Pioneers Clash with Spartans on Saturday

Castleton (0-6, 0-2 ECFC) at Alfred State (2-5, 0-2 ECFC)

6th Meeting - Castleton defeated Alfred State 21-3 last year

Oct 26th - Noon - Pioneer Stadium

Scouting Alfred State:

• 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. The Pioneers led 20-19 at the half but the Bison scored on their first three drives of the 2nd half to take control of the game. Dashown Wilson finished with 284 yards and three scores passing to go along with 36 yards rushing (two scores). Shy'rel Broadwater had a big day as he caught seven passes for 151 yards and three scores. Brian Williams led the Pioneers with nine tackles while Andrew Pierre-Paul, Rylie Van Fleet, and Paul Portorreal each had eight stops.
• Shy'rel Broadwater was rewarded for his big game last week by being named the ECFC Rookie of the Week. Going into the game last week, Broadwater had caught only three passes on the season.
• After two weeks of success on the ground, the Pioneers passed for nearly 300 yards last week (284). Dashown Wilson was 17 for 41 and three three touchdowns.
• The Pioneer defense will look to bounce back after struggling vs. the unique rushing attack from Gallaudet last week.
• Winning the turnover battle this week and controlling the clock will also be key. The Pioneers were a -2 last week and only had the ball for 23 minutes.
• The young defensive backfield continues to lead the team. Andrew Pierre-Paul and Brian Williams each have 37 tackles this year. Brockton Weist lead the team with 4.5 sacks while Elijah Rimpel has 4.

Scouting Castleton:

• Castleton fell by a final score of 21-3 at Maritime last week. Jacob McCarthy completed 21-of-38 passes for 197 yards and an interception, finding Anthony Martinez nine times for 115 yards. Simon Davis Jr. carried the ball 13 times for 45 yards, while Matthew Hesford added 31 yards on seven carries. Jared Brockway reeled in four catches for 24 yards, while Castleton's only points came from the foot of Andy Kenosh who knocked through a 29-yard field goal in the third quarter. Seth Gewanter's 12 tackles led all players in the game as he racked up six solo tackles and six assists. He also forced a fumble in addition to 1.5 tackles for a loss. Dustin Rock added a pair of tackles for a loss as part of a nine-tackle day, while three of Chris Rice's five tackles went for negative yardage.
• Jacob McCarthy has completed 53.8% of his passes this year for 1,160 yards. He has four touchdown throws but has thrown seven interceptions.
• Simon Davis Jr. leads the team with 368 rushing yhards and three scores. 
• Dustin Rock and Chris Rice have been key upfront for the Spartans. Rock leads the team with 41 stops while Rice has 37 stops and a team best 4.5 sacks.
• Defensive backs Nick Reca and Ethan Palazzetti both have three interceptions this season.
• The Spartans have allowed 13 passing touchdowns this season and have thrown seven interceptions. 

Last Year's Meeting:

• The Spartans defeated Alfred State 21-3 last year in the season finale for both teams. Castleton led 14-0 at half and held the Pioneers to just a field goal in the game. Jalen Long eclipsed the 1,000 yard receiving mark in the contest and John Lauretti was part of five sacks (3.5 sacks). Michael Zimmerman had a solid game on defense recording six tackles.

Around the ECFC:

Current Standings:

Gallaudet 2-0/2-3 overall

Dean 2-0/2-4 overall

Maritime 1-1/2-4 overall

Anna Maria 1-1/1-6 overall

Alfred State 0-2/2-5 overall

Castleton 0-2/0-6 overall

Players of the Week:

RJ Randle (Gallaudet) - Offensive, - Desmond Dias (Dean) - Defensive, Shy'rel Broadwater (Alfred State) - Rookie, & Joseph Gagliardi (Maritime) - Special Teams

Games this week:

Saturday 10/26: Castleton at Alfred State: Noon, Dean at Gallaudet: 1 p.m., Maritime at Anna Maria: 2 p.m. 

Game Day Information:

• Live Video
• Live Stats
• Tickets: $5 for Adults, $2 for Seniors, Free for Alfred State Students/Faculty & Staff, and youth under 13.
• Tailgating in Lot 20 will open at 9 a.m. - Tailgaiting Rules and Regulations

Up Next: The Pioneers go on the road for the final time when they visit Dean next week. The Spartans host Anna Maria next weekend.