BROCKPORT, N.Y. — A.J. Covella completed 21-of-30 passes for 280 yards and two first-half touchdowns as SUNY-Brockport held off Frostburg State 19-14 in an Atlantic Central Football Conference game Saturday afternoon at Special Olympics Stadium.
The Golden Eagles improved to 2-2 overall and 2-1 in the ACFC with their sixth straight win over the Bobcats, who dropped to 1-2 overall and 0-2 in conference play.
Brockport opened the scoring with 7:19 left in the opening quarter when Covella connected with Kevin Beaumont for a 13-yard scoring strike.
Adam Lanctot added the extra point to complete a nine-play, 87-yard march that was sparked by a 54-yard pass from Covella to Mike Mahoney down to the FSU 16.
The Golden Eagles opened a 10-0 cushion on a 37-yard field goal by Lanctot with 8:45 left in the first half and added a back-breaking touchdown just 42 seconds before halftime when Covella hit Mahoney with a 13-yard scoring pass. Lanctot converted the extra point to give the hosts a 17-0 lead at the break.
The Golden Eagles only held a 16:47-13:13 advantage in time of possession in the first half but took advantage of excellent field position.
Brockport’s average drive start was its own 41, compared to FSU, which began at an average of its own 14.
The Bobcats could not mount much of an attack on their seven possessions of the opening half, punting six times and having the final drive last just one play before time expired.
SUNY-Brockport looked to increase its lead on its first march of the second half but came up empty as Lanctot missed a 48-yard field goal.
The Bobcats took advantage of the miscue and went on an 11-play, 74-yard drive that was capped by a one-yard plunge by redshirt-junior quarterback Jimmy Ward (Poolesville, Md./Poolesville).
Ward sparked the march by hitting sophomore running back Shanorm Young (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytechnic) with a 16-yard pass and connecting with junior wideout Derrick Frank (Bel Camp, Md./Harford Tech) for 37-yard gain.
The Bobcats also got some help from a Brockport personal foul that put them into Golden Eagle territory for the first time during the game.
Brockport seemed to regain the momentum on its next possession behind the running of Brian Wise and the passing of Covella. Wise carried five times for 27 yards and Covella completed four tosses for 41 yards as the Golden Eagles marched from their 31 to the Bobcat one.
The hosts gambled on fourth down and came up empty again as Covella’s pass to Mike Bond was incomplete.
However, a bad snap on FSU’s next play resulted in a safety for the Golden Eagles as they built a 19-7 cushion with 4:36 remaining in the third quarter.
FSU put together a solid drive with just under five minutes left in the game, using just 49 seconds and seven plays to march 71 yards to the Brockport nine.
Ward completed passes of 16, 34 and 21 yards to give FSU an excellent scoring chance, but four incompletions brought that drive to an end.
Just three plays later, junior linebacker Lathon Romaine (Burke, Va./Lake Braddock) picked off a Covella pass at the Brockport 14 to give the Bobcats another shot.
A pass interference penalty on Brockport set FSU up at the two, and Ward then found sophomore fullback Mike Perlozzo (Sayre, Pa./Athens) for a two-yard scoring pass. Freshman Mark Sedlock (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) kicked the extra point to pull FSU to within 19-14 with 2:21 left.
FSU was poised to get the ball back at its 39 with just over a minute left following a Brockport punt, but the Bobcats were whistled for roughing the punter and the Golden Eagles regained possession and ran out the clock for the win.
Ward finished 16-of-33 for 244 yards and a touchdown, while Frank led the receiving corps with 71 yards on two catches. Brockport shut down the Bobcat ground game, allowing just 21 yards on 23 carries.
Redshirt-senior All-American defensive end Kevin Culbert (Purcellville, Va./Loudoun Valley) had another stellar performance, posting 12 tackles, including nine solos, five for loss and two more sacks. In just three games this year, he has 30 tackles (22 solos), 15 tackles for loss and six sacks.
Romaine was also outstanding, finishing with a career-high 12 tackles (four for loss), two pass breakups and one interception. Senior linebacker Chris Lentz (Ashburn, Va./Broad Run) added 10 stops, including three for loss and a sack.
The Bobcats return to action Saturday, October 1 when they host Buffalo State in another ACFC contest beginning at 1 pm.
