Box Score LAKELAND, Fla.—Southeastern sent its 19 seniors off in style, in what could be their final game at Victory Field.
The Fire were dominant on offense and defense in a 62-0 win over Ave Maria in the final game of the regular season.
It marked the 22
nd win in 25 games for SEU at home.
"We played a lot of people, especially in the second half, and denied them the end zone," said coach
Keith Barefield. "Our young guys came through at the end, when a lot of times, you get tempted to put the starters back in."
In the first half, the Gyrenes (2-8) were held to just 12 yards on 30 plays, and had committed three turnovers.
The defense was put in a tough spot right from the start when Ave Maria returned the opening kickoff 70 yards to the Fire 20. A 33-yard field goal attempt was missed wide right. After the Fire punted, Southeastern recovered a fumble at the Gyrene 21-yard line, to set up the first of Jonathan Pearce's three touchdown passes in the game, the first to LaQuvionte Gonzalez.
Gonzalez matched the SEU program record for receptions in a game with 10, amassing 101 yards.
A short punt set up Southeastern (8-1, 5-0 MSC Sun) at the AMU 22-yard line, with Pearce finishing the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.
An interception by Tyson Kee set up a 12-yard TD pass from Pearce to Bryce Miller. Cory Rahman's first career interception set up the first of three Kamario Bell touchdown runs to put the Fire up 28-0 with 3:26 left in the first quarter.
Bell finished with 120 yards on 19 carries.
Without taking a second half snap, Pearce was 16-of-25 for 201 yards.
In the second quarter, Caleb Winter connected on two field goals of 40 and 37 yards and Matthew Craig hauled in his third touchdown reception of the season to give SEU a 48-0 halftime advantage.
"I can't say enough about our seniors," said Barefield. "They are the bedrock of our program, and have only lost two conference games in four years. We couldn't ask for anything better than what they've accomplished for us."
In the third quarter, Antwain Adams picked up his first touchdown of the season, a 6-yard run to put the Fire up 62. Winter's 33-yard field goal with 4:56 to play concluded the scoring.
Ave Maria's best chance to score came in the final two minutes of regulation with first-and-goal at the Fire 6-yard line, but freshman Anthony Quintana intercepted Randy Schoeder's pass in the end zone to preserve the shutout.
The Fire defense recorded 12 tackles for loss, resulting in 37 lost yards, recovered two fumbles, intercepted three passes, and broke up six others. Senior Josh Schulte was at the top of the tackle chart with eight, including 2.5 for loss.
"They paved the way for us," said defensive tackle Robert Greathouse of the Bonny Park Boys. "Coming in, we had to buy in to what they had established, and we kept going."
Southeastern will make its second-straight NAIA Football Championship Series appearance, and will learn its first-round opponent Sunday at 5 p.m.
