SUNY CORTLAND FOOTBALL NOTES
Cortland Red Dragons (1-1, 0-0 Empire 8) vs. Hartwick Hawks (2-0, 0-0 Empire 8)
Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025; 3 p.m.; Wright Stadium; Oneonta, N.Y.

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THE MATCHUP: Cortland, the four-time defending Empire 8 champion, opens league play with a road contest at Hartwick. The nationally 24th-ranked Red Dragons split their first two non-league games, losing to ranked Grove City before defeating Union. Hartwick has opened the season 2-0 after wins over Maine Maritime Academy and Buffalo State.
 
THE SERIES: Cortland leads the overall series with Hartwick by an 19-0 count. Cortland won the first 10 meetings, nine by shutout, between 1929-50. Hartwick discontinued football after the 1950 season and reinstated its program in 1992. The schools rebooted the series in 2015 when the Red Dragons joined the Empire 8.
 
Cortland's last four wins versus the Hawks have been convincing - 48-3 at Hartwick in 2021, 69-7 at Cortland in 2022, 73-7 at Hartwick in 2023 and 68-10 at Cortland last year. Prior to that, four of the meetings between 2015-19 were nail-biters, with Cortland winning 48-45 in overtime at home in 2015, 50-47 at Hartwick in 2016, 31-30 at home in 2017, and 32-21 at Hartwick in 2019 after trailing by six entering the final quarter.
 
CORTLAND CAPSULE: Sophomore quarterback Mike Rescigno rushed 16 times for 144 yards and a score and completed 7-of-12 passes for 75 yards and a touchdown in the Red Dragons' 30-6 win over visiting Union last weekend. Cortland finished the game with 286 rushing yards - in addition to Rescigno's 144-yard effort, Ethan Gallo rank 23 times for 83 yards and two touchdowns and Tyson Taylor carried six times for 68 yards. Jayson Zeva caught three passes for 42 yards and a touchdown and Cole Callard made a 37-yard field goal.
 
Aidan Lochner led the defense with 11 tackles, six solo, and Matt Lotter and Alessandro DeRosa finished with seven tackles each. Anthony Luciano, the Empire 8 Co-Defensive Player of the Week, turned in the game's key defensive play, forcing a fumble and recovering it in the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter with Cortland clinging to a 10-6 lead. He also was one of four Red Dragons to intercept a pass, along with Lotter, Nazair Jean-Lubin and Allen Flore Jr.
 
Rescigno is averaging 94.5 rushing yards per game and is 18-of-40 passing for 236 yards with a touchdown and six interceptions. Gallo has two rushing scores and averages 54.5 yards per game on the ground. Zeva leads the team with nine catches for 84 yards and a score. Gavin Dandrea averages 38.1 yards on nine punts. Callard is 5-for-5 on PAT kicks, has made his only field goal attempt, and averages 62.6 yards per kickoff. DeRosa and Lochner each have 17 tackles through two games. Lotter has 13 stops and Luciano and Aden Wiser have 10 tackles each. Wiser leads the team with 2.5 sacks.
 
Tom Blumenauer is in his first season as Cortland's head coach and picked up his first win as the Red Dragons' head coach last weekend versus Union. He led Franklin & Marshall to a combined 21-11 record, including an 11-8 record in the competitive Centennial Conference, from 2022-24. The Diplomats won postseason bowl games versus Delaware Valley in 2024 and King's (Pa.) in 2023. Prior to F&M, "Coach Blu" served as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Williams College for six years from 2016-21, and his prior coaching stops include Bowdoin in 2015, Endicott in 2014 and St. Lawrence from 2010-13.
 
A 2007 Ithaca College graduate, Blumenauer played outside linebacker and free safety for the Bombers for two seasons from 2005-06. He was a two-time All-Empire 8 selection and was named to the 2006 Football Gazette All-East Region team. He's a native of Brentwood, N.Y., and was a football and wrestling standout at Brentwood High School.

