DETROIT -- The 2014 Wayne State University football season came to an exciting conclusion as the Warriors rallied for 13 fourth quarter points in recording a 20-13 triumph over the visiting Hillsdale Chargers.  WSU finishes the year with a 7-4 mark overall along with a 6-4 GLIAC record.  Meanwhile, the Chargers complete the season with a 4-7 overall record and a 4-6 league mark.

Wayne State finishes tied-for-third in the GLIAC North Division (after being selected sixth in the North Division by the league's head coaches) and tied-for-fifth overall in the 15-team conference.

Hillsdale scored on the game's opening possession driving 54 yards in nine plays with Steven Mette converting a 43-yard field goal attempt.  WSU had two first downs on the ensuing drive but a fourth down pass completion was ruled down with the receivers knee touching the ground on the reception.

After a three-and-out by the Chargers, the Warrior offense went 73 yards in 10 plays with senior Jay Hayes (Goodell, Mich. / Memphis) scoring on a one-yard plunge on the second play of the second quarter.  Paul Graham's (Commerce Twp., Mich. / Orchard Lake St. Mary's) PAT made it 7-3.  It was the fourth consecutive game Hayes has scored a touchdown (three rushing and one on special teams).

The teams traded punts before HC had a 8:05 drive which covered 71 yards in 17 plays concluding on a four-yard touchdown pass from Mark LaPrairie to Mike Carter on a third-and-goal with just 51 seconds remaining before intermission.  Mette's PAT gave the visitors a 10-7 advantage.

A fumble on WSU's second play from scrimmage put the Chargers in business at their own 47.  After two completions for 35 yards followed by an incompletion, Mette connected on a 35-yard field goal attempt on the final play of the first half giving Hillsdale a 13-7 lead at intermission.

The Wayne State defense was huge in the second half limiting HC to 89 yards in 31 plays and if you take into account an 85-yard interception return by sophomore linebacker Anthony DeDamos (Rockford, Mich.), the "positive" yardage is even less.  DeDamos' return was the longest non-scoring interception return in school history eclipsing an 89-year-old school mark set on October 4, 1925, by George Lester (75 yard return) against Ferris State.

On the first drive of the third quarter, Graham missed his first collegiate field goal attempt, after making 14 straight.  The next four drive (two from each team) ended in punts with only three combined first downs for the two squads.

Hillsdale went 54 yards in 10 plays and on a third-and-goal from the WSU seven, LaPrairie was intercepted by DeDamos at the four.  His return went all the way to the Hillsdale 11 before he was brought down.  An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on WSU pushed the ball back to the HC 26.  Junior Carl Roscoe (Kentwood, Mich. / Kelloggsville) completed a six-yard pass to senior Michael Johnson (Detroit, Mich. / Clintondale) on a third-and-four and three plays later Roscoe scrambled for 12 yards and his first collegiate rushing touchdown on a third-and-eight play.

After a punt by each team, Hillsdale had a fourth-and-six from its own 32 with about two minutes left.  Senior Nores Fradi (Dearborn Heights, Mich. / Dearborn) recorded a 10-yard sack giving the Warriors the ball at the HC 22.

Forcing the Chargers to use all three timeouts after running plays, Wayne State's third holder of the season Jamel Hicks (East Cleveland, Ohio / Shaw) took the snap on a field goal attempt and rushed untouched down the right side for a 20-yard touchdown with 1:30 remaining in the game.  Graham's consecutive PAT streak ended at 42 as his attempt was blocked.

Following a pooch kickoff, LaPrairie was sacked on first down by senior Sam Sillmon (Detroit, Mich. / Martin Luther King), then completed a four-yard pass on second down.  His next two pass attempts were incomplete giving WSU one play to run out the clock.

Fifth-year senior offensive linemen and co-captains Ben Walker (Oxford, Mich. / Lake Orion) and Thom Box (Milan, Mich.) came onto the field for the victory formation.  Walker had not played since being injured in the first half at Grand Valley State, while Box was able to play just one series at Findlay in the last five-and-a-half games.

WSU senior Desmond Martin (Redford, Mich. / Thurston) rushed for a game-high 76 yards as the Warriors out-rushed the Chargers 176-52.  Bennett Lewis led Hillsdale with 14 carries for 35 yards.

Roscoe completed 14-of-17 for 120 yards with no sacks.  Sophomore tight end Trent Brodbeck (Toledo, Ohio / St. John's Jesuit) led the Warriors with four receptions for 37 yards.

LaPrairie finished 20-of-31 for 192 with one touchdown and one interception, but was sacked four times.  Evan Bach and Joe Srebernak each had four catches for HC, with Bach totaling a game-best 57 receiving yards.

Juinor safety Zak Bielecki (Macomb, Mich. / Lutheran North) and DeDamos tied for game-high tackle honors with 12 each.  Fradi finished with nine tackles (4-5) including three for loss, which should give him the national lead in tackles for loss per game as Bowie State concluded their season last week with its leader at 2.6 TFL per game.

Wayne State will begin the 2015 campaign on the road in Houghton against Michigan Tech.