LAKELAND, Fla. — Warner University Football delivered a dominant fourth-quarter performance to secure a 43-30 Sun Conference victory over Florida Memorial University on Saturday afternoon at LCS Stadium.
The Royals (3-4, 2-1 SUN) overcame a halftime deficit and scored 33 points in the second half, including 23 in the fourth quarter, to earn their second conference victory of the season.
Warner opened the scoring in the first quarter when quarterback Traven Green connected with Yorel Stewart for a 39-yard touchdown. Nicholas Andreopoulos added the extra point to give the Royals an early 7-0 advantage. Florida Memorial responded with a touchdown to even the score at 7-7 heading into the second quarter.
The Lions took control in the second quarter, adding a field goal and a rushing touchdown to build a 17-7 lead. Andreopoulos helped keep the Royals within striking distance, drilling a 48-yard field goal just before halftime to cut the deficit to 17-10.
Warner continued to chip away in the third quarter as Andreopoulos converted a 29-yard field goal to make it a four-point game. The Royals then seized momentum on the defensive side of the ball when Kelson Meance intercepted a Florida Memorial pass and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown. Andreopoulos' extra point gave Warner a 20-17 lead.
Florida Memorial briefly reclaimed the lead with a 63-yard touchdown pass, but Warner answered early in the fourth quarter. Green found Mark Hanniford for a three-yard touchdown reception, putting the Royals ahead 27-24.
The Warner defense followed with a pivotal play, as David Bess recorded a safety to extend the lead to 29-24. The Royals' offense capitalized on the momentum, with Green and Hanniford connecting again for a 23-yard touchdown. Andreopoulos' extra point pushed the advantage to 36-24.
Warner's defense delivered another game-changing moment when Jhavin Westbrook intercepted a pass and returned it 87 yards for a touchdown, extending the lead to 43-24. Florida Memorial added a late touchdown, but the Royals' fourth-quarter surge proved decisive as Warner closed out the 43-30 victory.
Green led the offensive attack, completing 21 of 35 passes for 208 yards and three touchdowns. Hanniford hauled in seven receptions for 89 yards and two scores, while Stewart added two catches for 41 yards and a touchdown. Deejay Grimes paced the rushing attack with 73 yards on 18 carries.
Defensively, Warner's two interception-return touchdowns proved instrumental in the victory. Meance and Westbrook each found the end zone on interception returns, while Jai Robinson led the Royals with eight total tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack and a forced fumble.
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