A LOOK AT...HARTWICK COLLEGE:  Hartwick has opened the season with a 56-7 home win over Maine Maritime Academy two weeks ago and a 29-27 victory at Buffalo State last Saturday. Buffalo State tied the game at 20-20 with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter but Brennan McNeilly blocked the extra point and Connor Brogan returned the ball for a two-point defensive conversion and a 22-20 lead. The Hawks extended the lead to 29-20 on an Akil Williams TD run with 1:24 left. Buffalo State scored with three seconds remaining to create the final margin.
 
Williams finished with 86 rushing yards on 17 carries and Nicholas Massaregli ran 11 times for 47 yards and caught five passes for 42 yards and a score. Dennis Riordan completed 12-of-30 passes for 97 yards and a TD. Ben Kirkland led the Hawks with 15 tackles and John Acompora-Miller totaled 12 tackles. Robert Kennedy intercepted three passes, returning one 15 yards for a touchdown, and added nine tackles. Brennan McNeilly recorded two sacks among his six tackles and blocked two kicks.
 
Through two games, Williams is averaging 102 rushing yards per game and Massaregli averages 69 yards per contest. Riordan is 26-of-51 passing (51 percent) for 327 yards and four touchdowns with one interception. Kyle Trinkle is the team leader with eight receptions for 95 yards and Haven Marascio has seven catches for 83 yards. Massaregli leads the team with five touchdowns - three rushing and two receiving.
 
Kirkland is the team leader with 21 tackles and Acompora-Miller has 15 tackles. Jayden Miller averages 40.6 yards on eight punts and Matteo Broun is 11-for-12 on PAT kicks.
 
Matt Rogers is in his first season as Hartwick's head coach. He previously served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2024 at Wilkes University, where the Colonels ranked in the top 50 nationally in rushing and scoring. Rogers spent three years as assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Morrisville from 2021-23, and he began his coaching career at his alma mater, Utica University, serving as running backs coach from 2016-19. He graduated from Utica in 2016 and earned a master's degree from the school in 2019. Former Red Dragon captain and defensive back Christian Legagneur is Hartwick's special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach.
 
NOTEBOOK:
 
* Mike Rescigno's 144 rushing yards versus Union last week are the second-highest single-game total by a Cortland quarterback in at least 35 years (and probably longer; full records currently not available). Tyler Hughes ran for 203 yards - the most ever by a Cortland QB - in a win over William Paterson at home in 2013. Zac  Boyes holds school records for rushing yards by a QB in a season (774 in 2023) and a career (1,785 from 2021-24) - his highest single-game rushing total was 132 yards at home versus Ithaca in 2024.
 
* Cortland has been a member of the Empire 8 conference since 2015. The Red Dragons have won 26 straight league contests dating back to a win at Hartwick late in the 2019 season. The Red Dragons won the outright league title and NCAA automatic bid in 2021 (6-0), 2022 (6-0), 2023 (6-0) and 2024 (7-0) and were co-champions in both 2015 and 2019, earning an NCAA bid in 2015. Cortland also finished second or tied for second in the league in 2017 and 2018.
 
* Cortland previously competed in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) for 15 seasons from 2000-14 and finished in at least a tie for first place six times. Three current Empire 8 members - Cortland, Morrisville and Brockport - at one point played in the NJAC. Cortland, Morrisville and new addition Alfred State are affiliate members of the E8 in football only. Brockport moved from affiliate to full-time status in the league in 2024. Alfred, Hartwick, St. John Fisher and Utica also are full conference members. Hilbert was an Empire 8 member in 2024 but moved to the Liberty League in 2025.


* Cortland and Hartwick rank in the top 40 nationally in Division III in the following team and individual categories:
 
CORTLAND:
 
1st, Red Zone Offense, 100 pct. (7-for-7)
7th, Turnovers Gained, 7
12th, Fumbles Recovered, 3
17th, Interceptions, 4
37th, Punt Returns, 12.5 yds./return
 
Anthony Luciano, 3rd, Fumbles Recovered, 2
Aidan Lochner, 16th, Fumbles Recovered, 1
Ravi Dass Jr., 17th, Punt Returns, 12.5 yds./return
Mike Rescigno, 25th, Rushing Touchdowns, 3
Aden Wiser, 34th, Sacks, 1.3/game
 
HARTWICK:
 
