ROCHESTER, N.Y. – St. John Fisher scored 10 consecutive fourth-quarter points, edging past the Alfred University football team by a 31-28 score in the season finale at Growney Stadium Saturday afternoon.
 
Both teams finish their seasons at 5-5 overall and 2-4 in conference.
 
Aaron Griffin (Queens, N.Y./Holy Cross) finished his AU career with his sixth 100+ yard performance of the season, rushing for 135 yards on 18 carries, scoring two touchdowns. Griffin finishes the season with 1,233 yards, the 10^th-best rushing effort for a season in Saxon history. He had just 577 yards and 10 touchdowns in his first three seasons combined coming into the year, and his 12 touchdowns in 2019 are seventh all-time in a season. Casey Boston (Brooklyn, N.Y./Midwood) completed 13-of-24 passes for 144 yards in his final start, tallying two touchdowns and an interception. Boston finishes the season with 1,184 yards and nine touchdowns through the air, more than doubling his efforts over the previous two seasons. A.O. Othman (Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) caught four passes for 67 yards, scoring a career-best two touchdowns.
 
Defensively, John McDonald-Horner (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) returned to the starting lineup in a big way, recording a team-leading 12 tackles (five solo). Ryan Elliott (Northport, N.Y./Northport) also tallied a team-leading 12 tackles, one for loss. He also broke up two passes. Sean Cameron (Brooklyn, N.Y./Midwood) also had a solid performance defensively, forcing a career-high three fumbles, adding nine tackles. Nick Milgate (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton) finished a solid career with 11 tackles, one for loss. Milgate finishes the regular season as one of the nations leaders in tackles with 111 tackles. He had 187 coming into his senior season.
 
For the hosts, Hunter Walsh completed 33-of-46 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns. TySean Sizer caught seven passes for 144 yards and a touchdown, while Will Blake recorded a game-high 12 receptions for 87 yards. On the ground, Dahmir Pross added 127 yards on 27 carries. Joe Dotterweich made three field goals to push Fisher to victory.

Suiting up for the final time in purple and gold were Griffin, Boston, Milgate, Ruggiany Georges (Brooklyn, N.Y./Midwood), Jeremy Turenne (Brooklyn, N.Y./Midwood), Leo Pamphile (Spring Valley, N.Y./Spring Valley), Ben Burk (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern Central),  Caleb Rinko (Great Valley, N.Y./Ellicottville), Austin Walden (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua), Taylor McCredie (Gloversville, N.Y./Gloversville), Henry Chau (Tallman, N.Y./Suffern), James Lucadamo (Somers, N.Y./Somers), Russell Kohler (Seaford, N.Y./St. Anthony's), Wes Senn (Randolph, N.Y./Randolph), Patrick Hannon (Springville, N.Y./Springville Griffith), Robert LoSordo (Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Sachem North), Spencer Wickert (Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Saratoga Springs), E.J. Staniszewski (South Wales, N.Y./Holland), and Justin Mosley (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach).

"I am proud of our kids for how they competed for four quarters," said head coach Bob Rankl. "Unfortunately, we came up just short on the road. I am unbelievably thankful to our senior class who provuded outstanding leadership this entire season."
 
Fisher began the scoring in the second quarter, executing a 17-play, 59-yard drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown run by Ryan Ingerson. A few possessions later, Boston and the Saxons took advantage of a short field, finding Othman for a 12-yard touchdown pass to eventually tie the game at seven. The Cardinals came right back on the next drive, as Walsh connected with Sizer on a third-and-1 play for 32 yards and a Fisher touchdown as the first-half clock expired.
 
Alfred's special teams came alive to begin the second quarter, as Cameron forced an Ingerson fumble on the opening kickoff, giving the Saxons the ball at the Fisher 33-yard line. The visitors couldn't convert with the short field, as the Fisher defense forced a turnover on downs, going the other way and settling for a Dotterweich 22-yard field goal, increasing the lead to 10 at the 6:47 mark.
 
Later in the period, Alfred took advantage of its seventh drive of the game. Starting at midfield, Boston began to heat up. He found Keandre Sanders (Syracuse, N.Y./Bishop Ludden) for a 16-yard pass to begin the drive, then connected with high school teammate Georges for 21 yards. Griffin finished the drive from there, plowing through for a five-yard touchdown run, bringing the deficit to 17-14 at the 1:11 mark. On Fisher's ensuing drive, Walsh completed a pass to Blake for six yards, but Christopher Cox (Rochester, N.Y./Pittsford-Sutherland) was there to force the fumble, giving the Saxons the ball back at the Fisher 43-yard line. On the very next play, Griffin made the Cardinals pay, breaking out for a 43-yard touchdown run, giving AU a 21-17 lead with 12 ticks left in the third quarter.
 
Fisher started the final quarter with a five-play, 60-yard drive, as Dotterweich connected on his second field goal of the day, this time from 21 yards as the Saxons held a one-point lead. Alfred answered right back, as Griffin began the ensuing drive with a 34-yard run. Two plays later, Boston found Othman for their second touchdown connection of the day, a 39-yard catch and run.
 
The Cardinals responded with a nine-play, 68-yard scoring drive, converting on a pair of third downs in the process. Walsh would find Sizer for a 25-yard pass, but Cameron was there to cause yet another fumble. Unfortunately for the Saxons, Johnathan Letta retrieved the ball in the endzone for a Fisher touchdown. Needing a two-point conversion to tie the game, Walsh found Pat Galer on the ensuing play, tying the game at 28 at the 7:25 mark.
 
AU had a chance to take a late lead, but the Saxons' drive stalled at the midfield, giving the ball back to the Cardinals at their own 27-yard line. With 5:12 remaining in regulation, the Cardinals methodically marched down the field, converting on a pair of third downs to keep the drive alive. After 11-plays, 62 yards, and a little over 4:30, Dotterwich tallied his third field goal of the game, converting on a 28-yarder to give Fisher a 31-28 lead with 30 seconds left. The Saxons seemed poised to answer, getting the ball back near midfield after the ensuing kickoff, but Boston's pass was intercepted by A.J. Ariosa at the Fisher 40-yard line, and the Cardinals kneeled to escape with the victory.
 
Alfred amassed 295 yards of offense, going 3-for-10 on third downs. Fisher tallied 448 yards of offense, going 13-for-22 on third downs and 3-for-3 on fourth downs.