ALFRED, N.Y. – William Paterson (1-0) finished the game with 34 unanswered points, starting its 2015 football season with a 41-20 victory at Alfred State (0-1) Sept. 5.
Sophomore quarterback James Waldron (Edison, N.J./Edison) came off the bench to go 13-for-20 for 210 yards and two touchdowns, and senior running back Matt Deiana (Somers, N.Y./Somers) rushed 18 times for 107 yards and a score. Junior Malcolm Robinson (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne) caught four passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns.
Junior defensive back Pat Moran (Barnegat, N.J./Barnegat) paced the Pioneers with eight tackles (six solo, 2.0 TFL), adding two pass breakups, while senior linebacker Carlo Caponetta (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan) had seven stops (four solo) and a forced fumble. Senior linebacker Dennis Goodman (Somerset, N.J./Bishop Ahr) added five tackles and a fumble recovered.
After the Pioneer defense forced a three-and-out to start the game, junior quarterback Mike Keller (Little Egg Harbor, N.J./Pinelands Regional) connected with senior running back Darius Kersey (Dover, N.J./Dover) for a 61-yard touchdown on WP's first offensive play. Freshman Nick DeAngelis (Ramsey, N.J./Ramsey) kicked the extra point and William Paterson owned a 7-0 lead 90 seconds into the contest.
Junior quarterback Jason McMahon found junior wide receiver Khris Greggs for a 40-yard score, pulling Alfred State even at 7-7 with 3:56 remaining in the first quarter, and a 49-yard McMahon pass to junior wide receiver Josh Ashley at the 1:26 mark made it a 14-7 Alfred State lead.
Senior linebacker John Garbowski returned an interception 54 yards for a score 49 seconds into the second quarter, and a blocked extra-point attempt resulted in a 20-7 Alfred State advantage.
Waldron entered and completed all four of his pass attempts during the next drive, the last a 24-yard strike to Robinson, to pull WP to within a score at 20-14 with 11:44 remaining in the half.
DeAngelis nailed a 32-yard field goal with 3:40 on the clock, and he capped a 10-play, 70-yard drive with a 21-yarder as time expired to send the two teams into halftime knotted at 20-20.
The Pioneers received the ball to start the second half and Waldron and Robinson connected for a 49-yard TD and a 27-20 lead with 13:07 on the clock.
Deiana's 32-yard scamper helped to set up a seven-play, 82-yard scoring drive, one he finished with a one-yard carry (34-20, 6:04).
Junior cornerback Darrius Flowers (Vineland, N.J./Vineland) ended Alfred State's next possession by forcing a fumble that was recovered by Goodman, and after a WP punt, sophomore linebacker Jonathan Jackson (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne) jumped on a fumble caused by Caponetta at the Alfred State-40.
William Paterson cashed in on that turnover when junior running back Craig Kimbrough (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Catholic) scored his first touchdown as a Pioneer, crossing the goal line from five yards out to make it a 41-20 margin with 1:40 left in the third quarter.
McMahon finished 16-for-23 for 172 yards and two touchdowns for Alfred State. Sophomore Joshua Hinds carried 17 times for 41 yards, and Ashley caught six passes for 71 yards and a score.
Garbowski led the Alfred State defense with 10 tackles (2.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks) and an interception.
William Paterson will open its home slate Saturday, Sept. 19, against Rowan at 1:00 p.m.
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