Pioneers Fall in Offensive Slugfest

Alfred State and Gallaudet combined for 103 points and nearly 1,000 yards of offense in a ECFC slugfest. Behind a big 2nd half, the Bison earned a 62-41 victory.

Gallaudet got on the board 1st on their first possession after forcing a Pioneer punt. They put together a 10-play drive that was capped off by a one-yard run by Timel Benton to make it 6-0. The blue & gold answered right back with a score of their own when Jake Palmer (Albany/Voorheesville) scored from seven yards out. 

In the 2nd quarter, both teams continued to trade scores. Benton rushed in from 35-yards with 9:26 left before Dashown Wilson (Bronx/DeWitt Clinton) connected with Shy'rel Broadwater (Syracuse/Cicero North Syracuse) on a 8-yard pass play to make it 13-13. Benton's 3rd TD run, 13-yards, gave back the Bison the lead for under a minute before Wilson and Broadwater connected again on a touchdown strike, 43-yards. Michael Zimmerman's (Canandaigua) extra point made it 20-19 at the half.

Gallaudet scored on their first three drives of the 2nd half to take the lead. Benton rushed in from 17-yards, RJ Randle scored on a 32-yard run after an interception stopped the Pioneer offense, and Benton made it 41-20 with his 5th touchdown run , 17 yards, with 4:23 left in the quarter.

Broadwater and Wilson connected on a 32-yard pass play to make it 41-27 heading into the final quarter. After a defensive stop, the Pioneers had a chance to cut the lead to one possession but were unable to put any points on the board and never could get closer than 14 the rest of the way.

The teams traded scoring plays the rest of the game. Austin Silva-Wynne rushed in from four-yards, Joseph Mendis scored from four-yards out, and Randle scored on a 59-yard run for Gallaudet while Wilson scored from 21-yards and from eight yards for Alfred State.

Wilson finished with 284 yards and three scores passing to go along with 36 yards rushing (two scores). Broadwater had a big day as he caught seven passes for 151 yards and three scores.

Randle rushed for 239 yards on 14 carries and two scores while Benton had 154 yards and five scores on 15 carries. The Bison finished the day with 590 total yards rushing.

Brian Williams (Fort Washington, MD/Hargrave Military) led the Pioneers with nine tackles while Andrew Pierre-Paul (Brooklyn/Erasmus Hall), Rylie Van Fleet (Maine Endwell), and Paul Portorreal (Buffalo/Cheektowaga) each had eight stops. 

Stefan Anderson led the Bison with nine tackles and 1.5 sacks while Jack Gray intercepted a pair of passes.

The Pioneers return home next week to take on Castleton. Opening kickoff is at Noon.