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Team Stats
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Time of Poss.
BUENA VISTA, VA. – The William Paterson football team (4-6, 2-5 NJAC) finished off its season with a 10-8 victory at Southern Virginia (1-9, 1-6 NJAC) Nov. 15.
Junior running back Matt Deiana (Somers, N.Y./Somers) led the offense with 25 carries for 132 yards. Freshman quarterback Austin Fellows (Pennington, N.J./Hopewell Valley Central) went 6-for-10 for 67 yards and a touchdown, and sophomore signal caller Mike Keller (Little Egg Harbor, N.J./Pinelands Regional) was 4-for-9 for 25 yards.
Senior linebacker Ben Allen (Ventnor, N.J./Atlantic City) made a team-high 10 tackles (eight solo), and sophomore defensive back Darrius Flowers (Vineland, N.J./Vineland) had six stops (five solo).
The Pioneers broke the scoreless deadlock with a 32-yard field goal by senior place-kicker Robert Sinegra (Wharton, N.J./Morris Knolls) with 12:09 remaining in the first half, and a fumble recovery by senior defensive lineman Trevor Sackawitch (Holmdel, N.J./Holmdel) inside the WP-25 two minutes later kept the Knights from answering with a score of their own. An interception and 18-yard return by freshman linebacker Joe Hernandez (Cresskill, N.J./Cresskill) with 6:28 remaining in the second quarter up the Pioneers for a 16-yard touchdown completion by Fellows to junior wide receiver Anthony DiMarsico (Stony Point, N.Y./Suffern) and a 10-0 lead 3:32 before halftime. An SVU safety with 45 seconds on the clock made it a 10-2 score at the break
Freshman linebacker Mujahid Fricke (Franklin, N.J./Blue Ridge [Va.]) ended Southern Virigina's first possession of the third quarter with an interception, and Sackawitch recovered his second fumble of the day 10 minutes later.
After a scoreless third quarter, Knight senior quarterback Mitch Stevenson found junior wide receiver Kyler Harris for a 14-yard TD, and after the two-point attempt failed, the Pioneers owned a slim 10-8 lead with 14:11 remaining. The on-side kick by SVU failed, and when the Knights recovered a fumble at the 9:10 mark, they could not cash in as freshman Kieren Phelps missed a 27-yard field goal. Southern Virginia had one last chance, driving down the field for the go-ahead score, but senior defensive back Elijah DeGuzman (Pennsauken, N.J./Pennsauken) picked off a pass inside the WP 10-yard line during the final seconds.
Stevenson was 12-for-27 for 116 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions for Southern Virginia. Senior running back Jerry Washington carried 13 times for 40 yards, and Harris caught five passes for 60 yards and a score.
Senior linebacker Robert Robbins recorded a game-best 15 tackles (nine solo, 1.5 TFL, 1.0 sack) and a fumble forced and recovered. Senior linebacker Colter Evans added 10 stops (six solo, 0.5 TFL).
With his 10 stops against the Knights, Allen finished the season with 101 tackles, the first Pioneer to break the 100-tackle barrier since linebacker Jim Hamill (105, 2009).
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