1st, Sacks Allowed, 0.0/game
4th, Blocked Kicks, 3
6th, Interceptions, 5
6th, Defensive Touchdowns, 1
7th, Turnovers Gained, 7
10th, Turnover Margin, plus-2.5/game
11th, Third Down Conversion Defense, 17.2 pct.
20th, Kickoff Return Defense, 12.7 yds./return
24th, Tackles for Loss, 9.0/game
29th, Fumbles Recovered, 2
31st, Scoring Offense, 42.5 pts./game
37th, Team Passing Efficiency Defense, 92.8 opponent rating
37th, Sacks, 3.0/game
38th, Total Defense, 229.0 yds./game
38th, Rushing Offense, 219.5 yds./game
40th, Tackles for Loss Allowed, 4.0/game
 
Brennan McNeilly, 1st, Blocked Kicks, 2
Nicholas Massaregli, 4th, Total Touchdowns, 5
Robert Kennedy, 6th, Interceptions, 1.5/game
Nicholas Massaregli, 9th, Scoring, 15.0 pts./game
Brennan McNeilly, 16th, Fumbles Recovered, 1
Matthew Muntzenberger, 16th, Fumbles Recovered, 1
Nicholas Massaregli, 25th, Rushing Touchdowns, 3
Jayden Miller, 33rd, Punting, 40.6 yds./punt
Akil Williams, 33rd, Rush Yards per Carry, 6.8 yds./rush
 
 2025 Cortland Weekly Award Winners (game date/opponent in parentheses)
 
Anthony Luciano, Jr., Safety
Empire 8 Co-Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 13 vs. Union)

 
SCHEDULES/RESULTS:

CORTLAND (1-1, 0-0 Empire 8)

Sept. 6           GROVE CITY (PA)................................. L 14-31
Sept. 13          UNION.................................................. W 30-6
Sept. 20         * at Hartwick........................................... 3:00
Sept. 27         * at Morrisville........................................ 12:00
Oct. 4             * UTICA.................................................. 1:00
Oct. 18           * ALFRED UNIV. .................................... 1:00
Oct. 25           * at St. John Fisher................................. 1:00
Nov. 1             * at Alfred State...................................... 1:00
Nov. 8            * BROCKPORT....................................... 12:00
Nov. 15           at Ithaca................................................. 12:00

* Empire 8 game      HOME GAMES IN CAPS
 
HARTWICK (2-0, 0-0 Empire 8)
 
Sept. 6           MAINE MARITIME ACADEMY............... W 56-7
Sept. 13          at Buffalo State...................................... W 29-27
Sept. 20         * CORTLAND.......................................... 3:00
Sept. 27         * at Brockport.......................................... 1:00
Oct. 4             * at Alfred Univ. ..................................... 12:00
Oct. 11             * ST. JOHN FISHER............................. 3:30
Oct. 25           * at Alfred State...................................... 4:00
Nov. 1             * MORRISVILLE.................................... 12:00
Nov. 8            * at Utica................................................. 1:00
Nov. 15           HILBERT............................................... 12:00

* Empire 8 game      HOME GAMES IN CAPS

CORTLAND vs. HARTWICK – SERIES RECORD
(Cortland leads 19-0)

Year     Winner......................... Score                    Site
1929     Cortland........................ 53-0                      Cortland

1930     Cortland........................ 67-0                      Hartwick
1932     Cortland........................ 24-0                      Cortland
1933     Cortland........................ 40-0                      Cortland

1942     Cortland........................ 47-0                      Cortland
1946     Cortland........................ 28-0                      Cortland
1947     Cortland........................ 10-0                      Hartwick
1948     Cortland........................ 14-7                      Hartwick
1949     Cortland........................ 39-0                      Cortland

1950     Cortland........................ 37-0                      Hartwick

2015     Cortland........................ 48-45 (OT)            Cortland
2016     Cortland.........................50-47                    Hartwick
2017     Cortland.........................31-30                    Cortland
2018     Cortland.........................56-3                      Hartwick
2019     Cortland.........................32-21                    Hartwick

2021     Cortland.........................48-3                      Hartwick
2022     Cortland.........................69-7                      Cortland
2023     Cortland.........................73-7                      Hartwick
2024     Cortland.........................68-10                    Cortland



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