THOMASVILLE, Ga. – The Webber International University football team closed out its 2026 season in impressive fashion Saturday afternoon, delivering a dominant 35-0 shutout victory over Thomas University at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
The Warriors (3-8, 1-6 SUN) made an immediate statement on the defensive side of the ball, scoring on two defensive touchdowns in the first quarter before adding three more scores to secure the road victory and finish the season on a high note.
Webber wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. After forcing Thomas into a fumble on its opening possession, Makai Elder forced the turnover, and Javier Frazier recovered the loose ball before returning it 28 yards for the opening touchdown. Tyler Sapp converted the extra point to give the Warriors a 7-0 advantage with 12:15 remaining in the first quarter.
The Warriors' offense followed with a scoring drive of its own. D'Markus Mathis broke loose for a 35-yard run to move Webber deep into Thomas territory before Dantay Diorio added a 12-yard carry to set up Trent Grotjan. Grotjan finished the drive with a 21-yard touchdown run, extending the lead to 14-0 with 5:26 left in the opening quarter.
Webber's defense continued to create problems for the Night Hawks. After Thomas moved into Warrior territory, Javier Frazier came up with his second major play of the afternoon, intercepting a pass and returning it 94 yards for a touchdown. Sapp's extra point pushed the advantage to 21-0 with 2:53 remaining in the first quarter.
Thomas threatened early in the second quarter, moving inside the Webber five-yard line, but the Warriors' defense stood tall. Roger Jones intercepted a pass in the end zone to end the scoring opportunity and return possession to Webber.
The Warriors capitalized with an impressive 13-play, 80-yard scoring drive that consumed nearly 10 minutes of game time. Mathis helped move the offense down the field with a series of productive carries, while Noel Rodriguez Santiago connected with Makai Elder for a 29-yard completion and Derrick Bridges for an eight-yard gain. Justin Elwin eventually punched in a seven-yard touchdown run with 3:31 remaining in the first half. Sapp's extra point gave Webber a commanding 28-0 lead.
Neither team found the scoreboard in the third quarter, but Webber continued to control the line of scrimmage and put together another lengthy scoring possession. The Warriors marched 74 yards on 11 plays, with Mathis and Diorio combining for several important runs to move the offense into the red zone.
Mathis carried the ball down to the Thomas 11-yard line before Grotjan connected with Derrick Bridges for an 11-yard touchdown reception with 11:55 remaining in the fourth quarter. Sapp added the extra point to complete the scoring and give Webber a 35-0 advantage.
The Warriors' defense maintained the shutout through the final minutes, putting the finishing touches on a complete performance in the season finale.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Webber finished with 325 yards of total offense, including 263 rushing yards, while holding Thomas to just 33 yards on the ground. The Warriors averaged 6.5 yards per play and controlled possession for 34:13.
Mathis led the rushing attack with 138 yards on 19 carries, averaging 7.3 yards per attempt. Grotjan added 40 rushing yards and a touchdown while completing both of his passing attempts for 14 yards and another score. Elwin contributed 41 rushing yards and a touchdown on six carries.
Rodriguez Santiago completed six passes for 48 yards, while Elder led the receiving corps with three catches for 37 yards. Bridges hauled in two receptions for 19 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown.
Defensively, James Moore led the Warriors with 12 total tackles, including two sacks, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Harper Henson recorded 1.5 sacks and 1.5 tackles for loss, while Cameron Murphy added a sack and forced fumble.
Frazier delivered one of the afternoon's biggest performances, recording two takeaways, including a 28-yard fumble recovery touchdown and a 94-yard interception return for a score. Roger Jones added an interception of his own as Webber finished with two interceptions and three forced fumbles.
With the shutout victory, Webber closed out the 2026 campaign with a memorable road performance, earning its first win in Sun Conference play and giving the Warriors plenty of momentum heading into the offseason.
