No. 3 Wesley Falls at No. 1 Mount Union
ALLIANCE, Ohio - No. 3 Wesley College held top ranked Mount Union to its lowest point total since 2007, but Cecil Shorts scored three times as the Purple Raiders took down the Wolverines 24-7 in the NCAA Semifinals.
Shorts took on the role of quarterback in the second half after starter Kurt Rocco was injured and Neal Seaman went just 3-of-9 in relief. Running a spread option rush attack, Shorts carried 18 times for 92 yards and two touchdowns. His third score came on one of his two receptions for 26 yards.
Wesley went three and out on its first possession and Vince Petruziello returned the Wolverines' punt 15 yards to the Wesley 43. Wesley forced the Purple Raiders into a third and eight, but Kurt Rocco hit Anthony Claybomb for a 15-yard gain. Rocco connected with Cecil Shorts for a 15-yard touchdown on the next play and Mount Union led 7-0.
On Wesley's next possession, a pass to Ellis Krout (Dallas, Texas/Roosevelt) came up just short of the first down and the Wolverines were forced to punt again. A 41-yard pass to Judd Harrold moved the ball to the Wesley five, but the Wolverine defense buckled down. Aaron Benson (Swarthmore, Pa./Strath Haven) sniffed out an end around on the next play and took down Shorts for a loss of nine. The Purple Raiders ended up settling for a field goal and a 10-0 lead with 5:15 to go in the first quarter.
Alex Ferrara intercepted Shane McSweeny (Bensalem, Pa./Bensalem) on Wesley's next possession and Mount Union took over at its own three. On the first play of the possession, Rocco rushed for 10 yards, but took a big hit from Benson, who jarred the ball loose. Benson got on top of the ball and Wesley took over at the Mount Union 13. The Purple Raiders came up with another interception in the end zone to end the threat.
During the second quarter, Wesley forced a punt and on the first play of the series, McSweeny rushed for 28 yards to move the Wolverines to midfield. Faced with fourth and three, McSweeny hit Krout for seven yards and a first down inside Purple Raider territory. Wesley was eventually forced to putn and John Smicklo (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) pinned Mount Union at its own five. The Purple Raiders were content to run out the clock for a 10-0 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, DeAndre Fowlkes (Paulsboro, N.J./Paulsboro) caught a pass and got out to the sidelines for a 49-yard gain down to the Mount Union five. On third down, McSweeny hit Sean McAndrew (Lanoka Harbor, N.J./Lacey Township) for a four-yard touchown and cut the Mount Union lead to 10-7 with 8:02 to go in the period.
Shorts had moved to quarterback during the third quarter as the Purple Raiders went to a spread option run attack. During the fourth period, He rushed five straight times, scoring on a three-yard run to the left side for a 17-7 lead with 12:14 left in the game. Later in the fourth, Zach Johnson (Marydel, Md./North Caroline) and Jeff Dorsey (Baltimore, Md./Woodlawn) stopped Shorts for a two-yard gain on fourth and three, giving Wesley the ball at its own 16. James Herbert, however, sacked McSweeny on the first play of the series and Matt Williamson recovered at the Wesley nine. Shorts gained all nine yards, with the last four coming on his second rushing touchdown of the day.
McSweeny threw for 141 yards and one touchdown. Johnson led the team with 10 tackles.
The Wesley defense limited Rocco and Seaman to just 6-of-15 passing on the day for 113 yards. Morring rushed 25 times for 64 yards. Sam Kershaw led the Purple Raiders with eight tackles.
Notes:
- Wesley is now 12-6 all-time in the NCAA Playoffs.
- McSweeny tied Chris Warrick and Jason Visconti for the single season touchdown pass record at Wesley.
- Sean McAndrew extended his school season record for touchdown catches by a tight end to 10.
- McSweeny passed Rick Renshaw for fourth with 322 career completions
- Johnson's tackle total was a career-high
- Mayes passed Ken Pippin for sixth at Wesley with 37 tackles for loss in his career and extended his single season record at Wesley to 34.5
Quotes:
Wesley Head Coach Mike Drass
- On Cecil Shorts - "I look at him and see a player who answered the bell today. He's the best player in Division III."
- On the game - "I thought the team that makes the fewest mistakes wins the game. We wish Mount Union good luck and we hope they go all the way."
- On the offense - "We did not have a lot of success running the ball. Really the only yards we got were when Shane (McSweeny) took off himself."
- On the second half - "We were right there, 10-7. We felt we could play with them and could win the game. They did a good job in the Wildcat with Shorts. They ran to the weakside, and we hadn't seen that on film. He just put the team on his back."
- On the team's chances next year - "We talked as a team and congratulated the seniors on some fantastic careers. We have a lot of experience back. I think we have maybe the best quarterback, the best defensive end and the best safety coming back."
Wesley safety Aaron Benson
- On the forced fumble in the second quarter - "It was just a normal play. I dropped back into coverage and when I saw run I just came up and tried to make a hit."
Wesley tackle Matt Ferguson
- On reaching the semifinals - "You have to try to enjoy it. It's not every team, every year that makes it this far. We were just one of four teams still playing this week. It was exciting and I'll always remember."
