SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. -- Senior running back Bryan Wright (Augusta, WV/Hampshire/WVU) rushed 14 times for 144 yards and junior running back Dervon Wallace (Lusby, MD/Calvert/WV State) rushed 21 times for 102 yards to lead fifth-ranked Shepherd University to a 31-7 win over Merrimack College in second round action of the NCAA II Playoffs at Ram Stadium on Saturday.

Shepherd opened the scoring with 11:08 left in the second quarter when Wallace scored on a five-yard run to give the Rams a 7-0 lead. The score was set up by an interception by senior All-American free safety Dan Peters (Cresson, PA/Penn Cambria) that gave the Rams possession at the Merrimack 15-yard line.

The Rams made it 14-0 with 5:47 left in the second quarter when sophomore linebacker Louis Corum (Manassas, VA/Westfield) picked off a Colin Temple pass and rambled 23 yards for a score.

The Warriors cut the deficit to 14-7 with 1:14 left in the half when Temple connected with Chris McNeill on a 27-yard scoring pass.

Senior quarterback Dan Chlebowski (Greencastle, PA/Greencastle-Antrim) was injured early in the second quarter and sophomore Tyler Lazear (Bethesda, MD/Walt Whitman) entered the game. 

Lazear teamed with junior wide receiver Mark Springirth (Germantown, MD/Watkins Mill) on an 11-yard scoring strike with 9:44 left in the third quarter to up the Ram lead to 21-7.

Shepherd increased its lead to 24-7 on a 32-yard field goal by senior kicker Ricky Schmitt (Virginia Beach, VA/Salem). The score was set up by a 45-yard run by Wallace.

Wright set a new Shepherd record for the longest run from scrimmage when he raced 97 yards for score with 1:34 left in the game to complete the scoring. 

Lazear completed 6-of-11 passes for 73 yards, while Chlebowski connected on  5-of-6 passes for 31 yards for the Rams. Temple was 16-of-36 for 205 yards for Merrimack.

Springirth led the Ram receivers with five catches for 34 yards, while sophomore tight end Ryan Lavin (Centreville, VA/Westfield) added two catches for 49 yards. Chris Laham had six catches for 41 yards to lead the Warriors.

Junior strong safety Jerome Quinata (Woodbridge, VA/C.D. Hylton) led the Rams with eight tackles, while senior linebacker Todd Edmondson (Finksburg, MD/Westminster) added seven.