Gearing up for the Cortaca Jug: Yankee Stadium edition
Happy Cortaca week to all those who celebrate.
Saturday’s 67th Cortaca Jug Game between Ithaca College and SUNY Cortland football is set to be yet another thriller between two elite Division III programs. The Jug is hitting the road this year, being held at Yankee Stadium for the second time ever. Their inaugural Bronx meeting in 2022 ended in favor of the Bombers 34-17, so the Red Dragons’ will aim for redemption not only for their last trip to the city but also for last season’s 26-21 defeat at Butterfield Stadium.
Starting with the red side of this rivalry, Cortland fittingly comes in red-hot. The Red Dragons are a perfect 9-0 and are currently ranked ninth in the nation by d3football.com. They’ve already gotten one revenge win under their belts after beginning up the season with a 28-18 win at Grove City after losing to them in last year’s opener. After pitching a 26-0 shutout at Union, it was time for conference play for the Red Dragons. Unsurprisingly there were plenty of blowouts once again, the most notable of which their 80-7 drubbing of Alfred State to break the single-game scoring record. But they were challenged at times with some closer contests, namely an eight-point win over St. John Fisher and a 10-point victory at nationally-ranked Utica. But even in those games, Cortland was in control and there was never the sense that they were going to lose.
Then came this past Saturday’s contest at Brockport, where the Red Dragons could seal up a sixth straight Empire 8 title with a win. Unlike their other contests, they had to face some early adversity when the Golden Eagles turned a Mike Rescigno interception into a touchdown two plays later to go up 7-0. Rescigno made amends with a 20-yard keeper to tie things up. While Brockport retook the lead with a field goal, Cortland’s field goal attempt to again draw level was no good. What followed was a defensive battle for most of the second quarter with five straight punts combined, but the Red Dragons found their stride with back-to-back passing touchdowns, one to Jacque LaPrarie for 61 yards and the other to Jayson Zeva for 30 yards. Just like that, Cortland was in command up 21-10 at halftime.
Their late-first half prowess carried over right into the second half as Rescigno scampered his way into the end zone for a 60-yard score. He then found Joe Iadevaio for a 33-yard TD to cap off a 28-0 run to essentially put the game out of reach. The Red Dragons would go on to win 42-24 to secure another conference title and extend their winning streak against Empire 8 opponents to an astonishing 40 games.
If there’s one thing that the Red Dragons have displayed this year, it’s being able to score in bunches. The Golden Eagles were on the wrong side of that, but they were far from the only team to have that fate. It starts under center with the outstanding dual threat ability of Rescigno. He actually had more rushing yards (a career-high 196) than passing yards (190) against Brockport, and his five total touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) is even more proof of his versatility. He did throw two interceptions, and Ithaca was able to pick him off a crucial point in last year’s Cortaca Jug. If the Bombers can’t slow him down on the ground, then they’ll hope to force him into making a rare miscue through the air and take advantage.
The Bombers’ defense also has to worry about Rescigno’s plethora of weapons. There’s the ever-efficient Ethan Gallo in the backfield with a team-high 14 rushing touchdowns. There’s the quartet of experienced in Iadevaio, Zeva, Iadevaio and Sam Cotton. My biggest question mark entering the season for Cortland was the offensive line given that it only returned one starter, and they have performed incredibly well to allow Rescigno and the skill position players to flourish.
Like in previous years, the Red Dragons’ defense has gone a tad under the radar, but it shouldn’t be that way. This Cortland defense is equally as powerful as their offense, limiting opponents to just under 12 points per game. They have plenty of depth in the linebacker room with Aidan Lochner, Joe Galea and Memphis Ferguson. In the secondary, preseason All-American Nazair Jean-Lubin, Anthony Luciano, Sonny Mayo and Hayden Lovinsky have all played lockdown football.
With the Red Dragons’ win over Brockport, they’ve officially secured a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Ithaca had a chance to do the same when they hosted RPI on Saturday in the de facto Liberty League championship game. The Bombers controlled the first half and outgained the Engineers 228-69. But they weren’t quite able to fully capitalize. A missed field goal meant no score in the first quarter. A Mike Reed rushing TD put the Bombers in front, but the Engineers tied the game after a Reed interception. An Andrew Rice field goal as time expired meant the Bombers would be up 10-7 at halftime.
