Pittsburgh, PA – Freshman quarterback
Nick Doscher (Staten Island, NY/ Moore Catholic) accounted for 325 yards of total offense by running for 132 yards and passing for 203 yards and junior RB
Jeremy Martinez (Brookhaven, NY/Bellport) ran in a game-winning six-yard touchdown run in the second overtime to lift Wagner to a thrilling 23-17 victory over Duquesne.
In registering its third straight victory, the Seahawks improve to 5-3 on the season, 4-1 in Northeast Conference (NEC) play while the Dukes fall to 2-7, 1- 5 in the NEC.
The victory sets up a showdown with Central Connecticut St. on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 1:00 pm on Grymes Hill. The Blue Devils knocked off Albany 31-29 and will bring a record of 7-1 and a conference mark of 5-0 into the contest.
Duquesne took a 7-3 lead into halftime before freshman kicker
David Lopez (Plantation, FL/ American Heritage) hit his second field goal of the game, a 29-yarder with 9:09 left in the third quarter, to draw the Seahawks to within 7-6. Wagner then took an 8-7 lead on a safety when an errant snap sailed over the Duquesne punter's head and through the end zone with 8:14 to go in the third quarter.
Wagner then went out in front by a 14-7 count when Doscher led the Seahawks on a four-play 48 yard drive with 45 of those yards, coming on runs by Doscher. He started the drive with a 13-yard run and, after hitting senior WR
Lon Woods (St. Petersburg, FL/ J.P. Taravella) on a three-yard completion, Doscher ran 14 yards which set up his own 18-yard TD run. Lopez' extra point try failed, leaving the score at 14-7.
Duquesne tied the score at 14-14 when QB Kevin Rombach hit Connor Dixon on a five-yard TD pass with 12:10 left in regulation to cap a five-play, 71-yard march.
Wagner had a chance to take a late lead in regulation, but Lopez' 42-yard field goal attempt with 39 seconds left sailed wide left.
Rombach then hit Dixon with a 43-yard pass to move Duquesne to the Wagner 13, butEric Duale's 30-yard field goal was blocked by junior defensive
Stefen Gage (Syracuse, NY/ Henninger). The Dukes recovered and Duale had a second attempt, this one from 35 yards out, was blocked by Wagner's junior DB
Frantz Placide (Miami, FL/ Archbishop Curley Notre Dame) as time expired in regulation.
Lopez kicked a 20-yard field goal on its first overtime possession to give Wagner a 17-14 lead before Duale matched him with a 38-yarder to force a second overtime with the score tied at 17-17.
Duquesne lost 19 yards on its second overtime possession as sophomore defensive ends
Derrick Forrest (Ft. Lauderdale, FL/Calvery Christian) and
Quintin Anderson (Rochester, NY/ Penfield) record sacks of 11 and eight yards, respectively.
Wagner then took over and put together its winning TD drive.
NOTES – This was Wagner's second overtime game of the season as the Seahawks out-lasted Saint Francis (PA) 56-48 in three overtimes on Sept. 26.
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FINAL STATS
