Above: When
Dominique Williams broke the goal line on this 10-yard, first-quarter touchdown dash off the left side. he moved into fourth place on the all-time NEC scoring list; Inset: Quarterback
Brian Gehring on his way to a 62-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown run.
Photos by Dave Saffran.
PHOTO GALLERY
FINAL STATS
WALT HAMELINE POST-GAME INTERVIEW
Staten Island, NY – Central Connecticut quarterback Nick SanGiacomo completed 22-of-25 passes for 263 yards and three touchdowns and running back Rob Hollomon added 147 yards rushing on 24 carries as the Blue Devils pulled away late for a 52-17 win over Wagner at Hameline Field.
With the loss, the Seahawks fall to 2-7 overall on the season, 1-4 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) while Central Connecticut improves to 4-5 on the year, 2-1 in league play.
Wagner had momentum and the home crowd on its side when junior quarterback
Brian Gehring (Tigard, OR/Tigard/Laney Junior College) ran 62 yards for a touchdown to draw the Seahawks to within one score at 24-17 with 13:09 left in the game. From that point forward, it was all Central Connecticut as the Blue Devils scored 28 unanswered points to win going away.
Fifth-year senior running back
Dominique Williams (Bridgeton, NJ/Bridgeton/Milford Academy) entered the game needing 92 yards to secure his third consecutive 1,000-yard season. But the Blue Devils' defense did a solid job all afternoon, limiting the Seahawks' All-American to 52 yards on19 carries.
Gehring, making the first start of his career, completed 20-of-33 passes for 186 yards and two interceptions, while spreading the ball to seven different receivers. He was sacked five times during the game. Wagner was led by a quartet of defensive players, who recorded nine tackles apiece, in linebackers
Trevor Loveland (Cherry Hill, NJ/ Cherry Hill West),
Max Wassel (Totowa, NJ/ Passaic Valley) and
Yamir Ortiz (River Vale, NJ/ Pascack Valley), along with safety
Bruce Brittingham (Trenton, NJ/ Perkiomen School).
On CCSU's ensuing drive following Gehring's electrifying 62-yard score early in the fourth, SanGiacomo found wide receiver Tyrell Holmes over the middle on a short crossing route on third-and-five. The speedy Holmes slipped one defender and then did the rest, racing for a 59-yard touchdown to again make it a two-score game at 31-17 with 12:08 left.
On a Wagner first down from its own 25 following a touchback on the kickoff, Blue Devil linebacker speared a Gehring pass for a one-handed interception which have CCSU the ball at the Seahawk 35. On first down, SanGiacomo went up top for Jones for a 30-yard reception to set up first-and-goal at the five. Hollomon then barreled in for the score on the next play to make it a 38-17 game at the 11:22 mark.
On the second play of Wagner's next drive, Gehring was sacked and stripped of the ball by blitzing safety Josh Celerin and linebacker David Rose pounced on it at the Seahawk 10. On second-and-goal from the five, SanGiacomo found wide receiver Scott Benzing in the end zone to extend the lead to 45-17 with 9:35 remaining. The Blue Devils capped the day's scoring on a 66-yard TD run by Hollomon up the right sideline to fashion the final score at 52-17.
Both teams moved the ball effectively throughout the contest with CCSU winding up with a 490-326 edge in total yards. The Blue Devils held a 288-186 advantage in the passing department while outgaining the Seahawks 202-140 on the ground.
Fifth-year senior wide receiver
Tyree Watkins (Camden, NJ/Camden/Duke) led Wagner with five receptions for 36 yards, and is now up to a team-best 36 receptions, to go with a team-high 393 yards. Redshirt sophomore scatback
Ralph Greene, Gehring's former high school teammate at Tigard High School in Oregon, was on the receiving end of four passes for 50 years.
Wagner welcomed fifth-senior wide
Cody Morgan (Boston, MA/Boston College HS/Milford) back to its receiving corps. The sure-handed Morgan, seeing his first action since suffering a leg injury in practice prior to the September 14 game at Syracuse, matched Greene's numbers by snaring four passes for 50 yards. Among the four catches was a big 33-yard grab up the left sideline that went for a third-quarter first down on a third-and-18 play. This Gehring to Morgan connection helped set up a 26-yard field goal by fifth-year senior
David Lopez (Plantation, FL/ American Heritage), that made it a 24-10 game at the 4:57 mark of the quarter.
The Blue Devils jumped out to a 7-0 lead with 8:28 remaining in the first quarter on the game's first possession, a two-yard touchdown pass from SanGiacomo to tight end Andrew Clements, which capped a 73-yard drive that took 6:32 off the clock. Wagner tied it up to open the second quarter, making it 7-7 early in the second period on a 10-yard scamper around left end from Williams. The Seahawk drive was aided by a pair of 15-yard penalties by the Blue Devils.
CCSU then took the lead for good on Hollomon's first score of the game, a two-yard run that capped a 12-play, 77-yard drive that took 5:50, as the Blue Devils regained the lead at 14-7. The Seahawks had a chance to slice the deficit with less than a minute left in the half but a Lopez field goal try was blocked by Chris Linares. Antwione Reese scooped up the block and ran it back deep into Wagner territory to set up the score. This sudden change special teams play led to a Steven Calitri 35-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to push the Blue Devils' lead to 17-7.
