Pioneers Win Opener

For the fifth straight season the Alfred State football team opened up their season with a victory. The Pioneers got contributions from all sides of the ball in their 27-3 victory over Hartwick JV on Sunday afternoon.

Hartwick scored the lone points of the 1st quarter when Maxwell Sergovich connected on a 26-yard field goal.

Alfred took the lead for good in the first minute of the second quarter when Colton Caldwell (Dublin, OH) steamrolled 16-yards into the endzone on the quarterback keeper. After forcing a Hartwick punt, Collin Frazer (Woodbridge, VA) took the punt back 89-yards to make it 14-3.

The blue & gold added to their lead early with two scores early in the 3rd quarter. Joey Frendo (Fremont, MI) dove in from one-yard out to make it 20-3 just 2:11 into the 3rd. The short drive was keyed by a long kickoff return by Shawn Charles (Rochester/Greece Olympia).

Keegan Phelan (East Aurora) made it 27-3 when he intercepted a deflected pass and ran it back 31-yards for the pick six.

Neither team could dent the scoreboard the rest of the way. The teams combined for six turnovers in the games final 25 minutes.

Alonzo Joyner (Queens/Info Tech High School) led the defense with 10 tackles, a fumble recovery, and a blocked punt while Brandt Rice (Fort Myers, FL) chipped in eight tackles. David Howell (Rochester/Greece Athena) had seven tackles and a sack while Cory Bradbury (Norwich) was credited with two sacks. Phillip Ojo (Staten Island) and Tygee Washington (Bronx/Urban Assembly) joined Phalen with interceptions while Carl Williams (Rochester/Greece Olympia), Phelan, Quanta Reynolds (Rochester/East), Jerome Thomas (Buffalo/McKinley), and Chris Colasurdo (Shortsville/Red Jacket) all had sacks.

Frendo finished 9 for 17 for 109 yards while Caldwell was 6 for 9 for 58 yards. Caldwell also caught four passes for 79 yards. Dileel Bartley (Rochester/Edison) rushed for 33 yards on six carries.

Andrew Bashford led the Hawk offense with a 10 for 21 day for 171 yards. Sam Hyatt caught six passes for 95 yards and Quinn Braithwaite had five catches for 98 yards. Ronald Lewis led the defense with six tackles, a sack, and an interception.

Hartwick earned 13 first downs compared to Alfred's 11 and outgained the Pioneers 261 to 218.

Alfred continues their season opening three-game road trip on Saturday when they face Region III rival at Jim Ball Stadium in Orchard Park. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.