REGIONAL CHAMPS: Newberry's Eighth Comeback Victory of the Season Sends them to National Semifinal

LBANY, Ga. – For the eighth time this season, the Newberry football team stared down a deficit and didn't blink. The Wolves trailed 21–3 after the first quarter of the National Quarterfinal at Albany State but rallied for a 31–24 victory to win the regional championship and advance to the National Semifinal next Saturday.

For the second time in three years, the SAC has a team moving on to the National Semifinal, as Newberry joins Lenoir-Rhyne's 2023 run.

Albany State opened the scoring with a 68-yard drive over six plays, capped by a 14-yard touchdown pass.

The Wolves answered with a 22-yard Burke Nettles field goal, but ASU responded quickly with two touchdowns in a 58-second span. Tiant Wyche scored on a five-yard run, then punched in another short TD moments later after the Wolves lost a fumble.

Newberry struck back as Reed Charpia connected with Quez Spells for a 14-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 21–10, and four minutes later, Will Young V ran in an eight-yard score to make it 21–17.

On the final play of the first half, the hosts lined up for a 43-yard field goal, but Devron Williams blocked the attempt, recovered the ball, and raced 67 yards for a momentum-swinging touchdown that sent Newberry into halftime with a 24–21 lead.

Spells' second touchdown of the game—a 34-yard reception—proved to be Newberry's final score.

ASU made one last push late. Trailing by seven, they drove to the Wolves' 20-yard line, but their final pass fell incomplete as Newberry celebrated the first regional championship in program history.

Spells finished with six carries for 60 yards and four catches for 17 yards, finding the end zone twice. Aakil Brown recorded a pair of sacks, while Jaydon Eason posted 10 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and half a sack.

Newberry improves to 12–1 on the season, with a remarkable nine of those wins coming by seven points or fewer.

The final four teams will be reseeded, and an announcement on when and where the Wolves will play next is expected later this evening.