Pioneers Can't Come All the Way Back

The Alfred State football team fell behind 35-6 early in the 4th quarter before rallying to cut it to two scores but Concordia (MI) held off the rally for the 35-21 victory.  The Pioneers are now 0-2 while the Cardinals are 1-1.

D'Karas Fields caught a 8-yard pass from Tyler Steele to open up the scoring at 6:47 of the 1st quarter to cap a 14-play 60-yard drive.

The Cardinals made it 14-0 with 8:42 in the 2nd quarter when Austin Douglass caught a 5-yard pass from Steele.

Rasheed Williams (Swedesboro, NJ) scored the first Pioneer NCAA DIII touchdown four minutes later when he dove in from one-yard out to cap a 67-yard drive and cut the lead to 14-6.

Steele connected on his 3rd passing score of the 1st half 50 seconds later when he hit Ashton Hundley for a 49-yard score.

On the Cardinals first drive of the 2nd half, Steele connected with Fields on a 24-yard score with 9:30 to make it 28-6.

Beau Perry made it 35-6 when he connected on a 33-yard pass play with Fields with 13:19 left in the game.

Alfred started their comeback with 9:39 left when Gregory Hampton (Uniondale) hit Khris Greggs (Rochester/Aquinas) on a 23-yard pass play.  Keegan Phalen (East Aurora) scored the two-point conversion to make it 35-14.

Hampton made it 35-21 with 3:06 remaining when he dove in from two yards out to cap a 78-yard drive.

Alfred got the ball back with just under two minutes left and drove into Concordia territory but could not put any more points on the board.

Hampton finished the day 11 for 26 for 212 yards.  Greggs was the leading receiver with three catches for 97 yards and a score while Williams rushed 22 times for 71 yards and a score.

Steele finished 16 for 32 for 283 yards and four scores.  Fields had six catches for 125 yards and three scores while Corey Turner had five catches for 115 yards.

John Garbowski (Lakeland) led the defense with 10 tackles while Phalen and Rory Spain (Tully) each chipped in eight.  Brett Harrington (Rochester/Edison) picked off a 1st quarter pass while Phalen, Mike DeGroat (Vestal), Matt Munson (Clyde Savannah), and Nick DePofi (Union Endicott) all had sacks.

Takari Johnson finished with 16 tackles and two sacks for the Cardinals.  Gabe Cox was in on 15 tackles.

Concordia gained 371 yards (316 passing and 55 rushing) compared to Alfred's 327 (212 passing and 115 rushing). 

The blue & gold complete their three game opening season roadtrip next week when they travel to Husson (ME) College for a Noon.