SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. – Senior quarterback Jeff Ziemba completed 19-of-30 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns to lead Shepherd University (11-0)  to a 48-31 win over Assumption College (9-3) in first round action of the NCAA II Football Championship at Ram Stadium on Saturday. 

Shepherd took a 7-0 lead when Ziemba scored on an eight-yard run with 14:40 left in the first quarter. Junior kicker Zachary Wise (Berkeley Springs, W.Va./Berkeley Springs) added the extra point.

The score was setup a by an 89-yard return by senior CJ Davis on the opening kickoff.

The Rams increased their lead to 14-0 when Ziemba fired a 10-yard scoring strike to senior wide receiver Billy Brown with 11:46 left in the first quarter.

Deonte Harris took the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for Assumption for a score to cut the lead to 14-7 with 11:33 left in the first quarter.

The Greyhounds cut the lead to 14-10 when Cole Tracy connected on a 24-yard field goal with 6:52 left in the first quarter.
Shepherd upped its lead to 21-10 when to redshirt-freshman running back Deonte Glover scored on a three-yard run with 4:22 left in the first quarter.

The Greyhounds cut the lead to 21-16 when Marc Monks dashed 37 yards for a touchdown with 6:52 left in the second quarter. Tracy's point after attempt was unsuccessful as it hit the middle of the line.

Shepherd took a 28-16 advantage Ziemba and Brown teamed on a seven-yard scoring pass with 2:01 left in the second quarter.
The Rams increased their lead to 34-16 when Davis took a pass from Ziemba and raced 67 yards for a score with 13:25 left in the third quarter. Wise's extra point attempt caromed off the upright and was no good.

Assumption cut the lead to 34-22 when Dylan Oxsen scored on a two-yard run with 8:05 left in the third quarter. Junior defensive line man James King blocked the extra point attempt.

Tracy hit on a 40-yard field goal with 5:31 left in the third quarter to cut the lead to 34-24.

Kaleb Silva recovered an onside kick on the Shepherd 42-yard line to help set up the score.

Shepherd scored on a three-yard run by while freshman running back Brandon Hlavach with 1:24 left in the third quarter to up the lead to 41-25.

A blocked punt by senior defensive back Tre Sullivan which resulted in Shepherd gaining possession at the Assumption 14-yard line preceded the score.

Marc Monks teamed with Oxsen on a 58-yard scoring pass with 11:52 left in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 41-31.
Ziemba teamed with Brown on a 12-yard score with 9:58 left in the game to complete the scoring.

Brown had a career-high 12 receptions for 193 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Shepherd receivers. Davis added four grabs for 94 yards. Oxsen had three receptions for 81 yards and Harris added seven catches for 41 yards to lead the Greyhounds.

Hlavach had 13 carries for 48 yards to lead the Shepherd ground attack. Doug Santos had nine carries for 54 yards for Assumption.

Monks completed 19-of-47 passes for 187 yards for Assumption.

Shepherd gained 421 yards of total offense, while Assumption totaled 340.

Senior linebacker Octavius Thomas lead the Rams' defense with nine tackles (eight solo).  The Rams recorded six sacks on the day with senior defensive lineman Marshall-Lee Mundin recording a pair.  Junior linebacker James Gupton added eight stops (six solo).  Andrew Benson had six tackles (four solo) and Bakari Blunt added five stops (all solo) to pace the Greyhounds.

The Rams to action next Saturday when they travel to LIU Post for second round action of the NCAA II Football Championship.

Indiana (Pa.) 62, Fairmont State 13 
FAIRMONT, W.Va. -- Fairmont State's historic 2016 football season came to an end on Saturday afternoon at Duvall-Rosier Field when visiting Indiana University of Pennsylvania opened up a 21-0 lead midway through the opening quarter and never looked back in a 62-13 win over the Falcons in the first round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs.
 
With the loss, Fairmont State ends the year with a 10-2 overall record and its first-ever berth in the NCAA DII Playoffs. IUP improves to 10-1 on the season and will travel to California (PA) for a second round matchup with the Vulcans next Saturday.
 
On the opening possession of the game, Fairmont State drove right down the field and had a first-and-goal from the IUP 6, but a fumble ended the drive and turned into points for the Crimson Hawks at the opposite end of the field. Chris Temple struck first for IUP by capping a six-play, 95-yard drive with a 58-yard touchdown run.

With the Falcons looking to respond, Cooper Hibbs was picked-off on the first play of the ensuing FSU possession to give the Crimson Hawks the ball at the IUP 46. Four plays and 54 yards later, Mike Pietropola took a handoff nine-yards for a score to put IUP up 14-0. Following a three-and-out by the FSU offense on their third possession, Temple crossed the goal line for the second time of the day, this time capping a five-play, 56-yard drive to put the Crimson Hawks out in front by a 21-0 margin.
 
Indiana (PA) continued to roll into the fourth quarter, opening up a 56-0 lead at the 12:47 mark of the fourth quarter.
 
Laurence King provided the only points of the day for the Falcons, scoring twice in the second half – hauling in touchdown passes of nine and 39 yards. For the day, King totaled seven receptions for 104 yards through the air and had 278 all-purpose yards with eight kick returns fro 174 yards. Fabian Guerra, the all-time school leader in receptions, ended his standout career with six receptions for 62 yards on the afternoon.
 
Senior quarterback Cooper Hibbs' career also came to an end this after by completing 21-of-40 passes for 219 yards and two scores. Hibbs also threw a pair of interceptions.
 
On the ground, Terrell Charles totaled just 34 yards on nine carries as the Falcons were limited to just 77 yards on 23 carries.
 
Prior to this afternoon's game, the FSU defense had limited each of its opponents to 130 yards or less on the ground. This afternoon, IUP rolled up 372 yards on 63 carries and ran for seven scores. Temple led IUP on the ground with 147 yards on 20 carries and crossed the goal line four times.
 
Pietropola completed 10-of-15 pass attempts for 134 yards and a score at the QB position for IUP. Walt Pegues caught six of the 10 IUP completions on the afternoon for a total of 83 yards and a score.
 
Defensively, Keven Clark led the Crimson Hawks with nine total tackles in the win. Steve Franco had an 82-yard, pick-six for IUP as the Crimson Hawks forced six turnovers.
 
Marcus Porter recorded a game-high 12 total tackles for FSU. The Falcons did not force a turnover for just the second time this season.