Box Score Pictured Above: Senior tight end Joe Sidaras is shown sprinting on Eastern Washington's famed red playing surface en route to a 43-yard reception from senior QB Nick Doscher. (Photo by David Schmidt).
FINALSTATS
Cheney, WA – The Seahawks of Wagner College took on Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) royalty and nearly came 2,600 miles home with the prize, taking a 19-14 late third quarter lead before fourth-ranked Eastern Washington scored 15 unanswered points to survive, 29-19, in the second round of the NCAA Division I Championship.
The Eagles, who won the 2010 Division I National Championship, members of the elite Big Sky Conference improve to 10-2 on the season and will host Illinois State in the NCAA Division I Championship Quarterfinals next weekend.
With the defeat, the Seahawks saw their nine-game winning streak come to an end in finishing with a final season mark of 9-4.
In the final game of his stellar career, senior quarterback
Nick Doscher (Staten Island, NY/ Moore Catholic) turned in yet another gutty, gritty performance. The 6-2, 225-pound former minor league baseball catcher continually kept the Eagle defense at bay with his patience in the pocket, precision on his passes and overall presence and poise.
While his statistics may not have been eye-popping, he left a contingent of local reporters shaking their heads afterwards in bemusement at how hard he was to bring down and how quick he was in his decision-making.
Doscher was 11-of-21 through the air for 125 yards, while adding another 44 yards rushing on 16 carries. His 169 yards of total offense lifts his all-time his all-time Wagner record to 8,404 yards, a target that will likely take years, if not decades to match.
His last career interception, which would be his only one on the season, came in the second quarter of the season opener at Florida Atlantic on Aug. 31 and ended his career with a remarkable 221 consecutive pass attempts without an interception. As has been Wagner's penchant all season, capped by its extraordinary NCAA run, the Seahawks won the turnover battle against the Eagles, forcing three on an interception and two fumbles while playing yet another turnover-free game themselves.
Doscher's counterpart, junior Kyle Padron, a transfer from SMU, completed 26-of-36 passes for 327 yards and one touchdown. His favorite target was 6-5 junior wide receiver Brandon Kaufman, a First-Team All-Big Sky performer, who sanred 10 passes for 174 yards.
A key ingredient in the Eastern Washington victory was holding Wagner to field goals on three different Seahawk possessions that entered the red zone. A first-quarter drive ended at the four-yard line while two third-quarter drives ended at the 12 and 15-yard lines, respectively. These three sequences resulted in field goals by senior
David Lopez (Plantation, FL/ American Heritage), who was on the mark from 21, 29, and 32 yards.
Wagner moved the ball efficiently early in the game, dominating time of possession, as the Seahawks' gun-run option attack kept the Eagles off balance. On its second drive, Wagner covered 42 yards in 12 plays, reaching the Eagle 24, setting up a 41-yard field goal attempt by senior
David Lopez (Plantation, FL/ American Heritage), but the kick was blocked by Eastern's Jerry Cega as the game remained scoreless.
After forcing Eastern into a three-and-out, Wagner took over at its own 20 following a touchback and Doscher led a 53-yard, seven-play drive to set up the first of Lopez' career-high four made field goals, a 46-yarder, giving the Green & White a 3-0 lead with 12:10 to go in the first half.
The Eagles answered with a well-executed nine-play, 80-yard march, culminating in a 21-yard touchdown pass from Padron to tight end Ryan Seto that put Eastern on top, 7-3.
Wagner then countered with an 81-yard drive, highlighted by a gorgeous, highly-lofted pass from Doscher to senior tight end
Joe Sidaras (Mastic Beach, NY/ William Floyd) that covered 43 yards and set up a first-and-goal at the Eagle nine. Doscher gained two yards on first down, followed by a three-yard run by junior running back
Dominique Williams (Bridgeton, NJ/ Milford Academy) that made it third-and-goal from the four.
Doscher was flushed from the pocket and brought down for no gain at the four as the Seahawks settled for a 21-yard Lopez field goal to make it 7-6.
