Pioneers Close Out 2017 Campaign

Castleton scored two defensive touchdowns in the 3rd quarter to take control of a close season ending ECFC battle between the Spartans and Alfred State. Castleton improved to 6-4 with the 49-21 victory.

Moe Harris got the Spartans on the board with a nine-yard scamper with 2:10 remaining in the 1st quarter. The Pioneers bounced right back two plays later when Kiegan Brown (Cortland) broke a handful of tackles and raced 55-yards for the tying score.

The Spartans retook the lead when Harris scored for the second time, from two yards out, to cap a eight-play 65-yard drive. They made it 21-7 just over four minutes later when Mitchell Caron connected with Jermaine Coggins on a 59-yard scoring pass play.

The Pioneers cut it to 21-14 heading into halftime when they put together a 58-yard drive that was capped off by a 16-yard pass play from Hunter Evingham (Bolivar Richburg) to Jalen Long (Rochester/Bishop Kearney).

The game was decided in a three minute stretch of the 3rd quarter. Jakob Trautwein intercepted a pass and returned it 30 yards for a Spartans score with 8:14 left in the quarter. With 6:54 remaining, Caron connected with Coggins on a 26-yard pass play to make it 35-14. 1:42 later Wyatt Prue recovered a fumble in the endzone after sack by Chris Rice.

Evingham dove in from one-yard out in the final minute of the 3rd quarter to cut into the lead but Harris' third TD run of the game with 7:48 remaining capped the scoring.

Evingham finished 11 for 24 for 110 yards, Brown finished the day with 72 yards rushing on 18 carries, and Willerm Greffin (Brooklyn/South Shore) caught three passes for 45 yards.

Harris rushed for 147 yards and three scores to lead the Spartans. Caron finished 9 for 15 for 178 yards with Coggins catching six of those passes for 130 yards.

John Lauretti (Seaford) capped a solid season with 16 tackles (5.5 for a loss) and three sacks. Dashown Wilson (Bronx/DeWitt Clinton) added eight tackles and an interception, Anders Presthus (Lansing) also registered eight tackles, and Brenlee Gonzalez Delgado (Beacon) had seven tackles and an interception.

Trautwein finished the day with 10 tackles and an interception while Nick Reca added nine tackles.

The Spartans finished with 335 yards on the day while the Pioneers had 169. 

The 2018 season begins on September 1st when the Pioneers host UMASS-Dartmouth