Oct. 15, 2005
Final Stats
West Long Branch, NJ - The Wagner College football team rallied from a 14 point deficit to post a 26-20 upset over host Monmouth University earlier this afternoon at Kessler Field. The win improves the Seahawks to 5-2 overall, 2-1 the Northeast Conference and snaps a five game home field winning streak by the Hawks (4-2; 2-1 NEC).
The Wagner defense intercepted a school record five passes by five different players and also recovered a fumble in the win. Senior QB John Sciarra (La Canada, CA / St. Francis HS / UCLA) had a season high 27 completions on 46 attempts for 279 yards and three touchdowns. Sciarra also set a new school record for career passing yardage (4,686) moving ahead of Jason Cue (4,590, 1993-94).
The Seahawks found themselves in an early 14-0 hole after Monmouth scored on their first two possessions of the game on a 23-yard touchdown catch from Miles Austin and a 12-yard run from Brice Leonard. Wagner would then answer back in the second quarter with 16 points as they went into the locker room holding a 16-14 advantage.
Sophomore Joe Kinard (Kingston, NY / Kingston) capped off a 12 play, 87-yard drive by hauling in a 2-yard TD pass from Sciarra, his first of the year. The Seahawks would fail the extra point attempt however as a bad snap forced the kick to be blocked. Wagner would pull to within five (14-9), two possessions later on a 26-yard field goal by sophomore Piotr Czech (Keyport, NJ / Keyport). Czech would complete a five play 19-yard scoring drive that started on the Hawk 28 yard line following a Monmouth punt. On the ensuing possession, senior defensive back Chris Ferrara (Brooklyn, NY / New Utrecht) would stifle a Monmouth drive with his third interception of the year at the Seahawks 15 yard line.
Capitalizing on good field position later in the quarter, the Seahawks took the lead on a 25 yard TD pass from Sciarra to senior Shaun Grover (Cheshire, CT / Cheshire) to finalize a 3 play, 32 yard drive with a minute and a half left before halftime.
Wagner then took a 19-14 lead in the third quarter on a 18-yard field goal from Czech that was set up off an interception by junior Azim Ross (Washington, DC / Gonzaga) at the Monmouth 18-yard line. The Seahawks would add the decisive score on the first play of the fourth quarter when senior Mike Malik (Warren, RI / La Salle Academy) hauled in a 31-yard TD pass with the offense facing a 4th-and-15. Kinard helped keep the drive going earlier with a 2-yard catch on 4th-and-2 that moved the chains by just a couple of inches.
Monmouth would close the gap to 26-20 as Brian Boland hit Austin on a 36-yard TD pass with 6:39 left in the game.
The Wagner defense would add interceptions by seniors Ryan Layton (Wilmington, MA / Malden Catholic) and Tony Smith (Edison, NJ / J.P. Stevens) down the stretch to help ice the game. Sophomore Marquis Short (Dorchester, MA / Lincoln-Sudbury) also added an interception in the fourth quarter, while senior Craig Romano (Syracuse, NY / Solvay) recovered a fumble and led the team with 10 tackles.
Kinard caught a season high eight passes for 65 yards, while Grover caught a TD pass in his eighth straight game and led the team with 85 yards on seven catches. For Monmouth, Boland completed 15 of 38 for 210 yards, two TDs and the five interceptions. Austin pulled in six passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns.
Wagner returns to action next weekend on Homecoming against Central Connecticut St at 1:00 pm.
