Charpia-led Newberry headed to Division II quarterfinals
From Newberry College Athletics
The third-seeded and 16th-ranked Newberry College Wolves made program history by earning their ninth straight victory, defeating No. 2 regional seed and No. 9 nationally ranked West Florida 24-17 on the road in Pensacola, Fla. The win sends the Wolves to the NCAA Division II regional final.
Quarterback Reed Charpia, a Brookland-Cayce graduate, delivered a standout performance, completing 27 of 44 passes for 416 yards and two touchdowns. He opened the game with an electrifying 83-yard touchdown strike to Quez Spells on the first play from scrimmage, giving Newberry an early 7-0 lead. Charpia later connected with Keith Desaussure on a 22-yard touchdown pass with 4:55 left to play.
Newberry’s defense sealed the victory by stopping West Florida on fourth down at the Wolves’ 28-yard line with 45 seconds remaining.
With the win, the Wolves improved to 7-0 in one-score games and matched the school record for most wins in a season (11), tying the 2006 team that finished 11-2.
Desaussure led the receiving corps with seven catches for 107 yards. Spells totaled 90 yards on two receptions, De’Andre Coleman added five catches for 75 yards, former Bearcat Will Young V contributed four catches for 59 yards, and Rico Dorsey Jr. recorded five catches for 44 yards.
On the ground, Lexington High graduate Jonah Norris scored his fourth postseason touchdown in two weeks on a one-yard run in the first quarter.
Newberry finished with 464 yards of offense, while West Florida totaled 473 yards.
The Wolves advance to face Albany State on Saturday at 1 p.m. The game will stream live on ESPN+.
