WINCHESTER, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Football Team (5-4, 2-4 ODAC) got back on the winning track Saturday afternoon as it defeated Shenandoah University (3-6, 2-4 ODAC) by a 37-20 score at Shentel Stadium.
Shenandoah took its opening possession 80 yards on nine plays for the first score of the game. Andrew Smith had 43 rushing yards on the drive including a 24-yard run to put the ball on the E&H 14 yardline. Five plays later, Smith plunged in from two yards out for the 7-0 lead.
Emory & Henry immediately tied things up at seven when senior quarterback Kyle Boden (Knoxville, Tenn.) found sophomore wideout Jacob Hess (Abingdon, Va.) with a 62-yard touchdown pass. Junior placekicker Austin Breed (Atlanta, Ga.) converted the extra point.
After forcing a three-and-out by the Hornets, the Wasps went back on the offensive. Facing third-and-18 on his own 48, Boden scrambled 53 yards for the touchdown and the 14-7 advantage.
SU responded with a touchdown of its own to knot the game at 14. Smith had a 40-yard rush to highlight the drive, and Drew Ferguson plunged in for a one-yard score to cap the possession.
The Wasps made it 21-14 at the 14:37 mark of the second quarter as junior running back Joe Vaughn (Gate City, Va.) rushed for 19 yards and the score. Boden connected with Vaughn for a 27-yard pass to set up the touchdown run.
Emory & Henry pushed its advantage to 28-14 as Boden linked up with junior wide receiver Lucas Kirby (Covington, Va.) for a 35-yard score. Kirby had 57 receiving yards on the drive which covered 71 yards on nine plays.
Shenandoah threatened on its final drive of the first half, but the E&H defense held on fourth and goal to keep the Hornets out of the end zone and preserve the 28-14 halftime lead.
The Wasps pushed their advantage to 31-14 at the 7:05 mark of the third quarter as Breed connected with a 22-yard field goal. An interception by junior defensive back Clint Peregoy (Salem, Va.) that he returned 35 yards to set up the scoring drive.
On its next possession, SU closed the gap to 11 points with a 14 yard touchdown pass from Justin Neff to Smith. Neff went four-for-five for 35 yards on the drive.
Emory & Henry got the final touchdown of the game at the 6:56 mark of the game with an 18-yard pass on third-and-goal from the 18 from Boden to senior wide receiver Cleo Cooper (Raleigh, N.C.). Cooper had a 27-yard catch earlier in the drive while Kirby caught a 31-yard pass to set up first and goal.
The Wasps gained 400 yards of offense, highlighted by Boden's 245 passing yards on 15-for-18 with three touchdowns. Kirby had a team-high five catches for 92 yards and a touchdown while Hess caught four passes for 71 yards and a score. Vaughn rushed 16 times for 73 yards and a touchdown while Boden added 71 yards on the ground and a score.
Defensively for the Wasps, junior linebacker Paul Forney (Newton, N.C.) led the way with a game-high 16 tackles and added an interception. Senior defensive end Cody Williams (Wise, Va.) and sophomore linebacker Rennel Marshall (Rustburg, Va.) each had seven stops. Peregoy and sophomore cornerback Ryan Byrd (Grottoes, Va.) both picked off passes with returns of 35 and 40 yards, respectively.
Smith led the way for Shenandoah with 112 rushing yards and a touchdown while Ferguson threw for 104 yards despite three interceptions. Miles Green had five catches for 51 yards while Cedrick Delaney also caught five balls for 50 yards.
Sean Blackman made nine tackles to pace the Hornet defense while Jake Payne and Preston Funk each had eight stops. Payne also notched 1.5 sacks on the day.
Emory & Henry will conclude the 2013 season next Saturday when it travels to Greensboro, N.C. for an ODAC matchup with Guilford College. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.
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