WAYNE, N.J. – The William Paterson football team (2-4, 1-4 NJAC) dropped a 77-19 decision to visiting No. 22/25 Salisbury (5-1, 4-1 NJAC) Oct. 15.
Senior Aarron Moore returned the opening kickoff 80 yards for a Sea Gull touchdown, and junior Alex Potocko kicked the extra point for a 7-0 edge.
Senior quarterback Ryan Jones picked up six yards off tackle to make it a 14-0 score midway through the first quarter, and a five-yard Jones carry extended it to a 21-0 Salisbury lead with 2:12 left in the opening period.
Junior Brian Legue fumbled a fair catch of a WP punt and junior Dan Lordi (Edison, N.J./Edison) came up with the loose ball at the Salisbury-7. On the very next play, senior wide receiver Anthony DiMarsico (Stony Point, N.Y./Suffern) scored on an end-around to the right side, followed by the PAT by sophomore Nick DeAngelis (Ramsey, N.J./Ramsey) for a 21-7 margin.
A pitch right resulted in a 12-yard Ryan Kolb touchdown with 12:15 remaining in the second quarter (28-7), and junior defensive lineman Devon McClain's 12-yard interception return extended it to 35-7 less than a minute later.
Junior quarterback Isaiah Diaz-Mays (Hoboken, N.J./Union City) found DiMarsico down the right sideline for a 38-yard strike with 8:18 left in the first half, but the two-point conversion failed, leaving it a 35-13 score.
Salisbury added a 24-yard toss from Jones to sophomore Sean Rowland (42-13, 6:11) and a four-yard run by senior Connor Canonico (49-13, 1:57) before Lordi recovered another fumble at the Sea Gull-40 on a punt return. Sophomore wide receiver Christian Maldonado (Elmwood Park, N.J./Paramus Catholic) connected with senior wide receiver Malcolm Robinson (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne) in the back of the end zone for a six-yard score on a trick play, but the two-point pass attempt was no good, and WP trailed by a 49-19 count eight seconds before halftime.
Junior Malique Pratt posted a two-yard score on the ground (56-19, 7:33) and Moore added a one-yard plunge (63-19, 4:09) during the third quarter.
Freshman defensive back John Steele returned a fumble 54 yards for a touchdown to make it a 70-19 game with 10:16 on the clock in the fourth period, and sophomore Michael Fowler added a 23-yard TD run to finish the scoring six minutes later.
Diaz-Mays went 14-for-30 for 179 yards, one touchdown and an interception, while junior quarterback James Waldron (Edison, N.J./Edison) finished 3-for-6 for 33 yards. Robinson caught seven passes for 69 yards and a score, and gained 12 yards on three carries. DiMarsico posted four receptions for 68 yards and a TD as well as a five-yard touchdown on the ground.
Freshman defensive back Ra'Keem Bennett (Linden, N.J./Carteret) paced the Pioneers with 10 tackles. Freshman linebacker Taheem Jackson (East Orange, N.J./East Orange Campus) and freshman defensive lineman Brandon Yaw (Roxbury, N.J./Roxbury) each added nine stops.
Jones was 3-for-5 for 47 yards and a touchdown through the air, and gained 78 yards and scored twice off nine rushes. Canonico posted 12 carries for 142 yards and TD. Rowland hauled in two passes for 31 yards and a touchdown.
Senior defensive back George Van Hove led the Sea Gulls with six tackles.
The Pioneers will visit Southern Virginia Saturday, Oct. 22, at 1:00 p.m.
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