September 23, 2023
4:00 p.m.
Growney Stadium – Pittsford, N.Y.
 
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The Wilkes University football team continues its search for its first victory of the 2023 season as the Colonels take to the road for its final non-conference matchup this year traveling to St. John Fisher College at 4:00 p.m. in upstate New York.
 
Wilkes enters the game with an 0-3 overall record after dropping a 31-7 decision to SUNY Brockport at Schmidt Stadium last Saturday. The Colonels only trailed 14-7 at the half, but Brockport rallied to score 17 unanswered points over the second half to claim the non-league win.
 
Wilkes will look to get the ground game going again after being held to a season-low 47 yards on the ground last week. Elijah Jules (Red Bank, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) leads the Wilkes ground attack with 44 carries for 159 yards but has yet to find the end zone this season. Quarterback Isaiah Rodriguez (Lebanon, PA/Lebanon) has thrown for 410 yards on 42-for-76 passing including three touchdowns. He will look to bounce back after throwing his first career interception in the loss against Brockport. On the outside, Jimmy Johnson (Fallston, MD/Fallston) has hauled in eight catches for a team-high 140 yards and one score.
 
Linebacker Tallen Murray (Vineland, NJ/Saint Joseph Academy) still tops the defense with 27 total tackles. Jesse Addesso (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph's by the Sea) anchors the backline of the Colonels unit totaling 20 tackles and a team-high four pass breakups. Angel Ramos (Allentown, PA/Parkland) and Lance Priestas (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) have caused problems for opposing offenses in the backfield combining for 28 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
 
In the return game, Jay Jay Jordan leads the conference with 290 return yards on 19 attempts averaging over 19 yards per-return including a 61-yard kickoff return to begin the second half against Brockport.
 
St. John Fisher comes into the contest with a 2-1 overall record after posting a 35-20 victory at Landmark foe Keystone College last week. The Cardinals trailed early in the second quarter only to score 29 straight points on way to the two-touchdown victory.
 
The Cardinals offense has been piling up points thus far this season averaging 34.7 points per-game through three contests, scoring over 97 points the past two games. It starts with the ground game as Peyton Nolan has rushed 65 times for 418 yards and four touchdowns. Nolan went for a career-best 189 yards and three scores in the win against Keystone last week. Quarterback Aaron Chase has thrown for 501 yards on 31-of-57 passing and six touchdowns through the air. His top target is Ethan Curtis who has caught 11 receptions for 198 yards and a team-best four touchdowns.
 
Defensively Joe Miscia leads the unit with 27 total tackles and one interception. Three different players have recorded at least one sack as the defense has allowed 19.3 points per-game this year.
 
Following the road matchup, Wilkes returns home to celebrate Homecoming 2023 as the Colonels host Juniata College in its first-ever Landmark Conference contest starting at 12:00 p.m. at Schmidt Stadium.