DeLand, FL – The Webber International Football Team opened up the 2025 Campaign with a highly anticipated matchup against the NCAA Division 1 FCS Stetson Hatters. The Warriors went down early, but a 17 point 2nd quarter, highlighted by a scoop and score from Senior Linebacker Caden Morrell put the Warriors ahead where they stayed for the rest of the game, winning their first ever game against an NCAA Division 1 opponent, taking down the Hatters 31-21, and, according to research, the 12th time an NAIA team has beaten an FCS team.
First Quarter (Offense): After an early Stetson strike, Webber's offense settled in and flipped field position late in the period. Quarterback Trent Grotjan ripped a 19-yard keeper into Hatters territory and, two snaps later, hit Dantay Diorio for 15 yards down to the Stetson 21 as the quarter expired, capping a methodical response that set up points to open the second.
First Quarter (Defense): The Warriors bent but did not break after Stetson's quick start. The signature moment came on an 11-play, 64-yard Hatter march that reached the WIU 4—where Caden Marshknifed through on 4th-and-2 for a tackle for loss, producing a turnover on downs and a huge stand that kept it 7–0.
Second Quarter (Offense): Webber opened the frame by cashing in that goal-line stop with a 12-play, 75-yard drive. Rourke Davis drilled a 38-yard field goal (14:05) to get WIU on the board. Just before halftime, Grotjan engineered another answer—finding Cory Conklin for 13 to the STET 21 and riding Reginald Johnson's 11-yard burst to the 10—before zipping a 3-yard TD to Diorio with :07 leftfor a 17–7 lead.
Second Quarter (Defense): The defense tilted the game with pressure. Jeremy Willoughby buried the Stetson quarterback for a 9-yard sack early in the period, David Thompson Jr. erased a deep shot with a breakup, and the play of the half came at 8:28 when a sack jarred the ball loose and Caden Morrell scooped it and rumbled 34 yards for a touchdown, giving Webber its first lead, 10–7.
Third Quarter (Offense): After Stetson pulled within 17–14, Webber answered immediately off a takeaway. One snap after the defense set up a short field, Johnny Lewis Jr. darted 14 yards for a touchdown (2:13) to push the margin back to ten. Earlier in the quarter, Grotjan moved the chains with completions to Makai Elder and Conklin (18 yards to the STET 48).
Third Quarter (Defense): The Warriors' front seven delivered the game's turning point. With 2:23 left, Anthony Fuller punched the ball free on a run and Devin Collado pounced on it at the STET 14. That takeaway set up Lewis Jr.'s one-play score and restored control heading into the fourth.
Fourth Quarter (Offense): Nursing a one-score game after Stetson cut it to 24–21, Webber's offense stacked first downs behind Grotjan's keepers and the ground game to chew clock. Even when a late fumble hit the turf, Grotjan hustled to recover it, helping WIU protect field position the rest of the way.
Fourth Quarter (Defense): With momentum wobbling, Fuller shut the door—jumping a quick route and racing 21 yards for a pick-six at 10:10 to make it 31–21. From there, the Warriors slammed the brakes: Stetson's last two chances were missed field goals (51 yards at 8:20 and 34 yards at :40), and Webber's defense closed out a statement road win
Team Totals
• Total Offense: WIU 190 yds on 54 plays (avg 3.5); STET 403 yds on 76 plays (avg 5.3).
• First Downs: WIU 15 (Rush 8, Pass 5, Pen 2); STET 20 (Rush 7, Pass 12, Pen 1).
• Rushing: WIU 35-118 (3.4 ypc), TD 1; STET 43-141 (3.3 ypc), TD 2.
• Passing: WIU 9-19-0 for 72 yds (3.8 ypa / 8.0 yds/comp), TD 1; STET 22-33-1 for 262 yds (7.9 ypa), TD 1.
• 3rd/4th Down: WIU 5/13 (38.5%), 1/1 (100.0%); STET 5/15 (33.3%), 2/4 (50.0%).
• Red Zone: WIU 3/3 (17 pts: 1 rush TD, 1 pass TD, 1 FG); STET 3/5 (21 pts; 1 missed FG, 1 on downs).
• Penalties: WIU 5 for 44 yds; STET 10 for 80 yds.
• Turnovers: WIU 0 (fumbles lost 0, INT thrown 0). Takeaways — 2 fumble recoveries for 34 yds, 1 INT for 21 yds; margin +3, 14 points off turnovers.
• Time of Possession: WIU 27:32.
Individual — Webber Offense
• Passing: Trent Grotjan (4) — 9/19, 72 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT (long 18).
• Rushing: Trent Grotjan — 13 att, 42 yds (long 19); Reginald Johnson — 5 att, 18 yds (long 11); Johnny Lewis Jr. — 1 att, 14 yds, TD (long 14); Tobijah Semper — 2 att, 10 yds (long 10); D'Markus Mathis — 4 att, 8 yds; Careal Carter — 4 att, 7 yds (long 9); Quinton Moore — 1 att, 7 yds; Dantay Diorio — 1 att, 7 yds; Dorian Manuel — 3 att, 6 yds.
• Receiving: Cory Conklin — 2 rec, 31 yds (long 18); Dantay Diorio — 2 rec, 18 yds, TD(long 15); Jayden Floyd — 1 rec, 13 yds; Makai Elder — 3 rec, 6 yds; Tobijah Semper — 1 rec, 4 yds.
Individual — Webber Defense
• Tackles (solo-ast—total): Jonathan St. Jacque — 6-2—8; Caden Marsh — 4-3—7 (TFL 1); MarQuez Griffin — 4-3—7; Anthony Fuller — 3-3—6 (FF 1, INT 1); David Thompson Jr. — 4-2—6 (PBU 1); Devin Collado — 0-6—6 (FR 1); Careal Carter — 3-2—5; Omar Goosby — 3-2—5; Jeremy Willoughby — 1-3—4 (TFL 1, Sack 1 for -9); Matthew Smiciklas — 3-1—4; Caden Morrell — 1-1—2 (TFL 1, Sack 1 for -6, FF 1, FR 1, QBH 1); Dieuby Bontemps — 1-0—1 (TFL 1).
• Sacks: Jeremy Willoughby 1.0 (-9), Caden Morrell 1.0 (-6).
• Takeaways / Defensive TDs: Caden Morrell — fumble return 34 yds for TD; Anthony Fuller — interception 21 yds for TD.
Special Teams — Webber
• Kicker: Rourke Davis — FG 1/1 (long 38), PAT 4/4; Kickoffs 5 for 215 yds.
• Punting: Jaxson Rivera — 7 punts, 290 yds (41.4 avg), long 48, 4 inside the 20.
• Returns: KR — Tobijah Semper 4 for 81 (long 26); PR — none.
Scoring plays (WIU): Davis 38-yd FG (14:05 2Q); Morrell 34-yd FR TD (8:28 2Q); Diorio 3-yd TD pass from Grotjan (:07 2Q); Lewis Jr. 14-yd TD run (2:13 3Q); Fuller 21-yd INT TD (10:10 4Q).
