Saturday’s game not only marked the final game of the season for the Wonder Boys, it also marked the final home contest for Tech’s 19-member senior class. The seniors were honored in pregame ceremonies prior to kickoff. Tech’s seniors this season are: defensive back Terrance Boykin (Wynne, Ark.), defensive back Michael Chapman (Kansas City, Mo.), defensive back Antonio Charles (Sarasota, Fla.), defensive back Tario Dansby (Ashdown, Ark.), defensive end Donquell Davenport (Longview, Texas), running back Scharvundrick Franklin (Dumas, Ark.), defensive end Derandus Frye (New Orleans, La.), defensive tackle Josh Govan (Crossett, Ark.), kicker Drew Hanna (Russellville, Ark.), receiver Jeremy Haynes (Seaside, Calif.), receiver C.J. Hunter (West Helena, Ark.), defensive back RonDerrick Jackson (Bossier City, La.), defensive back Brannon Kidd (Crossett, Ark.), noseguard T.J. Langley (Hugo, Okla.), receiver Whisly Laurent (Brooklyn, NY), linebacker Danny Martin (Tulsa, Okla.), receiver Jarrod Martin (Crossett, Ark.), quarterback Robert Sagerian (San Diego, Calif.) and linebacker Brandon Wright (Stuttgart, Ark.).
Tech, who completed its season with a 4-7 overall record, has now won three straight home regular season finales dating to the 2008 season after collecting 362 yards of offense and scoring a season-high 42 points against the Bearcats.
With the win, Tech has now won four or more games for 15 consecutive seasons dating to 1995 when the Wonder Boys ended its Division II season with a 3-6-1 mark.
“This was a good way for us to head into the offseason. Southwest Baptist has a quality team and we got off to a good start, which was necessary if we’re to be successful today,” Wonder Boys Head Coach Steve Mullins said. “Now it is time for us as a program and coaching staff to build and correct mistakes.”
Tech’s defense held one of the top offenses in all college football 329 yards below their season average as the Bearcats gained 205 yards against the Wonder Boys, including being held to minus-21 yards rushing. SBU entered the game second in NCAA Division II and seventh among all NCAA Football playing schools in total offense as they were averaging 534 yards per game and were scoring 42.1 points per contest.
“We did a great job holding their great quarterback (Steven Gachette) in check. It was just an outstanding effort by our defense,” Mullins added. “We managed to shut them down. They were phenomenal.”
The minus-21 rushing yards by the Bearcats were the fewest rushing yards allowed by the Wonder Boys in a game since holding Southern Arkansas to minus-2 yards rushing last season. In addition, it is the 11th-best rushing defensive performance of the season in all Division II football.
Tech entered the game ranked fourth in the GSC and 19th nationally in rushing defense as they were allowing just 97.1 yards per game. The Wonder Boys finished the 2010 season allowing just 86.4 rushing yards per game, including holding eight of its 11 opponents to less than 70 yards rushing.
Tech scored on its first possession of the game as redshirt freshman Rico Keller (Marrero, La.) connected with Laurent for a 51-yard scoring pass just a little over two minutes into the game. Freshman kicker Cody Jones (Lexington, Tenn.) connected on the extra point to give Tech a 7-0 lead.
“That first touchdown lifted everybody’s mental spirits, so to speak and then our defense really came alive,” said Mullins, who improved to 3-0 all-time against SBU as Tech’s coach.
Tech’s lead grew to 14-0 with a little less than two minutes remaining in the first quarter following a 10-yard touchdown run by Keller on a fourth-and-one play. The big play on the drive was a 27-yard run by Franklin, who finished with a game-high 92 yards rushing on 19 carries.
The lead blossomed to 21-0 following a 4-yard scoring run by Keller just a little over two minutes into the second quarter. Keller’s run completed a 10-play, 28-yard drive by the Wonder Boys that started following a 14-yard punt by SBU’s Derek Harman.
SBU, though, answered Keller’s score as they drove 99 yards in six plays and completed the drive with a 37-yard touchdown pass from Steven Gachette to Charles Johnson. On the drive, Gachette, who was named as one of the six finalists on Friday from Super Region 4 for the 2010 Harlon Hill Trophy, which is awarded annually to the top player in all of Division II, was 6-for-6 passing, including hitting Johnson four times for 50 yards.
Gachette, who left the game late in the second quarter after getting hit in the head by Martin, which led to the senior linebacker being ejected from the game, finished with minus-17 yards rushing as he was sacked two times and was 14-for-24 passing for 152 yards. Gachette entered the game third nationally in total offense (395.3 yards per game) and 10th nationally in passing yards (309.5 per game).
The Wonder Boys came right back and drove 45 yards in 10 plays and capped the drive with a 29-yard field goal by Jones with 3:22 left in the first half and then used a 44-yard punt return by junior receiver Sean Carraway (Claremont, Calif.) to set up a 22-yard field goal by Jones with 48 seconds left in the half.
Tech capped the half with an interception by Dansby on a pass thrown by Justin French, who was filling in after the injury suffered by Gachette. The interception by Dansby was his 11th of his career.
The Wonder Boys put the game out of reach as it took the opening possession of the second half and drove 67 yards in 12 plays and capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass on a fourth-and-goal play from Keller to Frye. Frye, who is a mainstay at defensive end for the Wonder Boys, was playing the fullback position on the play. The touchdown by Frye was the first of his Wonder Boy career.
SBU, who was seeking to win its school record eighth game on Saturday and finished the season with a 7-4 record, answered Frye’s score late in the third quarter as Thad Everson scored from the 1-yard line. Everson’s score came one play after French hooked up with Johnson for a 26-yard pass completion on third-and-10. Johnson finished the game with 10 receptions for 122 yards, while French finished 9-for-24 passing for 74 yards in relief of Gachette.
Tech extended its lead to 40-14 just about three minutes into the fourth quarter as Sagerian scored on a 2-yard keeper. The score came three plays after Harman bobbled a snap on a punt attempt at Tech’s six-yard line. Hanna, who was playing in his first-ever football game, missed the extra point attempt. Prior to coming to Tech, Hanna played soccer at Central Baptist and also in high school at Russellville.
The Wonder Boys defense got into the scoring late in the game as Govan was awarded a safety following a personal foul penalty on a passing play by the Bearcats in the end zone.
Keller finished the game 15-for-23 passing for 183 yards and had two touchdowns and no interceptions and added 14 yards rushing on 17 carries. In addition to Keller, Laurent caught seven passes for 91 yards, while Jarrod Martin caught three passes for 56 yards in the win and sophomore receiver Roger Jackson (Siloam Springs, Ark.) extended his passing catching streak to 11 consecutive games as he caught two balls for 23 yards.
On the game, Tech collected a total of 133 return yards, including Carraway collecting 83 yards on four punt returns. Tech also finished with 50 yards on three kickoff returns. The Wonder Boys finished the season with a single-season school record 57 kickoff returns and fell eight kickoff return yards shy of the school’s single-season mark of 1,190 return yards set in 2009. The Wonder Boys gained 1,182 yards on kickoff returns this season.
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