Eastern had the last say in the half, however, driving 75 yards in 11 plays as running back Demitrius Bronson banged in from the two to give the Eagles a 14-6 edge and momentum heading into the locker room at halftime.
Wagner quickly shifted the momentum back its way in the second half when sophomore cornerback
Jarrett Dieudonne (Fort Lauderdale, FL/ Dillard) intercepted a Padron pass at the Eagle 45, returning it 27 yards to the 18. On first down, Doscher went quickly to work, sending a dart over the middle to emerging sophomore wide receiver
Anthony Carrington (Toms River, NJ/ Toms River) for 15 yards and a first-and-goal at the three.
On second and goal from the one, Williams carried it over for his 13
th rushing touchdown of the season which drew the Green & White to within 14-13 with 12:37 left in the third quarter.
A holding penalty on Eastern's kickoff return backed the Eagles up at their own nine-yard line. The Seahawk defense then forced a three-and-out, resulting in a punt that gave Wagner excellent field position at the Eagle 47. Once again Doscher found the Carrington with a 22-yard strike to give Wagner a first down at the Eagle 25.
Doscher took off for 10 yards on first down, dragging several would-be tacklers on the way, to make it first down at the 15. The Eastern defense then bowed its neck, forcing Wagner to turn to Lopez for a 29-yarder which he nailed to give the Seahawks their first lead at 16-14 with 6:43 to go in the third quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, senior defensive back Matthew McGuiness jarred the ball loose from Shaquile Hill with senior linebacker
Theodore Clohessy (Staten Island, NY/ St. Joseph By the Sea) pouncing on it at the Eagle 26.
But the Seahawks could only manage11 yards in seven plays before again calling on Lopez, who drilled a 32-yarder to extend the Seahawk lead to 19-14 with 2:59 left in the third.
The Eastern offense then found another gear as Padron found electric All-Big Sky wide receiver Brandon Kaufman on a 47-yard hook-up to the three, setting up a three-yard run by Quincy Forte. Padron then hit Kaufman on the two-point try to give Eastern the lead for good at 22-19. The Eagles added a two-yard Bronson TD run with 4:02 left to fashion the final score at 29-19.
Senior linebacker #C.O. Prime# (Laval, Quebec/ Montreal, Canada) led a game defensive effort with nine tackles while Clohessy was right behind him with eight.
Walt Hameline Post-Game Comments
Opening Comments: “Coming into the game we knew we were playing a good football team and we did what we have done all year. We knew we had to control the football and we said if we could control the ball and get into the fourth quarter and have a shot, we'd feel pretty good about it. We had some opportunities where we missed a field goal in the first half. And then a couple times (in the second half) we didn't get it in and had to kick field goals – that made a big difference. They're obviously a good and explosive football team with their receivers and quarterbacks. We got into the fourth quarter and felt pretty good about it, but at the end of the day we fell short.”
On EWU's Quarterbacks: “You know they're both two good kids and they both can throw the ball, so we felt either way it didn't make a heck of a lot of difference. So we were prepared for either one of them.”
On EWU's Running Game: “I think as we progressed I thought we were pretty good, we were stopping the run. Later in the game they ran the ball a little bit against us, but we felt pretty good about where we were going into that fourth quarter -- that's where we wanted to get. We knew they were going to complete some passes, the one thing we didn't want to do was give up a big one, which we did. That sort of put us behind the eight-ball.”
On Roos Field Environment: “When we came out Thursday, all the people here were fantastic, so I think we were fine when it came to making adjustments with the travel and so forth. Our kids were ready to play and well rested, so I don't think that was really a factor. The red turf -- I don't know, these guys could probably tell you better than I can -- it was 100 yards and we played fourth quarters of football.”
On Quarterback Nick Doscher and Linebacker C.O. Prime: “They are two of our seniors, and two guys that when you look at your season and keep it in perspective, they had a great year and gave us great leadership. We rolled off nine wins and got by the first round. We came here and played a darn good football team today and I know that they played right to the end. So we can look each other in the eyes and keep going.”
