At a glance
Four Alfred State turnovers in the 2nd half led to the Apprentice School breaking a halftime tie en route to a 35-21 victory over the Pioneers. Alfred falls to 3-3 on the season while the Builders improve to 2-5.
Four Alfred State turnovers in the 2nd half led to the Apprentice School breaking a halftime tie en route to a 35-21 victory over the Pioneers. Alfred falls to 3-3 on the season while the Builders improve to 2-5.
The Builders got on the board first when Rashawn Sims caught a five-yard pass from Paul Morgan with 3:31 remaining in the 1st half.
Alfred wasted little time scoring two plays later when Joey Frendo (Fremont, MI) connected with Mikel DeMonte (Brockport) on a 79-yard scoring play. Erik Simmons (Elmira Free) threw a crucial block down the field to fuel the play. The PAT attempt bounced off the crossbar.
Frendo gave the Pioneers their first lead of the game with 11:01 remaining in the 2nd quarter when he hit Colton Caldwell (Dublin, OH) on a 46-yard pass play. The two-point attempt was unsuccessful.
A minute and a half later Keegan Phalen (East Aurora) gave the Pioneers a 14-7 lead when he blocked a punt that was recovered in the end zone by Apprentice for a safety.
Apprentice tied it up heading into half when Morgan found Sims on a 10-yard pass play with just 14 seconds left in the half.
After Alfred threw an interception on their first possession of the 2nd half (Alfred fumbled the opening kickoff of the 2nd half) Morgan scored his first of three rushing touchdowns from three-yards out.
The Pioneers tied the game back up at 21-21 with 1:36 remaining when Frendo connected with Caldwell on a seven-yard scoring pass.
On the ensuing drive, the Builders drove 57-yards on 10 plays to take the lead for good. Morgan rushed in from seven yards out to cap the drive.
Morgan made it a two-TD lead four minutes later after a Pioneer fumble when he dove in from one-yard out.
The Pioneers threatened to cut the lead but a final turnover crushed any comeback hopes.
Frendo finished the day 21 for 38 for 286 yards and three scores. DeMonte, who had caught three passes on the season, caught seven passes for 128 yards and a score to pace the receivers. Caldwell had four catches for 76 yards and two scores.
Morgan finished 16 for 28 for 140 yards and two scores and rushed 14 times for 39 yards and three scores. Ralick Lockett rushed for 75 yards on 26 carries while Rashawn Simms had five catches for 58 yards.
Thomas Daniels (Bronx/Institute for Collaborative Education) had a monster day with 13 tackles (4.5 for a loss) and a sack. Alonzo Joyner (Queens/Info Tech) also finished with 13 tackles while Carl Williams (Rochester/Greece Olympia) and Michael Gibson (Capital Heights, MD) each had nine. Phalen and Cody Bradbury (Norwich) each had sacks on the day.
Izhia Roundtree led Apprentice with eight tackles and two sacks Aaron Finley had seven tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
The Pioneer offense was held to -1 yards rushing on 18 carries and turned the ball over a total of five times in the contest compared to Apprentice’s one turnover.
The blue & gold complete the season with three straight home games starting next Saturday when they host the Southern Virginia University at Pioneer Stadium at 1 p.m.