By: Liam Hoffmann
BROCKPORT, NY-- A 93-yard pick-6 by safety Kyle Haettich sealed the deal in Brockport's 31-17 homecoming win over the Wilkes Colonels. After Brockport trailed 10-7 at halftime, the Golden Eagles' defense collected three second-half interceptions and the offense began the half with three straight scoring drives.
"They were making big plays and it was just our turn," Haettich said.
With 8:24 left in regulation, Wilkes safety Rob Barbieri intercepted Brockport quarterback Ben Gocella and gave the Colonels' offense a chance as they trailed 24-17. Controlling the clock, Wilkes quarterback Xavier Powell marched the offense 39 yards into Brockport's red zone and saw his unit in a 4th-and-2 from the 15-yard line. Then, Haettich intercepted Powell and returned it, setting up the 14-point Brockport lead.
"If you want to be considered one of the best, you have to shine when we need you to shine, and it just seems like Kyle does," Brockport head coach Jason Mangone said. "The hidden things that Kyle does in not only leadership but making all the calls for our defense and then he makes those two plays with the pick-6 and then caps off the win with that last interception, he's always going to be a guy who's in the right spot."
Gocella set a career-high in pass attempts, going 24-for-36 for 247 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Wide receiver Brian Caldwell Jr. set his Brockport career-high in receiving yards through only one half of play and finished with five receptions for 88 yards including a 40-yard score. Wide receiver Nolan Slwyka set a career-high in receptions, catching nine passes for 84 yards.
"Teams know that we want to run the ball and they're loading the box with one more than we have to block so that's when our pass game has to turn it on," Mangone said. "We have enough weapons where we're not gonna look to one guy and when we can kinda spread the wealth, that's gonna make us dangerous."
On the ground, Brockport running back Isaiah Simmons carried it 18 times, netting 91 yards with a 33-yard touchdown and adding four receptions. Late in the game, running back Gino Fontanarosa made his season debut for Brockport. Fontanarosa has been working back from an injury.
"If we can get him through this week, get him a couple carries late, we just need him to get healthy, " Mangone said. "Fully healthy, not healthy enough to play, but healthy enough to continue to play. There's a big difference."
Haettich paired two interceptions with five tackles including one for a loss. Linebacker Mike Talbert Jr. had Brockport's other interception and ended with 10 tackles.
After Brockport stopped Wilkes on the game's inaugural drive, Golden Eagles punt returner Daniel Manneh muffed a punt which set up Wilkes offense again on Brockport's 8-yard line. The Golden Eagles defense held strong and Wilkes kicked a field goal.
"You've got to minimize those errors," Mangone said. "We talked about having a sense of urgency at the start of the game...the key was just playing error-free and in the first half offensively we did not do that."
Later in the first, Gocella found Caldwell Jr. deep down the right sideline for a 40-yard touchdown and Brockport's only score of the first half.
In the second quarter, Gocella was sacked four times. A 7-minute second-quarter drive that saw Brockport's offense with a first down at Wilkes' 15-yard line came up empty. Colonels' Angel Ramos and Tyler Wetzel sacked Gocella on back-to-back plays leading to a failed 4th-and-23 attempt.
Gocella avoided being sacked in the second half.
"The mistakes we made stopped us from driving," Mangone said. "[Gocella] hasn't been touched in two weeks so to come out and get hit that many times...that's the thing for Ben: he has had three tremendous second halves whether he has anyone near him or not."
Brockport had it first in the third quarter and kicker Sal Montaperto converted a 28-yard field goal to knot things 10-10. On Wilkes' ensuing drive, Talbert Jr. caught a diving interception of Powell to end a 12-play 51-yard drive.
"We repped that play all week so I knew the sit-route was coming," Talbert Jr. said. "I was patient, just kept my eyes open and made the play."
Simmons sprung a 20-yard touchdown run late in the third which gave Brockport their first lead. After a 40-yard touchdown grab by Wilkes wide receiver Justin Moore that created another tie. Gocella then led a 65-yard drive that culminated in a 19-yard touchdown toss down the seam to Manneh. Haettich's later interception kept Wilkes from scoring again.
Brockport gets a bye next week before they host the St. John Fisher Cardinals in the Courage Bowl on Saturday October 5 at 1 p.m. Brockport begins in-conference Empire 8 play against the Cardinals.
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