RPI flipped the script in the second half as they outgained Ithaca 192-63. With that being said, the Bombers forced two RPI turnovers, though were not able to put any points on the board off of those turnovers. The first came to start the second half with an interception, but the Bombers were sacked at midfield and were forced to punt. After the Engineers got into the end zone to go up 14-10, they were threatening again inside the red zone. Ithaca’s defense stood tall yet again by forcing a fumble. But once more, the Bombers stalled at midfield and punted it away with 3:29 remaining. Ithaca would see the ball again, but it was only with eight seconds left and only time for two more plays. One play got them to the Engineers’ 48-yard line, and the other play a Hail Mary attempt that fell short.
The defeat essentially ends the Bombers’ hopes of making the NCAA Tournament. They’re currently 68th in the National Power Index (NPI), which determines which teams get at-large bids and seeding for the tourney. There are only 11 at-large spots, and the team currently in that final spot is Bethel, who are ranked 33rd. Even a victory against the Red Dragons—who are ranked second in the NPI—will not be enough to leap up 30-plus spots.
This has been far from a lost season for the Bombers, however. They bounced back from a season-opening loss at Johns Hopkins and rattled off seven straight wins, highlighted by a gutsy 27-20 victory. But like last year, there was still that trend for the Bombers of getting off to slow starts and were more of a second half. They turned a 7-0 halftime lead over Rochester into a 36-0 shutout. The following game at Union, they increased a 21-14 halftime lead to a 35-14 victory. While there’s plenty of merit for being able to pull away from their opponents, they know very well that they can’t afford to be behind the eight-ball against Cortland.
Reed’s first full season under center has not disappointed, as he too has shown a strong dual threat ability. He’s part of a “holy trinity” on offense with running back Chris Scully and wide receiver Nick Lang, the latter of whom has found the end zone in all but two games this year.
If the Bombers want to prevail again at Yankee Stadium, they’ll have to lean on their stellar defense, undoubtedly the best that Cortland will have faced this year. It’s a unit that’s allowed just 11 points per contest that’s spearheaded by defensive back Joe Spirra. He is quite literally all over the field, zooming to wherever the ball is for tackles and can force fumbles like he did against RPI. Spirra has been helped out in the secondary by Andrew Swierbut, while Chris Clax has been a force to be reckoned with on the line with a team-high 7.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. Linebacker Takacs also has four sacks on the season.
While Cortland will be considered the favorites on Saturday, the beautiful thing about the Cortaca Jug is that everything gets thrown out the window. As cliché as that sounds, it will especially ring true in a neutral location. Prediction-wise, I’ll still give the Red Dragons the edge, though it will be a close game. I don’t foresee either team winning by more than two scores.
If you can’t make it down to the Bronx for the game, I’m sure there will be plenty of local spots to catch the game. If you’re at home, the game will be aired on the YES Network at 1 p.m. featuring Chris Shearn on play-by-play alongside friend of the column Nevan Kearney as the Cortland-based analyst and Brad Romano as the Ithaca-based analyst.
Who should the Bills, Giants buy at the deadline? Who should the Jets sell?
The NFL trade deadline is set for tomorrow at 4 p.m., so there’s still time for teams to make some last-minute moves. For two of the three New York, they’ll most certainly be looking to add some pieces to bolster their postseason hopes. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out which team will be sellers.
It also doesn’t take a genius to know what the Bills need at the deadline: defense. Anybody will help at this point. While the Bills sit with a 6-1 record entering tonight’s game against the Vikings and a league-best 33.3 points per game, Buffalo has a bottom-10 defense with 25.9 points allowed per game.
The pass defense in particular has been atrocious, allowing the third-most passing yards per game with 254.7. Cutting C. J. Gardner-Johnson (rightfully so) indicates where specifically the Bills would like bolster their ranks. Multiple sources have confirmed just that: The Bills are looking for safeties and cornerbacks.
