Highlights / Coach Houghtaling Post-Game Highlights
Interview with former Wagner great, current NY Jets Julian Stanford & Dom Williams
A Look at the 2016 Wagner Coaching Staff (Part 1) / A Look at the Wagner Wagner Coaching Staff (Part 2)
Staten Island, NY – Second-year head coach
Jason Houghtaling got everything he wanted out of today's annual Wagner College Green & White Spring Game - an injury-free scrimmage played under bright, blue skies with a large contingent on hand, which included more than 100 recruits as well as former Seahawk greats Julian Stanford and Dominique Williams, who are now teammates on the New York Jets.
"A great day," Houghtaling beamed afterwards. "First and foremost, we came out of it healthy. And I think the guys played really hard, which was the theme of our spring. All during spring camp, I thought our guys competed like a Wagner team has become known to compete around here. And it carried over to today. If you play hard, you have a chance, and I think we've done that all spring and it was evident today as well."
[L-to-R] Jason Houghtaling, Dominique Williams, Julian Stanford, Walt Hameline
The Green (Offense) held the upper hand on the scoreboard, earning a 34-20 win over the White (Defense) in a scrimmage that featured a unique scoring system. On the offensive side, points were scored in the traditional manner while on defense, the White team received points for forcing turnovers and three-and-outs.
Three quarterbacks were used in the game, with the lion's share of the reps going to junior
Alex Thomson (Keyport, NJ / Keyport), who passed for 1,085 yards and eight touchdowns, while rushing for 300 yards in nine starts for the Seahawks a year ago, and junior A.J. Long (Bethlehem, PA / Friendship Christian [TN[), a Syracuse transfer who started five games for the Orange in 2015, and
Sophomore
Luke Massei (Cary, NC / Green Hope) also saw action in today's Greeen & White Scrimmage.
Unofficially, Long connected on 16-of-28 passes for 164 yards and three touchdowns while Thomson was 9-of-18 through the air for 107 yards and one TD. Massei, who came on to play in the final segment of the brisk, two-hour scrimmage, was 4-of-8 through the air for 126 yards and one touchdown.
"I thought all of the quarterbacks did some nice things out there," said Houhgtaling. "Of course we'll take a close look at the film. But I thought they all showed a command of the offense, they efficiently got us in and out of the huddle, and it appeared they each made some good reads and decisions."
As for the running game, junior
Denzel Knight (Rochester, NY / Salisbury School) demonstrated excellent burst and drive throughout, as the 6-2, 215-pounder rushed for 101 yards on 12 carries. In addition, Knight caught five passes out of the backfield for 96 yards, including a 27-yard TD grab.
"Denzel's a guy who we knew had a lot of ability when we recruited him," said Houghtaling. "I'm proud of the spring that he had and of his play today. We had two scrimmages this spring and he came and performed at a high level in both of them, so that's exciting."
Sophomore
James Murphy (Avon, CT / Avon Hyde School), a bruising 5-6, 250-pounder, showed toughness in rushing for 66 yards on 20 carries.
In the receiving department, Knight's five catches for 96 yards led in both categories. Senior
Nour Aly (North Caldwell, NJ / West Essex) had five receptions for 51 yards. Senior wideouts
Lloyd Smith (Willingboro, NJ / Holy Cross / Valley Forge [PA]) and
Keith Foster (Newark,, NJ / Weequahic / Milford Academy) and had two receptions apiece for 62 and 39 yards, respectively.
A highlight of Smith's day was a 59-yard TD grab while both of Foster's catches went for touchdowns, a 23-yarder, followed by an acrobatic 16-yard grab in the deep left-corner of the end zone. Sure-handed
Andre Yevchinecz (Binghamton, NY / Binghamton) had two grabs for 24 yards, including a tough 22-yard reception where he held on despite being hit by a pair of defenders.
Senior tight end
Greg Senat (Elmont, NY / Elmont / Marianapolis Prep [CT]), a power forward on the Seahawk men's basketball team who became a two-sport athlete this spring, got into the act with two oreceptions for 55 yards, highlighted by a 50-yard touchdown reception.
A host of Seahawk defenders rallied to the ball all afternoon, chief among them junior linebacker
Randall May (Sparta, NJ / Sparta), sophomore linebacker
Santoni Graham (Arlington, VA / Bishop O'Connell / Fork Union), junior defensive lineman
Jordan Baskerville (West Point, NY / James I. O'Neill / Milford Academy).
Defensive backs
Jesse Flaherty (Oceanport, NJ / Red Bank Catholic / The Peddie School),
Sterling Lowry (Syracuse, NY / Nottingham School / Milford Academy),
Tim Hayes (Los Angeles, CA / Crespi Carmelite / Wyoming) and
Bruce Brittingham (Trenton, NJ / Perkiomen School [PA) were active as well.
On special teams, senior punter
Bryan Rafano (South River, NJ / St. Joseph's) continued his fine spring, hitting a number of balls well, including a long of 57 yards, while sophomore
Everett Minchew (Cherry Hill, NJ / Camden Catholic) and freshman
John Drinkwater (Greenport, NY / Greenport/Southold-Mattituck) did a capable job handling the field goal, extra-point, and kickoff duties.
"I thought we did some things in all three phases – special teams, offense and defense, which was great to see," Houghtaling said.
The Seahawks will begin preseason training camp in early August in preparation for the 2016 campaign which kicks off at home vs. St. Anselm College on Thursday, September 1 at 6:00 p.m.
2016 Wagner Football Coaching Staff
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