Keiser football鈥檚 historic postseason run
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The 2022 season was a special one for the Keiser football program. The Seahawks ended the 2022 season with an overall record of 10-4, advancing to the NAIA National Championship Game. Despite the loss to the No. 3-ranked Raiders, Keiser defeated the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 4 seeds in last year’s tournament, becoming the first team in NAIA history to face each of the top four seeds in the same championship.
After early setbacks versus NCAA Division II teams, the Seahawks battled their way back up the NAIA Top 25 standings. Led by the Sun Conference Coach of the Year (Doug Socha), the Sun Conference Offensive Player and Back of the Year (Marques Burgess), and the Sun Conference Receiver of the Year (Jaylen Arnold), Keiser saw six Seahawks earn All-America honors recognition while claiming the program’s first Sun Conference title.
Ending the season as the No. 12 seed in the 2022 NAIA Football Championship Series, the Seahawks were forced to travel to the No. 4 seeded Bethel (Tenn.) Wildcats in the First Round. The Wildcats entered the game with an 11-0 record following the best season in team history. However, the Seahawks put an end to their record-setting season, scoring 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to down Bethel (Tenn.), 27-17. Jaden Meizinger, the First Round Outstanding Offensive Player of the Game, rushed for 166 yards on 28 carries with one touchdown. Defensive back Wendol Philord, the First Round Outstanding Defensive Player of the Game, recorded a team-high 10 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
A week later, the Seahawks made the trip to Sioux City, Iowa, to take on the defending National Champion Morningside Mustangs. The No. 1-ranked Mustangs entered the game having won 25 straight. That streak snapped as Keiser upended the Mustangs, 29-28, to advance to the NAIA Semifinals. The Seahawks overcame a 21-3 deficit, outgaining the nation’s top-rated offense, 421-332, and holding Morningside to just 36 yards on the ground while forcing three Mustang turnovers. For the second straight week, Meizinger took home the top offensive honor being named the Quarterfinals Outstanding Offensive Player of the Game as he rushed for 97 yards on 28 carries with two touchdowns. Defensive tackle Camron Allen, the Quarterfinals Outstanding Defensive Player of the Game, recorded five tackles, including 2.0 sacks and a key forced fumble to lead Keiser to the victory.
Again, the Seahawks were forced to hit the road. This time, Keiser faced the No. 2-ranked team in the nation 鈥� The Grand View Vikings. In frigid conditions (20 degrees), Keiser handed yet another team in the playoffs their first loss of the season, defeating the Vikings, 38-21, and earning the Seahawks their first trip to the NAIA National Championship Game. Led by the Offensive Player of the Game, Meizinger, Keiser racked up 149 yards on the ground while holding the Vikings to -13 yards rushing. Meizinger scored three rushing touchdowns on 41 carries for 162 yards. Quarterback Shea Spencer threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns. The Keiser defense picked off two passes in the game, one by Tivon Sutton (the Defensive Player of the Game) and the other by Louis Lubin III.
Up next, the No. 3-seeded Northwestern (Iowa) Raiders. Keiser met up with the Raiders in Durham, North Carolina, in the first matchup between the two teams. The Seahawks鈥� National Championship title run fell just short, 35-25. The loss was the first in NAIA action in 2022 as Keiser made its first appearance in the NAIA National Championship game in just the program’s fifth year of existence.
This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.