WEST PALM BEACH – From start to finish, No. 4 Keiser dictated the game’s pace in its first-round NAIA playoff against No. 12 Arizona Western on Saturday (April 17).
In what turned out to be a relatively easy 63-21 home win, the Seahawks (8-0) scored on its first five possessions during the first quarter.
Junior quarterback Eli Matthews had a hand in two of those, which included a 27-yard touchdown run (4:23 mark) and a 50-yard touchdown bomb to junior wide receiver Caleb Walls (2:41 mark).
Keiser junior running Antwoine Sims (seven carries, 42 yards, one touchdown) reached the end zone a few plays after the Matthews-Walls scoring connection to help make it a 32-0 lead over the Matadors (9-2).
While Sims came through as usual, it was a breakout player who really made a difference in the Seahawks ground game.
Fellow running back and freshman Jaden Meizinger (game-highs of 20 carries and 168 rushing yards, with two touchdowns) opened the scoring floodgates with his 20-yard touchdown run at 9:57 left in the first quarter (10-0 lead).
“I thought we started off the game the way we needed to,” Keiser head coach Doug Socha told media members after the game. “They (the players) were built right for this thing. They were fit and they came out with the right mindset. They jumped on these guys (Arizona Western) and never looked back.”
Socha spoke on the dominance of his team’s running game, which accounted for three of the four first-quarter touchdowns.
“I think when you can run the football, you can almost dictate what you want to do,” Socha said. “There were some play-action
opportunities that we took advantage of. There were some misdirection that we took advantage of. We ran the ball at a high level.”
Keiser came through in all three phases of the game in the first quarter.
On special teams, senior kicker Logan Robinson started the game off with a 44-yard field goal at the 11:40 mark for a 3-0 Keiser lead. He finished the first frame 3-for-3 on PAT’s.
A blocked punt by Keiser’s Coby Golden also set the stage for a Sims touchdown run.
And on defense, team leader and junior defensive back Kade Glenn Jr. caught an interception at the 11:03 mark.
Keiser held Arizona Western to 29 total yards in the first quarter.
“The first drive we settled for a field goal,” Socha said. “We settled in, and then the defense took over. We had a blocked punt. It was an explosive first quarter. I thought that after the first drive and through the middle of the second quarter, we were really clicking.”
Keiser went into halftime with a whopping 49-7 lead, which was highlighted primarily by a 5-yard touchdown pass from Matthews to junior wide receiver Shavon Taylor with four seconds left in the second frame.
“It was a bluff call,” Matthews said. “They jumped offsides and I just sat back. Nobody really rushed, so I just tried to find a receiver in the back of the end zone. Luckily it worked.”
Keiser scored two more times in the game, including the exclamatory play that came from Meizinger on a blistering 75-touchdown run with 14:18 left in the fourth quarter.
“Jaden is an excellent addition to the program,” Socha said. “He just had a heck of a game.”
Also in the second half: Walls caught his second touchdown of the game from
Matthews (third quarter) and Verwayne Alexander caught an interception (fourth quarter).
“Our guys were well-fit for this thing,” Socha said. “They played at a high level today.”
FINAL STATS
Keiser outgained Arizona Western in total yardage, 546-322. The home team did not turn the ball over, while forcing the road team to commit two turnovers – both of which were interceptions.
Keiser’s 546 total yards and 63 total points were the most in school history.
OFFENSIVE MVP: Matthews (18-of-29 passing, 236 yards, three touchdowns; eight carries, 66 yards, two touchdowns; five total scores)
DEFENSIVE MVP: Golden (team-high nine tackles on defense, blocked punt on special teams)
NEXT GAME FOR KEISER: Home again for second round of NAIA playoffs on Saturday, April 24 at 12:30 p.m. against No. 8 Reinhardt (9-0).
PHOTO CREDITS: Alex Peterman and Chet Peterman
