play, 90 yard drive for the Mustangs.
The lone score of the third came on the heels of Benedetto who got around the left guard into the end zone for a three-yard touchdown run.
Morrisville State added to its lead with three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, all on drives totaling just eight plays.
The first was just 1:02 into the final frame, as Gilbert scrambled up the center of the field on the first play of the drive and 71-yards later reached the end zone to boost the Mustangs to a 48-13 advantage.
Within minutes, Gram Nelson (Bemus Point, N.Y.) completed a five play, 45-yard drive with a 12-yard rushing score around the left corner, before Kinsey Williams (Holland Patent, N.Y.) wrapped up the day's action with 1:25 to go with his 63 yard rushing score to cap the two play, 67-yard drive and seal a 62-20 victory for the Mustangs.
Prior to the contest, Morrisville State celebrated its senior class.
Morrisville State College's curricula are enriched with applied learning and pave the way for opportunity at both the Morrisville and Norwich campuses. An action-oriented, interactive learning lab, the college is a national leader in technology and has been lauded for its exemplary, innovative and effective community service programs.
The college was ranked among the Best Regional Colleges in the North by U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges 2016 issue and was also recognized in the Top Public Schools, Regional Colleges North in the 2016 Best Colleges rankings. For more information about Morrisville State College, visit www.morrisville.edu.
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