Widener makes stand, goes home with 700th win

And now there are four Division III football programs with 700 or more career victories.

Widener reached that milestone Saturday with a hard-fought, 20-14 road triumph over Stevenson in Owings Mills, Md. The Pride had to make a goal-line stand in the final minute to join Mount Union, Wittenberg and Washington & Jefferson as the only D-III programs with 700 victories, and become the 35th school in all divisions to reach that number.

“It was a our current special players day for and all the former players from PMC and the Pioneers,” Widener coach Mike Kelly said. “To be part of the commitment and sustained effort it’s taken to achieve the consistent level of success over the decades this has taken is a bit overwhelming.”

The Mustangs drove to the Widener two-yard line, but the Pride defense was equal to the task. Widener (6-2, overall, 6-1 MAC) dropped Isaiah Austin for a six-yard loss on second down. After Daqwan Hill gained four yards on third down, Dan Williams lofted a pass to Sebastien Vainqueur on fourth down, but the pass fell incomplete with 40 seconds left in the game.

Widener took a knee run out the clock.

The Pride jumped out to a 10-0 lead on a 29-yard field goal by Matt Raczak. Rob Ennis Jr. (117 rushing yards) tacked on a four-yard touchdown run four minutes later. D’Andre Sapp scored from three yards out in the second quarter to make it 17-0 and Raczak added a 32yard field goal in the third period to extend Widener’s lead to 20-7.

Williams hit Devin Salisbury on a 20-yard touchdown to pass with 5:02 left to cut the deficit to six, and used a 45-yard punt return by Peston Addo to give the Mustangs a chance to win it in the final minute. The Widener defense, though, was equal to the task.

“We are all humbled and very proud to be part of the success to put us as in the rarified air of only the fourth program in Division III and the 35th in all divisions to reach this achievement,” Kelly said. “It was a great day for Widener football.” VIRGINIA A&M 38, WILLIAMSON 32 » It was a heartbreaker in the season finale for the Mechanics as Nigel Caesar hit Jeremy Reynolds with a 23-yard touchdown pass in the second overtime to win it for the Gators.

Williamson came up with a huge defensive play on the two-point conversion try in the first OT, but could not score when it got the ball in the second extra session.

Darnell Wideman caught three passes for 107 yards and three touchdowns for Williamson (3-5). Luke Bednar also had a TD reception, while Andrew Hicks carried the ball 27 times for 90 yards. MILLERSVILLE 59, CHEYNEY 7» Quarterback Tony Staffieri threw four touchdown passes and ran for another score as the Marauders (45, 3-3 PSAC East) scored on their first nine possessions to put 52 points on the board in the first half.

Nii Kotei Nikoi of Upper Darby was on the receiving end of one of those TD tosses, a nine-yard strike in the second quarter.

Dominick Trautz got Wolves (1-8, 0-6) on board with an 11-yard pass to Carl Igweh in second quarter. the the TD the