On EWU's Brandon Kaufman & Receiver Corp: “Coming in we knew all of them were good receivers, but he is a heck of a receiver. You look at tonight, he ended up with over 100 yards I'm sure. He just made plays and it comes down to that in a game when you look back. Players have to make plays and he made a ton of them. They weren't trying to trick you -- the quarterback knew where to throw the ball. We had some pressure on him and he came out a few times and went to (Kaufman). He's one heck of a football player.”
On Eastern Defense Controlling Wagner Running Game: “Yeah I think so. They did. Coming in we knew we'd have to mix it up a little bit. Just like we said, we had to get close and we didn't put up enough points on the board. We came away with field goals and you always like to at least come away with points. But yes, they did a good job defending us.”
On EWU: “They're a darn good football team. I think any time you get past the second round and you're into a tournament type of scenario, anything can happen. There's a history here of them winning football games -- they're a good team and they're on a roll. I think anything can happen but they're an excellent football team. Some of the other teams we've played have been good, but I'd probably say they're more talented than most of the teams we played.”
NOTES
Nick Doscher in Career Rankings
Category Rank
Total Offense (Rushing & Passing): 1
st, 8,404 yards
Passing 1
st, 6,100 yards
Completions 2
nd, 455
Touchdown Passes 2
nd, 44
Rushing 8
th, 2,304 yards
Doscher in NEC Career Rankings
Passing
1. 8,803, Dale Fink, SHU, 2007-10
2. 8,544, Anthony Doria, SFPA, 2003-06
3. 7,812, Brian Boland, MON, 2003-06
4. 7,255, Tim Levcik, RMU, 1998-01
5. 7,115, Kyle Frazier, MON, 2009-12
6. 6,839, Erik Cwalinski, RMU, 2005-08
7. 6,762, Sean Patterson, DUQ, 2009-12
8. 6,129, Drew Geyer, RMU, 2002-05
9. 6,100, Nick Doscher. WAG, 2009-
10. 5,899, John Sciarra, WAG, 2004-05
Total Offense
1. 8,595, Dale Fink, SHU, 2007-10
2. 8,404, Nick Doscher, WAG, 2009-
3. 8,267, Anthony Doria, SFPA, 2003-06
4. 8,246, Brian Boland, MU, 2003-06
5. 7,917, Kyle Frazier, MON, 2009-12
Nick Doscher Career Stats
RUSHING G Att Yds TD Lg Avg/C Avg/G
2009.......... 11 161 769 13 32 4.8 69.9
2010......... 11 188 672 6 31 3.6 61.1
2011........ 10 118 290 4 32 2.5 29.0
2012...... 13 168 573 5 24 3.4 44.1
TOTAL...... 45 635 2304 28 32 3.6 51.2
PASSING G Att-Cmp Int Yds TD Lg Pct Avg/P Avg/G Eff
2009.......... 11 178 103-9 1330 8 44 57.9 7.5 120.9 125.3
2010..........11 296-148-15 2067 16 88 50.0 7.0 187.9 116.4
2011..........10 163- 73-6 909 7 67 44.8 5.6 90.9 98.4
2012..........13 241-131-1 1794 13 88 54.4 7.4 138.0 133.9
TOTAL.......45 878-455-31 6100 44 88 51.8 6.9 135.6 119.7
TOTAL OFFENSE G Rush Pass Total Avg/G
2009................ 11 769 1330 2099 190.8
2010................ 11 672 2067 2739 249.0
2011................ 10 290 909 1199 119.9
2012................ 13 573 1794 2367 182.1
TOTAL............... 45 2304 6100 8404 186.8
DOMINIQUE WILLIAMS IN RANKINGS
CAREER RUSHING YARDS
1. Rick Sarille (1995-99) ............... 5290
2. Terry Underwood (1985-88) ... 5010
3. Alonzo Patterson (1979-82) .... 4177
4. Dominique Williams (2009 - ) 3308
4. Kito Lockwood (1992-95) ....... 3156
5. Greg Harris (1988-91) .............. 2433
CAREER SCORING
1. Rick Sarille (1995-99) ................. 334
2. Terry Underwood (1985-88) ........330
