CALIFORNIA, Pa. – Junior quarterback Seth Morgan (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mount Lebanon/VMI) completed 26-of-33 passes for 326 yards and four touchdowns and also rushed for a score to lead Shepherd (3-0) to a 44-34 win over California (Pa.) (1-1) in football action at Adamson Stadium on Saturday.
Shepherd took a 7-0 lead when Morgan teamed with freshman wide receiver Kordell Batten (Waldorf, Md./St. Charles) on a 25-yard scoring pass with 11:25 left in the first quarter. Sophomore kicker James Bozek (Alexandria, Va./Hayfield) added the extra point.
The Rams upped their lead to 10-0 when Bozek connected on a 43-yard field goal with 11:51 left in the second quarter.
Davis Black teamed with Eric Willis III on a 91-yard scoring strike for the Vulcans 20 seconds later to cut the lead to 10-7.
California (Pa.) took a 14-10 lead when Bobby Boyd Jr. dove in from two yards out with 3:17 left in the second quarter.
The Vulcans added a score on a 22-yard pass from Black to Omari Hopkins with 1:01 left in the second quarter to take a 21-10.
Morgan fired a 27-yard yard scoring strike to sophomore wide receiver Cameron Dorner (New Market, Md./Oakdale) with 27 seconds left in the half to cut the lead to 21-17.
Black connected with Willis on a 95-yard scoring play with 7:09 left in the third quarter to give the Vulcans a 28-17 advantage.
Dorner returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for a score to cut the lead to 28-24 with 6:56 left in the third quarter. =
Morgan and Dorner teamed on a 49-yard scoring pass with 2:53 left in the third quarter to give the Rams a 30-28 lead. The extra point attempt was no good.
Cal took a 34-30 lead with 9:33 left in the fourth quarter as Black tossed a two-yard scoring pass to Hopkins. The two-point attempt was unsuccessful.
Shepherd answered back on a six-yard scoring strike from Morgan to junior wide receiver Jeremiah Taylor (Upper Marlboro, Md./Annapolis Area Christian School/Fairmont State) with 6:34 remaining to take a 37-34 lead.
Shepherd added a score on a one-yard sneak by Morgan with 1:38 left. A 44-yard interception return by sophomore defensive back Donte Harrison (Washington, D.C./Archbishop Carroll) set up the score.
Shepherd totaled 398 yards of total offense while California (Pa.) had 570 yards.
Black was 19-of-31 for 411 yards and four scores for the Vulcans.
Redshirt-junior running back Malakai Brown (Martinsburg, W.Va./Martinsburg) had 13 carries for 61 yards for the Rams. Boyd had 21 carries for a game-high 97 yards for Cal.
Dorner had nine receptions for 174 yards to lead the Shepherd receivers. Willis had six catches for 274 yards for the Vulcans.
Redshirt-sophomore defensive back Enelio Pena (Moorestown, N.J./Woodrow Wilson/Camden CC), junior defensive back Christian McDowell (Edgewood, Md./Edgewood/Alabama State), and sophomore linebacker JT Kouame-Yao (Centreville, Va./Westfield) each recorded eight tackles to lead the Shepherd defense. Rashan Murray and John Hutchinson each recorded eight stops for the Vulcans.
The Rams return to action on Saturday when they host Kutztown for a noon contest.
