The Fire ended it’s four-game, season-opening homestand in dominating fashion, blanking Webber International, 45-0, on Saturday night at Victory Field.
SEU took the game’s opening possession and drove 75 yards on nine plays, capped by a Jocquet Jiles 13-yard burst to pay dirt. The home team possessed the ball 10:38 of the first quarter, posting touchdowns on each of its first four drives, while the Fire defense suffocated the Warriors all night, forcing three turnovers.
Behind a dominating time of possession (40:17 to 19:43) and total yards of offense total, SEU stays a perfect 4-0 on the year and moves to 1-0 in Sun Conference play. Webber International falls to 3-2 and 1-1 in the SUN. The Fire move to 9-2 in the all-time series against the Warriors, with its second win in a row over the Warriors.
The SEU offense amassed 467 yards on 67 plays, almost doubling the Webber International output of 247 yards on 54 offensive plays. Along with converting 9-of-12 third down plays, the Fire ended with a balanced attack with 217 yards on the ground off 46 carries and completed 19 of 21 passes for 250 yards without turning the ball over.
Quarterback Henry Austad connected on 16 of 18 passes for 240 yards and a touchdown. Nate Mikell hit all three of his passes for 10 yards. Mikell also finished as the team’s leading rusher with 84 yards on eight attempts with the team’s final touchdown, as 12-yard scamper late in the fourth quarter.
Jiles averaged 7.8 yards per carry and had a pair of 13-yard touchdown runs. Daniel Parker covered 44 yards on 12 totes with a 4-yard scoring rumble. Ceejay Chimaadded 27 yards and Josiah Neos chipped in a 2-yard touchdown.
Both Desi Lester (62 yards) and Alex Reyes (45 yards) each caught three passes. Jiles added a 45-yard catch and Dominic Larry grabbed three balls for 45 yards. Leroy Lopez had a team-high four catches for 22 yards and Nicholas Scaleracovered 21 yards on two receptions.
The Fire defense forced three turnovers with a fumble and two interceptions, registered two tackles for loss and held the Warriors to 2-for-11 on third down. It was another balanced individual effort with Brady Nowlan leading with five tackles, one for a loss.
Four other Fire defenders, Jomier Augustine, Omarion Jones, Cole Highsmith and Thomas Ibrahim chipped in four tackles each. Peyton Major recorded the unit’s one sack, while Joseph Bonga broke up three passes and picked off a pass. Jamil Jones snatched the other interception and Vincent Brown broke up a pass.
After leading 14-0 with one quarter in the books, the SEU defense forced a fumble and Bonga intercepted a pass to end the first half. Austad hit Lucas Williamson for a three-yard touchdown and Neos ran it in from two yards out and put the game out of reach, 28-0, at intermission.
For the first time in 2024 the Fire will play on the road, as they travel to Miami Gardens next Saturday to face Florida Memorial. Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m..
