SALISBURY, MD --- A wild back-and-forth battle ended with the No. 11/13 Salisbury University football team clinching its second consecutive berth in the NCAA Tournament and its third straight New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship with a 37-23 victory over TCNJ on Saturday.
It is the fourth NJAC title since Salisbury joined the NJAC as an associate member in 2015.
Salisbury went up 16-2 in the first quarter Three plays into Salisbury's first drive of the game, Billy Gant connected with Hunter Cleaver on a slant with a 51-yard touchdown pass. The point-after attempt was blocked and returned by TCNJ's Joe Ciempola for a defensive two-point conversion. The two teams traded punts midway through the first, Salisbury got the ball on a goal-to-go situation after a 38-yard run by Gant. The drive stalled near the goal line and Bert Schrecongost knocked in a 21-yard field goal attempt to put Salisbury up 9-2 with three minutes to go in the first. The passing game got going again near the end of the first. Gant found Chad Gleasonon a quick seam for a 28-yard touchdown to push Salisbury's lead to 16-2.
A couple of special teams miscues by Salisbury in the second quarter kept the game level at 16-2 until Charles Barley jumped a Stephen Begen curl route and returned it 35 yards for a pick-six. On the first play of the ensuing drive, the TCNJ offense took advantage of a double move and Begen found Max Hayford for a 77-yard touchdown pass to cut the Salisbury lead to 23-9 with 3:27 left in the half. TCNJ kept the momentum after the touchdown. Nick Celli forced Gant to fumble and the ball was returned to the one-yard line. Mark Pacini took it into the endzone a play later to trim the SU lead to 23-16. Salisbury stopped the brief TCNJ run on the next drive. A play after a 72-yard gallop by Gleason, Gant scampered to score from three yards out to give the maroon and gold the 30-16 lead at the half.
After a scoreless third, TCNJ struck first in the second half when Begen scored off a six-yard quarterback sweep to bring the game to within one score, 30-23, with 12:31 left in regulation. Salisbury added insurance courtesy of a 45-yard Gleason run to extend the lead to 37-23. The defense stood tall to declaw the Lions.
Salisbury totaled 454 yards of offense with 340 rushing yards. Gleason only carried the ball three times but registered 146 yards and a touchdown on the ground, and also reeled in a pair of passes for 38 yards and a receiving score. Gant was 5-for-14 passing for 114 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Gant also tallied 20 rushes for a season-best 96 yards and a rushing touchdown. Jimmy Celentano led all tacklers with 10 stops, including 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
For the Lions, Stephen Begen was 14-of-31 passing for 221 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Max Heyford had a game-high four receptions for 112 yards and a score. TCNJ forced four Salisbury turnovers with three fumbles and an interception, and Michael Siwak led TCNJ with nine tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.