So who should Buffalo look to partner with Cole Bishop at safety? The most notable name that has been linked is Budda Baker. With the Cardinals once again struggling at 3-6, it would be quite the boost to bring in an eight-time Pro Bowler. The biggest hurdle is the Bills’ limited cap space with just under $3.5 million to work with. Elijah Molden is probably the most realistic option, given that he’s on a somehow still-winless Chargers team and is only owed $3.3 million, which almost perfectly fits the bill for the Bills. The Titans’ Amani Hooker is also a great shout and would only add $4.7 million, something they can work around.
As for cornerback help, Buffalo is likely looking for more depth pieces rather than a new starter with Christian Benford and Davison Igbinosun already settled in that regard. Riq Woolen would be a nice addition from an Eagles team in freefall. But again, from a financial standpoint, the less flashy names like the Chargers’ Tarheeb Still or the Commanders’ Amik Robertson.
Whatever the Bills decide to do, it is imperative that they make some sort of move in order to improve their defense. Otherwise, it seems inevitable that that side of the ball will let down Josh Allen and company in January for the umpteenth time. OK, maybe not any move. No more veteran big names, as that hasn’t quite worked out before (see: Von Miller). So Khalil Mack? No thanks.
It’s still crazy to think that the Giants are in the position of being buyers at the deadline. But as they continue to have more of a stranglehold in the NFC East thanks to a gritty win in Philadelphia, now is the opportunity to make a move or two to help solidify their spot in the postseason.
The position that has been swirling around the rumor mill is at running back, namely with Jonathan Taylor. It would be quite the statement acquisition for one of the top backs in the league, but it’s looking less and less likely. They had pulled their offer of a second- and a fifth-round pick for Taylor, though head coach John Harbaugh says a deal is not dead in the water.
If you ask me as the resident Giants fan, I’m going to go against the grain and say they’re just fine at the running back position. Yes, I know that Tyrone Tracy Jr. is on IR and Cam Skattebo is dealing with an injury. While I’m not fully against adding another back for depth purposes, the trio of Skattebo, Tracy and Devin Singletary has proven to be effective, namely against the Texans when they combined for 180 yards on the ground.
On defense, more big names have been connected to Big Blue. Of course there was the chance to get Jeffery Simmons from the Titans—or at least, Harbaugh inquired about it—but alas, he was deal to Chicago and has already made a significant impact. But there’s another defensive tackle that has popped up: Vita Vea of the Buccaneers. Again, maybe it’s just recency bias seeing the Giants defense feast on the Eagles with seven sacks and led by the versatile Arvell Reese, but they don’t need that big splash.
As I have said before, the state of the NFC East is quite poor. The Eagles are an injury-riddled mess, and the Commanders are having another down season. The Cowboys are the biggest threat at 4-5, but their defense is still a major red flag even after adding Joey Porter Jr. to the cornerback room. At the risk of jinxing the G-Men, they’ll be just fine with the roster they have and are in a good position to win the division, though I certainly won’t be opposed if there’s a new player in blue by Tuesday.
That now leaves the Jets to talk about. At 2-7, we could very well see a repeat of last year’s deadline where they sent cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Colts and netted two first round picks. Given the Colts have the same exact record, that’s quite the win for Gang Green. They also dealt defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys for another first rounder.
With that in mind, you wouldn’t put it past general manager Darren Mougey to part with notable names on the offensive side of the ball this time around. However, multiple sources believe that won’t be the case. Running back Breece Hall has been swirling around, though ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter threw cold water over that rumor. The Jets are also not interested in dealing away wide receiver Garrett Wilson despite his frustrations of not getting the ball.
If there’s anybody that could be dealt, defensive end Will McDonald IV is likely the odd man out in New York. The former first round pick has not been able to live up to the hype and has only played in 48% of their snaps. With him requesting a trade and his contract expiring after next season, the Jets could capitalize on his value. Defensive tackle Harrison Phillips is an even more realistic trade piece as a player on an expiring deal.
One thing’s for sure: If Jets fans were able to trade away head coach Aaron Glenn, they would do so in a heartbeat. Then again, what would get in return at that point? Chances are, not much.
More Section IV fall champions crowned
While all of the local high school soccer teams have had their seasons come to a close, there are plenty of other fall sports in the thick of postseason play.
We’ll begin on the gridiron with Section IV semifinal action over the weekend with three teams hitting the turf.
