Box Score SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. – Findlay (10-2) scored 20 unanswered points in the second half to rally for a 29-17 win over Shepherd University (10-1) in first round action of the NCAA Division Football Championship at Ram Stadium on Saturday.

Findlay took a 3-0 lead when Jacob Allton connected on a 30-yard field goal with 6:06 left in the first quarter.

Senior quarterback Connor Jessop (Ashburn, Va./Broad Run/Virginia Tech) teamed with junior wide receiver Ryan Feiss (Forest Hill, Md./North Harford) on a 28-yard scoring pass with 3:21 left in the first quarter to give the Rams a 7-3 advantage.

Allton added a 32-yard field goal with 27 seconds left in the period to cut the lead to 7-6.
 
Jessop teamed with junior wide receiver Wanya Allen (Sterling, Va./Potomac Falls) on a 47-yard scoring strike with three seconds left in the quarter to give Shepherd a 14-6 lead.

Allton tacked on a 36-yard field goal for the Oilers with 5:18 left in the second quarter to cut the deficit to 14-9.

Wise connected on a 32-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to give the Rams a 16-9 lead at the break.

Findlay answered back on a one-yard plunge by Daouda Sylla with 10:31 left in the third quarter to cut the lead to 17-15. The two-point attempt was thwarted when senior linebacker James Gupton (Waldorf, Md./North Point) nailed Sylla shy of the goal line.

Findlay took a 23-17 lead when Michael Campbell scored on a four-yard run. Rhys Gervais teamed with Airion Kosak on the two-point conversion.

Gervais teamed with Kosak on a 52-yard scoring pass with 8:08 remaining to extend the lead to 29-17. The two-point attempt was unsuccessful.

Sylla had 33 carries for 205 yards to lead the Findlay ground attack.

Jessop completed 18-of-37 passes for 248 yards and a pair of scores for the Rams. Gervais completed 21-of-41 passes for 294 yards for the Oilers.

Feiss had eight receptions for 81 yards and sophomore tight end DJ Cornish (Felton, Del./Lake Forest) added five catches for 87 yards for the Rams. Andrew Ogletree had six catches for 81 yards for Findlay.

Findlay gained 571 yards of total offense, while Shepherd had 304. The Oilers dominated time of possession with a 41:11-to-18:49 advantage.

Gupton recorded a game-high 16 tackles (11 solos) in his final game for the Rams. Freshman defensive back Shane Wilkins (Middletown, Del./Middletown) added 10 stops, while senior defensive end Myles Humphrey (Upper Marlboro, Md./Dr. Henry A. Wise) added six stops with a pair of tackles-for-loss (- 6 yards) and a sack (- 5 yards) in his final contest. Terrence Smith and Tyler Long each recorded seven tackles to lead the Oilers.

Notes: Zach Wise (62) broke the Shepherd mark for most consecutive extra points in a career (old mark was 60 by Ricky Schmitt in 2005-06) … Shepherd falls to 13-11 in NCAA II postseason play.