Fenumiai comes off the bench, orchestrates WOU comeback

Fenumiai, a redshirt sophomore, entered the game with 8 minutes remaining in the third quarter when Wolves starting quarterback David Sowards was injured.

“My mind was racing,” Fenumiai said. “But once I got that first snap out of the way, everything slowed down for me.”

The first snap was facing a third-and-long and Fenumiai completed the pass to extend the drive. Another long pass was a fraction off.

“I wish that deep ball would have been converted,” Fenumiai said. “I threw it a little short and the defensive back got a hand on it, or else my receiver (Paul Revis) no doubt would have taken that to the house.”

Northern Alabama scored two field goals while WOU adjusted to the change behind center.

Trailing 16-10 in the fourth quarter, Fenumiai engineered a six-play, 79-yard drive capped off by his 13-yard scoring run with 10:11 remaining in the game. He ran the ball five of those six plays. The extra point gave the Wolves a 17-16 lead.

“Running the football in college is a lot different from high school,” Fenumiai said. “For one, the speed is so much faster and the physicality of the defense is a lot better. You expect after you make first contact to have another 5-6 guys on you trying to strip the ball or just hang tackle.”

With 4:35 remaining to play, Fenumiai capped off a 5-play, 65 yard drive with an 8-yard pass to junior tight end Andy Avgi. Fenumiai carried the ball four of those five plays. The extra point gave the Wolves a 24-16 lead.

Avgi, who is 6-foot-6 and 270-pounds, is an all-conference basketball player for the Wolves and has just three football games under his belt in the last five years.

“When you have an outstanding athlete in Andy you have to take advantage of that,” Fenumiai said. “He is such a huge target in the middle of the field that if you throw it anywhere in his vicinity he’s going to make the catch because of his ability to get in front of defenders and box them out. And he has soft hands.”

North Alabama scored to pull within 24-22 and went for the two-point conversion but the pass was batted down.

The Lions recovered an onside kick but WOU senior linebacker Jonathan Breland intercepted a pass with under a minute to play to seal the win.

“I can’t begin to explain how big our defense came to play this game,” Fenumiai said. “They created five turnovers and gave us tremendous field position that we were fortunate enough to convert into points. Heck of a game by Jon with two interceptions and a forced fumble. Plus his second interception sealed the game.”

Fenumiai produced 117 yards of total offense in the game. The quarterback he replaced, Sowards, was 11 of 22 passing for 155 yards.

“I learned not only a lot about myself in the Alabama game but our whole team,” Fenumiai said. “We were all willing to sacrifice ourselves to put our team in a great position to win a huge game for our program. I had great blocking from my offensive line up front and the receivers did a great job blocking downfield, allowing me to score. A lot of our big runs were a credit to the running backs making people miss and the receivers sacrificing their body to create room.”

THE TEAM

WOU (3-3 overall, 1-1 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) has also beaten Simone Fraser University 31-14 and GNAC opponent Dixie State 42-24. They lost to Central Washington 40-19, Portland State 31-0, and the GNAC’s Humboldt State 29-20.

WOU graduated pro-level athletes in Ryan Bergman at quarterback and Tyrell Williams at wide receiver. Williams made the San Diego Chargers roster and Bergman is trying out for CFL teams.

“Replacing them means a lot of adapting,” Ferguson said. “We are continuing to get better and have a lot of room to improve. To have our No. 3 quarterback come in and play lights out, that is a compliment to the offensive system and to Phillip. That is unheard of. He has tremendous work ethic, tremendous character, and sacrifices for the team in whatever role we give him. Whatever we need him to do he is there and does a great job. He has really developed to our expectations. We are really excited to see what the future holds for him in our program.”

The Wolves run a typical “spread” offense, using tight ends or extra receivers depending on what the defense shows.

“Phillip has adapted to a very good offense,” Ferguson said. “It is not easy to understand, it takes some time, and he has picked that up within a year. He needs more playing time to get confidant, to adapt and get into the flow of the game. That takes time at the college level. Practice doesn’t simulate what really happens, especially against a team like Northern Alabama.”

Fenumiai has a JDHS tie at the school. Former Crimson Bears’ ski racer, soccer player and cross country and track runner Cori Metzgar (1994 JDHS grad) is the team’s director of sports performance and is a strength and conditioning coach.

“Phillip has a tremendous presence, on the field or in the weight room, which helps lift and motivate those around him,” Metzgar said. “He’s outgoing, a great leader, smart and one of the hardest workers we have.”