KUTZTOWN, Pa. –  Junior quarterback Tyson Bagent (Martinsburg, W.Va./Martinsburg) fired a 42-yard scoring strike to graduate student tight end Alex Wetzel (Keedysville, Md./Boonsboro) as time expired to lift  #8/9 Shepherd (13-1) to a 30-28 win over #12 Kutztown (11-2) in the quarterfinal round action of NCAA II Playoffs at Kutztown on Saturday to capture the Super Region One title.

Shepherd took a 7-0 lead when sophomore running back Ronnie Brown (Baltimore, Md./Dundalk) raced 43 yards for a touchdown with 6:14 left in the first quarter. Senior kicker Hayden August-Scriven (North Potomac, Md./Quince Orchard) added the extra point. 

Shepherd took a 14-0 lead when Bagent dove into the end zone from one yard out with 3:55 left in the second quarter. \

The score was set up by a 38-yard fumble return by senior linebacker Chrys Lane (Baltimore, Md./Dundalk)  to give the Rams the ball at the Kutztown 20-yard line. 

Redshirt freshman defensive back Klayton Batten (Waldorf, Md./St. Charles) returned an interception 32 yards down the sideline for a score with 3:43 left in the second quarter to up the Shepherd lead to 21-0. 

Danny Blaine fired a 15-yard scoring pass to Jake Novak for the Golden Bears to cut the lead to 21-7 with 28 seconds left in the half. 

Blaine scored on an eight-yard run with 12 seconds left in the third quarter to make it 21-14. 

Kutztown tied the game when Blaine scored on a one-yard sneak with 10:30 left in the fourth quarter.  

August-Scriven connected on a 40-yard field goal with 2:56 left in the fourth quarter to give the Rams a 24-21 lead. 

Blaine fired a 32-yard scoring pass to Derek Anderson with 39 seconds remaining to give the Golden Bears a 28-24 lead.

Bagent completed 30-of-42 passes for 248 yards and a score. Blaine completed 10-of 23 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns. 

Brown had nine carries for 65 yards to lead the Shepherd ground game. Jordan had 12 carries for 72 yards to lead the Golden Bears. 

Beach had 10 receptions for 65 yards to lead the Shepherd receivers. Anderson had six catches for 109 yards and a score for Kutztown. 

Shepherd totaled 354 yards of total offense and Kutztown had 397. 

Senior defensive back Antonio Fox (Germantown, Md/Seneca Valley) led the Rams with eight tackles. Senior linebacker Kendall Duckworth (Naples, Fla./Lely/Kansas) added seven. Batten led the Shepherd secondary with a pair of interceptions. Shawn Turber-Ortiz had 10 tackles to pace the Golden Bears. 

Fourth-seeded Shepherd will travel to face top-seeded Ferris State next Saturday with the kickoff time yet to be determined.

Notes: Shepherd won its fourth Super Region One title (2010, 2015, 2016, 2021) … the Rams improve to 18-16 in postseason play. 

Video Highlights

Hail Mary on final play sends Shepherd to D-II semifinals - ESPN

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