3. Piotr Czech (2004-07) ................. 243
4. Tom O'Riordan (1983-86) ........ 237
5. Dominique Williams (2009 - ) 234
Dominique Williams Career Stats
RUSHING G Att Yds TD Lg Avg/C Avg/G
2009................ 8 113 642 9 63 5.7 80.2
2011................ 11 274 1338 14 79 4.9 121.6
2012................ 13 263 1328 13 81 5.0 102.2
TOTAL............... 32 650 3308 36 81 5.1 103.4
DAVID CRAWFORD IN RANKINGS
Receptions
1. Chris Turner (2003-06) ........... .213
2. Shaun Grover (2002-05) .......... 181
3. Jason Bain (1997-00) ................. 142
4. Sean Hurley (1993-96) ................. 131
5. Lon Woods (2006-09) ............ 130
6. Chuck Kinsley (1997-00) .......... 127
7. Rich Kotite (1963-65) .................. 119
8. David Crawford (2008-) 109
9. Joe Kinard (2004-07)............... 108
10. Mike Walker (1987-90) ............ 107
David Crawford Career Stats
RECEIVING G Rec Yds TD Lg Rec/G Avg/C Avg/G
2008................10 15 205 1 33 1.5 13.7 20.5
2009................11 14 282 4 49 1.3 20.1 25.6
2010................11 35 629 3 57 3.2 18.0 57.2
2011................ 3 8 124 1 31 2.7 15.5 41.3
2012................12 37 483 2 39 3.1 13.1 40.2
TOTAL.............47 109 1723 11 57 2.3 15.8 36.7
DAVID LOPEZ IN RANKINGS
FIELD GOALS
1. Piotr Czech (2004-07) ................ 44
2. David Lopez (2009- ) 35
Tom O'Riordan (1983-86) ........... 35
4. Walter Lopez (1988-91) ............... 32
5. Carl Franke (1994-97) .................. 21
EXTRA POINTS
1. Tom O'Riordan (1983-86) ......... 132
2. Carl Franke (1994-97) ................. 113
3. Piotr Czech (2004-07) ................ 111
Phil Marak (1979-82) .................. 111
5. David Lopez (2009- ) 100
6. Walter Lopez (1988-91) ............... 87
7. Steve Schaeffer (1971-73) ............ 41
8. Ken Danielson (1967-69) ............ 40
9. Jerry O'Riordan (1987) ................ 34
David Lopez Career Stats
FIELD GOALS G Att Made Lg Pct
2009............... 11 13 4 32 30.8
2010................ 11 17 11 54 64.7
2011................ 3 5 4 45 80.0
2012................ 13 21 16 51 76.2
TOTAL............... 38 56 35 54 62.5
SCORING G TD Rush Pass Retn PAT 2PAT FG Total
2009........ 11 0 0 0 0 38 0 4 50
2010.........11 0 0 0 0 22 0 11 55
2011...........3 0 0 0 0 8 0 4 20
2012.........13 0 0 0 0 32 0 16 80
TOTAL.......38 0 0 0 0 100 0 35 205
PLAYING WITH THE BIG BOYS
Wagner was one of just two private schools among the 16 teams that earned spots in the second round of the 2012 NCAA Division I playoffs. The only other private school to advance this far was Wofford College of South Carolina. In addition, Wagner and Wofford have the smallest enrollments among “Sweet 16” members. Wofford has the fewest undergraduates with 1,525 while Wagner checks in at 2,100.
The average student population among the 14 other teams still alive in the playoffs is 15,974. Wagner's second-round opponent, Eastern Washington, has an enrollment of 12,130.
Name Public/Private Enrollment
Appalachian St. Public 17,034
Cal Poly Public 20,090
Central Arkansas Public 11,444
Coastal Carolina Public 8,706
East,Washington Public 12,130
Ga. Southern Public 20,574
Illinois St. Public 20,104
Montana St. Public 14,153
New Hampshire Public 11,942
North Dakota St. Public 14,399
Old Dominion Public 18,569
Sam Houston St. Public 17,600
Stony Brook Public 24,500
South Dakota St. Public 10,993
Wagner PRIVATE 2,100
Wofford PRIVATE 1,525
