Freshman
Johnathan Hagerty (
Brookville, Ind.) threw six touchdown passes in his first collegiate start and Lakeland University capped a perfect run through the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference with a 57-31 win over Rockford University Saturday afternoon at Taylor Field.
The Muskies delivered another offensive show on Senior Day with freshmen leading the way, and the result was an outright NACC title and the team's second 6-0 conference mark in the last three years. Lakeland wrapped up its regular season with an 8-2 mark and now wait for its assignment in the first round of the NCAA Division III playoffs next Saturday.
Hagerty made the start in place of
Michael Whitley (
Sr.-Vidalia, La.) and completed 30 of 39 passes for 244 yards while also tying for the second-most touchdown passes in a game in school history, behind only the seven Whitley threw earlier this season against Adrian (Mich.) College. He led the Muskies to touchdowns on their first four drives in building a 30-0 lead by early in the second quarter, and in all the offense scored TDs on eight of his 10 drives.
Five different receivers were on the receiving end of his scores, all of them seniors.
Allante Gardner (
Detroit, Mich.) caught 11 passes for 104 yards and a score,
Dezmen Morse (
Milwaukee, Wis.) caught two TD passes, and
Jody Harrison (
Pontiac, Mich.),
Peyton Petersen (
Farmington Hills, Mich.) and
Jawon Turner (
Brooklyn, Wis.) all added touchdown catches, including Turner scoring the first touchdown of his collegiate career.
Lakeland also piled up 298 yards on the ground, and both
Larry Rivers (
Fr.-Dearborn Heights, Mich.) and
Dezmon Eddie (
So.-Alexandria, La.) topped 100 yards on the day. Rivers rushed 13 times for a career-high 155 yards and Eddie added 17 rushes for 129 yards in his fourth straight 100-yard rushing game.
In all, the Muskies finished with 562 yards of offense, just below their NCAA Division III-leading average of 579.4 yards per game entering the contest. They converted on 7 of 10 third downs and did all their damage despite nearly five minutes less time of possession than the Regents, including 37 points in the first half in just 10 minutes of possession.
Lakeland might have generated more yardage if not for good work by the special teams. The Muskies blocked a pair of punts, including one early in the second quarter by
Chris Bustamante (
So.-El Paso, Texas) that gave them possession at the Rockford 16 and led soon after to Hagerty hitting Harrison for a score. Lakeland also recovered a number of short kickoffs by the Regents, and Petersen also returned a kick 43 yards to make for another short field leading to a touchdown.
The Muskies defense was in charge the first three quarters, allowing a pair of long drives but otherwise forcing five punts and stopping another drive on downs. Lakeland led 50-12 after three quarters before Rockford scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to make the final score more respectable.
Donte Rowell (
Sr.-Chicago, Ill.) paced the defense with 11 tackles,
Eddie Strickland (
Jr.-Racine, Wis.) contributed nine tackles and
Diante Moses (
Jr.-Houston, Texas) added eight tackles.
Dajuan Darling (
Sr.-Detroit, Mich.) also finished with five tackles, including three for loss, and the Muskies as a team totaled 13 tackles for loss including three sacks.
Delayno Mack completed 7 of 12 passes for 115 yards and threw three touchdowns for Rockford (1-8 overall, 1-5 NACC). Drake Barlow rushed for 95 yards and starting quarterback added 15 carries for 69 yards and two touchdowns as the Regents gained 256 yards on the ground and a total of 371 yards of offense. Brice Spence led the Rockford defense with a game-high 13 tackles.
The game was the final one at home for 13 seniors honored before the game, including Darling, Harrison, Morse, Petersen, Rowell, Turner, Whitley,
Conrad Foss (
Muskegon, Mich.),
Jesse Kleiman (
Kewaunee, Wis.),Â
Jack Merrill (
Iron Mountain, Mich.),
Dustin Peterson (
Whitelaw, Wis.),
Eric Prestay (
Powers, Mich.) and
Mason Ross (
Pulaski, Wis.). The four-year members of the team are part of a run that has included a 29-11 regular season record, a 22-2 mark in NACC games, four conference titles and three trips to the Division III playoffs.
Muskies by the numbers:
2 - Blocked punts for the Muskies today, giving them six blocked kicks this season
4 - Number of different players who have thrown at least six touchdown passes in a game. Johnathan Hagerty joined a list that includes teammate Michael Whitley (this year and in 2015), John Hauser (1969) and Mark Novara (twice in 1996) to reach that mark
7 - Consecutive games Lakeland has scored at least 47 points
8 - Games this season that the Muskies have posted at least 550 yards of offense
8.5 - Sacks this season by McNemon Vincent after the freshman recorded another sack
9.3 - Yards per carry this year by freshman running back Larry Rivers, who gained a career-best 155 yards on just 13 rushes today
10:00 - Time of possession the Muskies needed in the first half to pile up 37 points
17 - Touchdowns this season by Dezmon Eddie, fourth-most in a season in school history
19 - Different players who have scored this year for Lakeland, after Peyton Petersen caught a touchdown and ran in a two-point conversion and Jawon Turner caught his first career touchdown pass
27 - Wins in Lakeland's last 30 NACC games
39 - Point after touchdown kicks converted this year by Conrad Foss, second-most in a season in school history
70 - Receptions this season for Allante Gardner, the third-most in a season in Muskies history
5,762 - Yards of offense for the Muskies as they continued to stretch out their school record for total offense in a season
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