BOX SCORE

DANBURY, CONN. – Junior Dawys German (North Arlington, N.J./North Arlington) had a career day with 233 yards rushing and three touchdowns as William Paterson (4-6, 3-6 NJAC) scored 33 second-half points to run away from host Western Connecticut (0-10, 0-9 NJAC) for a 45-19 victory in the season finale Nov. 12.

German carried the ball 31 times and scored three consecutive touchdowns to help put the game away against the Colonials.  He finished the season with 180 carries for 1,020 yards and eight scores, becoming the Pioneers' first 1,000-yard rusher since 1996 (Andre Evans, 212 attempts, 1,290 yards).

Senior Joe Muraglia, Jr. (Belleville, N.J./Queen of Peace) was 7-gor-19 for 79 yards at quarterback, and rushed 11 times for 32 yards and a touchdown.  Senior fullback Kyle Hart (Lambertville, N.J./South Hunterdon Regional) found the end zone, picking up a total of 28 yards on five carries.

Senior linebacker Jim Hamill (Stanhope, N.J./Lenape Valley Regional) led the defense with 10 tackles (eight solo, 4.0 for loss).  Senior defensive lineman Damian DiIorio (Totowa, N.J./Passaic Valley Regional) posted nine stops (six solo, 2.0 TFL, 1.0 sack) and a fumble recovery, and senior bandit Doug Dudek (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Hills) added nine tackles (six solo, 1.5 TFL, 1.0 sack), a forced fumble, interception and two pass breakups.

The Colonials opened the scoring with a six-yard completion from Will Arndt to Marquis Highsmith.  Sophomore Adonis Rivie (Plainfield, N.J./Bishop George Ahr) blocked the extra point, and Western Connecticut owned a 6-0 lead 5:21 into the contest.

A 27-yard pass from Muraglia to sophomore wide receiver Mick Paye (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley Regional) kept the chains moving during WP's next drive, and Muraglia finished it off with an eight-yard run.  Freshman kicker Robert Sinegra (Wharton, N.J./Morris Knolls) missed his first PAT of the season as it was blocked, and the two teams were deadlocked at 6-6 with 6:35 left in the first quarter.

Sinegra finished the next Pioneer possession with a school-record 48-yard field goal, handing William Paterson a 9-6 advantage with 1:09 remaining in the opening quarter.  His kick was two yards better than the previous best of 46 yards set by Mickey Hulse (Nov. 10, 2001, at New Jersey City).

Dion Small answered back just 67 seconds later with a two-yard TD run.  Tim Schwietzer's kick was once again blocked, this time by Mike Morano (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea), and it was a 12-9 Colonial edge entering the second period.

WP fumbled to end its next drive, but after forcing a WestConn punt, Sinegra once again tied things up with a 37-yard field goal with 8:55 on the clock.  A Dudek interception later got the ball back for the Pioneers, but Sinegra's attempt from 31 yards was wide left, and the two teams entered halftime still tied at 12-12.

A pair of Muraglia interceptions sandwiched a Sinegra 27-yarder (15-12, 6:44) to start the third quarter.  Dudek's sack jarred the ball loose from Arndt and DiIorio recovered near midfield, and five plays later Sinegra connected on his fourth field goal of the day, this one from 29 yards, for an 18-12 WP lead with 1:52 on the clock in the third. 

Facing fourth-and-two at its own 41 yard line, Western Connecticut fumbled, a play that resulted in a total loss of 32 yards and a change of possession.  German took the next snap and covered the final nine yards to the end zone, and after WP elected to go for two but failed, the Pioneers owned a 24-12 advantage at the end of the third quarter.

Freshman linebacker John Garbowski (Mohegan Lake, N.Y./Lakeland) intercepted an Arndt pass and returned it 26 yards to the WestConn-11 to open the fourth.  German later scored from seven yards out, and Sinegra's kick was good (31-12, 14:13).

German added a 19-yard score 72 seconds later (38-12, 13:01), and Hart found the end zone for his first career rushing touchdown, a seven-yard carry to hand the Pioneers a 45-12 lead with 6:54 to play.

The Colonials finished the scoring with 5:32 left, a 16-yard Arndt-to-Curtis Walker pass play.

Arndt was 9-for-18 for 106 yards and two touchdowns.  Small carried 29 times for 104 yards and a score, and Walker caught five passes for 83 yards and a TD.

Bill Birdsell led the Colonial defense with 14 tackles (eight solo).  Greg Galasso made 13 stops (10 solo, 20 for loss), and Mike Lacaria added 10 tackles and a fumble recovery.