Emory, VA - The Emory & Henry football team shocked the ODAC this past season. After being picked to finish last in the ODAC, the Wasps finished with an 8-2 (5-2 ODAC) record. That mark was the best finish since the Wasps finished 8-3 in 2000 and won the ODAC championship. New head coach, Curt Newsome, brought a new feel to the team. The 1982 graduate took the helm after serving time as the assistant head coach and offensive line coach at James Madison University. Newsome, along with assistant coach Craig Stutzmann, masterminded the “Spread and Shed” offense, that proved to be a nightmare for ODAC defenses. The Wasps offense averaged 466 yards and 36 points per game on the year. Both of those marks were top three in the conference. The offense wasn’t the only side of the ball that was clicking. The defense, led by defensive coordinator, Rob Grande, caused turnovers left and right. E&H was first in the conference with 31 takeaways, and was sixth in the entire country. Coach Newsome has changed the atmosphere around Emory, Virginia. These changes to the program and the boost in victories were key components to Coach Newsome being named the ODAC Coach of the Year. Marking the first time an E&H coach won the award since Lou Wacker won the award in 1998.

The team jumped to a quick start this season. The Wasps took on the Ferrum Panthers in the first game of the season. The game proved to be the coming out party for freshman quarterback, Kevin Saxton. The transfer from Appalachian State threw for 329 yards and 5 touchdowns in his first ever collegiate start, on his way to being named the ODAC Offensive Player of the Week. E&H went on to win the next 4 games of the season. With that 5-0 record, Emory & Henry was the only undefeated team in the Commonwealth of Virginia in all divisions. Several individual accomplishments came with the win streak as well. In the Wasps second game, senior safety, Roth Healey, won ODAC Defensive Player of the Week. In the victory, Healey tallied 9 tackles, a fumble recovery, and an interception. Junior cornerback, Tre’von Lightfoot, received the honor in a win over Bridgewater; a game in which Lightfoot had 6 tackles and 2 interceptions.

Despite losing a heartbreaker to Hampden-Sydney, the team quickly jumped back to the winning column by winning three straight ODAC games. In those three games, the Wasps averaged a whopping 46.6 points per game. During that three game stretch, E&H collected three more Defensive Player of the Week awards. Senior Clint Peregoy won the award for amassing 4 tackles, an interception, and a blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown in a win over Catholic on Homecoming.  Junior Rennel Marshall achieved the award against Washington and Lee after collecting 10 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. Roth Healey won the award for the second time this season in a win over Shenandoah. Healey finished the game with 9 tackles, 3 interceptions, and a fumble recovery. These individual successes helped the Wasps become a ball hawking defense in conference play.

The Wasps offense was very prolific this season. Saxton, who was named the ODAC Freshman of the Year, finished the season with 238 completions on 387 attempts for 2,707 yards and 25 touchdowns. All of which are records for a freshman quarterback at E&H. The third team All-ODAC quarterback had the opportunity to have two senior wide receivers as his top targets. Josh Smith and Lucas Kirby, who were third and second team All-ODAC receivers respectively, finished top 6 in the ODAC in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. In fact, Smith led the entire ODAC in catches with 69 on the season. Saxton utilized sophomore wide receiver Jermaine Sanders and junior tight end Ashton Cline in the passing game on a regular basis. Sanders completed the season with 33 catches for 469 yards and 4 touchdowns. Cline finished with 25 catches for 375 yards and 5 touchdowns. The offense had an opportunity to succeed due to the strong offensive line. Led by three seniors, Isaac Bowman, Nolan Lipscomb, and Donovan Sudderth, E&H only allowed 8 sacks on the season and opened up running holes for a stable of running backs for the Wasps. Sudderth was named to the All-ODAC first team, while Bowman was named to the All-ODAC second team.  Freshman running back Isaiah Rodgers led the Wasps in rush yards with 604 yards. However, not too far behind was fellow freshman, Chris Thompson. Thompson, who was named to the All-ODAC third team, finished with 597 yards rushing and a team-high 7 rushing touchdowns. In their final seasons, senior running backs Joe Vaughn and Kasey Jones combined for 414 rush yards and 6 touchdowns.

As mentioned before, the Wasps had several playmakers on the defensive side. Senior safeties Roth Healey and Clint Peregoy wreaked havoc on opposing teams. Healey was first in the ODAC in takeaways with 10 (6 interceptions, 4 fumble recoveries), third in tackles with 99, and second in passes defended with 12. Healey’s fantastic season earned him a place on the All-ODAC second team. Peregoy had 68 tackles, 5 interceptions, and led the league in blocked kicks with 3. Junior cornerback Ryan Byrd and sophomore cornerback Tre’von Lightfoot added 2 interceptions each on the season. Lightfoot was placed on the All-ODAC third team. The linebackers were led by three upperclassmen. Seniors Paul Forney and Sami Khabir capped off their careers with 80 and 47 tackles, respectively. Forney made an all-conference team for the third time in his career as he was selected to the All-ODAC first team. Junior linebacker, Rennel Marshall, finished the season with 85 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss. Those numbers placed Marshall on the All-ODAC second team. The defensive line had two Wasps tied for the most sacks this season. Both junior, Chris Kernisky, and sophomore, Jaylen Simmons, tallied 3.5 sacks on the season. Simmons was also tied for the most tackles for loss in the ODAC this season with 14.5, which netted him a spot on the All-ODAC third team. Senior punter Zach Nedzbala was named to the All-ODAC second team this season as he averaged 38.7 yards per punt placed 20 kicks inside the 20 yard line.  

Overall, this season was one of the most successful seasons for Emory & Henry football in over a decade. Despite being picked to finish last in the conference, the Wasps fought week in and week out to become a force to be reckoned with. Under alum Curt Newsome, the Wasps will look to reload and win the ODAC outright. With the resurgence that Newsome and the assistant coaches brought back to Emory, the Wasps surely will not sneak up on any teams in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.

Team Leaders

Passing yards – Kevin Saxton, 2,707

Passing touchdowns – Kevin Saxton, 25

Rushing yards – Isaiah Rodgers, 604

Rushing touchdowns – Chris Thompson, 7

Receptions – Josh Smith, 69 (led the ODAC)

Receiving yards – Josh Smith, 648

Receiving touchdowns – Josh Smith and Lucas Kirby, 6

Tackles – Roth Healey, 99

Interceptions – Roth Healey, 6 (led the ODAC)

Fumble recoveries – Roth Healey, 4 (led the ODAC)

Tackles for loss – Jaylen Simmons, 14.5 (led the ODAC)

---E&H---

-Photo courtesy of Dave Grace