On Friday night, Ithaca ventured to Corning for the Class AA semifinal. The Little Red was certainly up against history. They had lost their last 23 games against a Corning-based team, with their last victory coming all the way back in 2002 against Corning West. They also have not won a postseason game this century. But with an improved team and entering the game with back-to-back victories, there was some optimism that they could pull off the upset. However, the Hawks set the tone right from the get-go with John Graham returning the opening kickoff 85 yards to the house. A Jasmir Robbins rushing touchdown to cut the deficit down to 16-7, Corning would rattle off 28 unanswered points en route to a 44-13 victory. A Leo Fiorello TD pass to fellow senior Shy’von Williams was the other Little Red score. A tough ending for Ithaca but it was a successful season overall at 5-5.
Speaking of Ithaca, Moresco Stadium would host both eight-man semifinal games. After Thomas A. Edison took down Unatego/Franklin 54-27, it was time for an all-local matchup between Lansing and Moravia. Anticipation was sky-high given that they split their regular season meetings, and the two state-ranked foes did not disappoint. It was a back-and-forth first half, one that would see the Bobcats take a 14-12 lead entering the break. The Blue Devils scored on the opening possession of the second half as a one-yard keeper from Dillon Palmer gave Moravia its first lead, up 18-14. But like in their second meeting in which Lansing scored 30 unanswered points in a 36-22 victory, the Bobcats once again had control of the second half. They proceeded to put up 20 straight points with three Logan Mayo rushing touchdowns. Mayo ended the day with five total TDs (four rushing, one passing to Zayden Davis) as the Bobcats came out on top 34-18. Their first Section IV championship game since 2019 will take place this Friday against Thomas A. Edison, a 5 p.m. kickoff at Chenango Valley High School. Lansing will have their hands full against Jace Schiller, who ran for seven TDs in the semifinal, but Mayo and company are capable of matching his firepower. While the Blue Devils fell shy of making a fifth straight sectional championship game, it’s still been another stellar season at 6-3.
Over at Union-Endicott High School were the Class D semifinal contests. The first game wasn’t much of a contest as Delhi routed Deposit-Hancock 49-14. But that wasn’t the case between Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour and Tioga. While most expected a similar outcome to their regular season matchup where the Tigers prevailed 43-12, the Schuyler Storm held the defending state champions in check for three quarters. Literally. Unfathomably, there were no points on the board entering the fourth quarter. The Storm would take the lead with nine minutes left as Mason Dupay ran it in from three yards out. Tioga responded with a three-yard rushing TD but failed the two-point conversion. Another twist came on the ensuing kickoff as the Tigers recovered an onside kick. They would march down the field and find the end zone again with three minutes remaining to go up 12-7. The Storm had a chance to pull off the heroics, but a Tioga one-handed interception at their six-yard line sealed the deal and broke the hearts of the Storm. A phenomenal season for Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour comes to a devastating end at 7-3.
There were three sports that held their Section IV championships. Starting on Thursday, Chenango Valley State Park was once again the site of the cross country championships. There were four local champions in total, two individual and two team. In Class A, Ithaca senior Tsadia Bercuvitz won her third straight title. Her teammates Avery Whittaker and Mattea Dauria rounded out the top three to help the Little Red capture the team title. In Class D, Groton‘s Madison Farberman took home the gold as only an eighth grader. Also in Class D, the Odessa-Montour girls team came out on top.
To Tioga High School we go for volleyball. Saturday featured a double dose of redemption. The two IAC runners-up exacted their revenge in their respective championship matches. In Class C, Trumansburg took down rivals Lansing in five sets to claim its first sectional title since 2023. The Blue Raiders lost to the Bobcats the week prior in the IAC Large School Championship in five sets. Candor had the exact same fate. After losing to Newfield in five sets in the IAC Small School Championships, the Coyotes defeated the Trojans in five sets to win their fourth straight sectional title. Trumansburg will play Lafayette in sub-regionals Wednesday afternoon at Candor High School. Candor will battle Lake George in regionals Saturday at Chenango Valley High School. This past Sunday, Ithaca was swept by Corning in the Class AAA championship.