True freshman running back
Matthias McKinnon (Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn/Jireh Prep) ran hard when called on to spell Williams, finishing with 47 yards on eight carries with a long run of 14 yards.
The Seahawks will play their final home game of the season on Saturday, November 2 when they host former NEC member Monmouth in a Noon tussle on Senior Day. Prior to the game, 17 Seahawk seniors will be honored, along with their families.
NOTES
Gehring Sees Second Action of Career
Prior to gaining the starting assignment this afternoon vs. Central Connecticut, junor quarterback
Brian Gehring, who arrived at Wagner in August after tranferring from Laney Junior College in Oakland, CA, had seen action in one game, playing the final minutes of the Seahawks' 49-9 loss at Delaware on September 21. Gehring scored Wagner's lone touchdown vs. the Blue Hens, scampering four a two-yard score with 2:55 to play. He completed his only pass attempt that night, for 10 yards, while rushing for 16 yards on four carries.
Lopez Inches Closer to Top Spot on Wagner, NEC Field Goal List
With his 26-yard field goal vs. Central Connecticut, fifth-year senior
David Lopez (Plantation, FL/ American Heritage) has now made 41 career field goals, and is just three shy of matching the Wagner and NEC all-time leader, Piotr Czech, who nailed 44 field goals between2004 and 2007. With his five points scored vs. the Blue Devils, Lopez is up to 232 points for his career, which ties Seahawk Hall of Fame member Frank Melos (1958-61) for sixth place on the Wagner all-time scoring list.
Dominique Williams: By the Numbers
40 Shy of 1,000
Fifth-year senior running back
Dominique Williams (Bridgeton, NJ/Bridgeton/Milford Academy) will enter the final home game of his storied Seahawk career with 960 yards rushing on the season. The 5-9, 205-pound Williams entered today's game needing 92 yards to secure his third consecutive 1,000-yard season. But the Blue Devils' defense did a solid job all afternoon, limiting the Seahawks' All-American to 52 yards on 19 carries.
WAGNER ALL-TIME RUSHING YARDS
1. Rick Sarille (1995-99), 5,290
2. Terry Underwood (1985-88, 5,010
3. Dominique Williams (2009-pres.), 4,273
4. Alonzo Patterson (1979-82), 4,177
Williams Cracks NEC Top-Five All-Time Rushing List
Against Central Connecticut,
Dominique Williams passes both Jordan Brown of Bryant and Robert Morris' Myles Russ and into fifth place on the NEC all-time rushing list. He will enter next week's Monmouth game 14 yards away from passing David McCarty of Albany.
4. David McCarty, UA, 2006-09, 4,287
5. Dom Williams, WAG, 2009-,
4,273
6. Myles Russ, RMU, 2007-10, 4,271
7. Jordan Brown, BRY, 2009-12, 4,238
Williams Now 4th in All-Time NEC Scoring
When
Dominique Williams broke the goal line on his 10-yard, first-quarter touchdown dash off the left side vs. Central Connecticut, he moved into fourth place on the all-time NEC scoring list, ahead of Albany's Drew Smith.
3. Jordan Brown, BRY, 2009-12,290
4. Dominique Williams, WC, 2009-,
276
5. Drew Smith, UA, 2009-12, 270
WAGNER ALL-TIME SCORING
1. Rick Sarille (1995-99), 334
2. Terry Underwood (1985-88), 330
3. Dominique Williams (2009-pres.), 276
4. Piotr Czech (2004-07), 243
5. Tom O'Riordan (1983-86), 237
6. David Lopez (2009pres.-) 232
Frank Melos (1958-61), 232
7. Alonzo Patterson (1979-82), 226
9. Kito Lockwood (1992-1995), 222
WAGNER ALL-TIME TOTAL OFFENSE (Passing + Rushing)
1.
Nick Doscher (2009 - 12), 8,404
2 John Sciarra (2004-05), 5,845
3. Rick Sarille (1995-99), 5,290
4. Terry Underwood (1985-88), 5,010
5. Don Cavalli (1958-61), 4,393
6. Dominique Williams (2009-), 4,340
7. Jesse Foote (1984-86), 4,273
8. Jason Cue (1993-94), 4,232
9. Alonzo Patterson (1979-82), 4,177
10. Matt Abbey (2005-08), 3,862
Williams in All-Time NEC Record Book
NEC Rushing Yards
1.David Sinisi, MU, 2006-09, 5,049
2.Larry McCoy, DUQ, 2009-12, 4,549
3.Rick Sarille, WC, 1996-99, 4,460
4. David McCarty, UA, 2006-09, 4,287
5. Dom Williams, WAG, 2009-,
4,273
6. Myles Russ, RMU, 2007-10, 4,271
7. Jordan Brown, BRY, 2009-12, 4,238,
8. Sam Dorsett, RMU, 1999-03, 3,847
NEC All-Purpose Yardage
1. Jordan Brown, BRY, 2009-12, 6,788
2. David Sinisi, MU, 2006-09, 6,310
3. Rick Sarille, WC, 1996-99, 6,263
4. Dominique Williams WC 2009-, 5,272
5. David McCarty, UA, 2006-09, 4,976
NEC Scoring
1. David Sinisi, MU, 2006-09, 432
2. Rick Sarille, WC, 1996-99, 300
3. Jordan Brown, BRY, 2009-12,290
4. Dominique Williams, WC, 2009-,
276
5. Drew Smith, UA, 2009-12, 270
