Score: No. 7 Keiser 44, Warner 7
Records: No. 7 Keiser (1-0), Warner (0-1)
Location: Viking Stadium (2,100) - Lakeland, Fla.
Time of Game: 2:55
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, Humid, 91 degrees
The No. 7-ranked Keiser Seahawks opened the 2022 season with a convincing win over the Warner Royals on Saturday, out-gaining the team from Lake Wales, 538-121, in total yards.
Quarterback
Shea Spencer threw for 323 yards on 22-of-28 passing with three touchdowns. His 323 yards were the second-most in a single game by a Seahawk signal caller and only the second 300-yard passing game in program history. Tight end
Jaylen Arnold grabbed five passes for a game-high 79 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensively, the Seahawks record nine tackles for loss and three sacks while breaking up seven passes.
Keiser 10, Warner 7
- Wendol Philord recorded the first Keiser turnover of the season with an interception of Warner quarterback Evan Eshbach on the Royal's first possession.
- On the ensuing drive, the Seahawks drove 48 yards on four plays which was capped off by a 34-yard touchdown pass from Shea Spencer to Myles Henderson (extra point by Chance Gagnon was good), giving KU a 7-0 lead.
- After a Warner three-and-out, Keiser drove down the field again this time resulting in a 24-yard field goal by Gagnon to give KU a 10-0 lead with 6:49 left in the quarter.
- The Royals responded with a 48-yard touchdown pass from Eshbach to Evens Valcourt (extra point was good).
Keiser 24, Warner 7
- Spencer capped off a 14-play, 75-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Arnold, giving the Seahawks a 17-7 lead with 12:02 left in the half.
- Marques Burgess found the endzone with a punishing 10-yard run to make the score 24-7.
- Spencer finished the half completing 11-of-14 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns.
- Henderson registered three catches for 62 yards and one touchdown.
- Burgess registered 63 yards on 12 carries with one touchdown.
Keiser 38, Warner 7
- Arnold registered his second touchdown grab of the day, hauling in a 26-yard pass from Spencer with 11:48 remaining in the third.
- Gagnon's made extra point made it a 24-point game.
- On the Royal's next possession, Logan Wakefield forced and recovered a fumble on the first play of the drive, giving the ball back to the Seahawks.
- The Wakefield turnover resulted in a 7-play, 62-yard touchdown drive for Keiser as running back Jaden Meizinger posted his first rushing touchdown of the season with a 20-yard scamper into the endzone. With Gagnon's extra point, KU led by 31.
Keiser 44, Warner 7
- The Seahawks added two more scores in the final frame as Gagnon added to his point-scoring total in the game (14 - three field goals; five extra points).
- Gagnon hit a 25-yarder with 12:56 left in the contest to make it a 41-7 game.
- The sophomore kicker closed out the scoring with a 30-yard field goal with 8:29 on the game clock.
.
- With the win, Keiser moves to 5-0 all-time versus the Royals, including a 3-0 mark in games played at Viking Stadium.
- The win on Saturday was Keiser's fifth straight season-opening victory (5-0 all-time).
- With the victory, the Seahawks improve to 34-9 all-time and 11-4 in non-conference contest all-time.
- The Seahawks are now 3-0 all-time in the month of August.
- Quarterback Shea Spencer threw for a career-high 323 yard on 22-of-28 passing, including three touchdowns.
- It marked just the second time in program history that a KU quarterback threw for 300-or-more yards (Jack Strouse - 353 yards vs. Cumberland - 9/4/21).
- The three passing touchdowns were also a career high for the native of Vero Beach, Florida.
- Tight end Jaylen Arnold led all Seahawks with two touchdown catches.
- The product of La Mesa, California, had five catches for a game-high 79 yards.
- Nine different Seahawks caught a pass in the game on Saturday.
- Marques Burgess added 84 yards on 18 carries, including a rushing touchdown.
- Three Seahawks registered sacks on Saturday (Alessandro Cantillo, Noah Curtis, Camron Allen).
- Keiser posted nine tackles for loss as the Royals rushed for -2 yards in the game.
- The 538 yards of total offense were the fourth-most in program history.
Keiser travels to face NCAA Division II foe Valdosta State on Thursday, Sept. 1. Kickoff from Bazemore-Hyder Stadium in Valdosta, Georgia, is slated for 7:00 p.m.