Two local girls swimming teams won sectional titles this past week. In Class A, Ithaca claimed victory in Elmira, beating the runner-up Horseheads by 144 points. Eighth grader Olivia Houppert-Singer paced the Little Red with two of their seven goal medals, taking first place in the 200 individual medley and the 100 breaststroke. In Class C, Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour successfully defend their pool by winning a jaw-dropping 10th consecutive sectional crown, edging Southern Cayuga by 47 points. The freshmen duo of Makenzie Fish and Lexi Emerson each won three events to lead the Storm to even more glory.
Other things that caught my eye
- Congratulations to Cortland women’s soccer for repeating as SUNYAC champions with a 4-1 win over Fredonia. The Red Dragons will find out today at 11:30 a.m. who they will face in the NCAA Tournament with the revealing of the bracket. As for other local college fall sports, Cortland men’s soccer had a scoreless draw in their SUNYAC final against Oneonta but fell 3-2 on penalty kicks. Cortland field hockey lost their SUNYAC final to 4-2. Both Ithaca soccer teams fell in the Liberty League semifinals, the men 2-0 at Vassar and the women 3-0 at William Smith.
- Cornell volleyball has had quite the outstanding season, one that has resulted in some hardware. For the first time since 2006, the Big Red is Ivy League champions, clinching the crown with a five-set win over Brown on Saturday. That also means they’ve earned hosting rights for the conference tournament, which will take place on November 20-21. They still have two more matches to play: Friday at Harvard and Saturday at Dartmouth.
- Cornell men’s soccer will host their Ivy League tournament this week. They have the first semifinal Thursday at 3:30 p.m. against Harvard, while Yale and Penn will go head-to-head afterwards. The championship game is set for Sunday with a 1 p.m. kickoff. The Big Red has not won an Ivy League title since they switched to the tournament format in 2023. You have to go back to 2012 the last time they won a conference championship.
- It was another close-but-no-cigar defeat for Cornell football. The Big Red had its hands full once again going up against yet another top-tier defense with Penn coming to town. They faced even more adversity with Garrett Bass-Sulpizio getting knocked out of the game in the first quarter with an injury after taking a big hit on what resulted in a roughing the passer penalty. Freshman Michael McColgan stepped in and led the Big Red the rest of the way. He showed flashes of brilliance on the ground in particular with multiple big runs, but it wasn’t enough as the Quakers came out on top 14-13. The defense keeps improving, at the very least. Cornell (3-5, 1-4 Ivy League) has now lost three games in a row and will host Dartmouth this Saturday.
- We’re officially one week into the college basketball season, so let’s check in on how the four local Division I teams fared. Cornell men’s basketball had a dramatic start to its campaign. The Big Red got off to a strong start against Pepperdine and held a 10-point leading with six minutes to go. That lead was soon erased by the Waves and went up 85-84 with 40 seconds left. But leave it to Jacob Beccles, the Big Red’s lone returning starter, to play hero with his lay-up with 24 seconds left proving to be the game-winner for an 86-85 final score. Cornell’s high-flying offense was then stifled by Lehigh on Thursday, shooting 37% from the floor and 16% from three-point land as they fell 71-64. The Big Red bounced back on Sunday with a 99-59 win over Division III Keuka College. Fun fact: Keuka is led by former Tompkins Cortland Community College head coach Tom Wilk and last year led the Wolves to their first-ever Empire 8 title and first-ever NCAA Tournament last year.
- Elsewhere in local college hoops, Cornell women’s basketball expectedly struggled against UConn on Monday with a season-opening 100-35 setback, and to Syracuse women’s basketball on Sunday 80-48. Those defeats sandwiched a 106-37 blowout of Division III Fredonia on Thursday. Syracuse men’s basketball is off to a perfect start in the Gerry McNamara era, expectedly dispatching New Haven 74-58 on Monday and a destruction of Central Connecticut State 102-49 on Thursday. The Orange will have a tougher test tonight against Indiana, with the game being played at the Pacers’ arena.
- As is usually the case, Ithaca and Cortland basketball will open up their seasons against each other. Both games will take place Tuesday at Ben Light Gymnasium. The women’s game is up first at 5:30 p.m. followed by the men’s game. Also noteworthy was that SUNY Cortland women’s basketball nearly beat Division I Wagner in an exhibition on Monday, falling 80-72. Sounds like they’ll be pretty good once again, I’d say.
