NEWPORT NEWS, Va.- Christopher Newport's football team opened the 2016 season with a flourish on Sunday, defeating Kean University (NJ) at POMOCO Stadium, 26-7. The game, originally scheduled for Saturday, was pushed to Sunday due to high winds and heavy rain from a tropical storm that moved through Hampton Roads.
The Captains scored the final 19 points of the game, cruising to the triumph in front of 3,343 fans.
"That was a complete effort from our team," Head Coach Matt Kelchner said. "I felt we were prepared coming into the game, and we executed offensively, defensively, and on special teams. There are certainly things we still need to work on, but that was a very satisfying win."
The Captains, who won their final three games last season, opened the scoring on their first possession of the season by going 61 yards on just five plays. Junior quarterback Ronald Kearney, Jr., making the first start of his career, threw to junior tight end Danny Mattson who rumbled 39 yards for the first score of the new season.
After Kean evened the game at 7-7 early in the second quarter, CNU began to show its dominance on the defensive side of the ball. The Captains did not allow another score after Kean's touchdown at the 9:15 mark of the second quarter.
Sophomore kicker Grant Kelchner booted his first career field goal, a 21-yarder, with 4:27 to play in the second quarter to put the Captains back in front, 10-7.
Two of the game's key points came just before halftime. The Captains were poised to score in Kean territory when Kearney fumbled, and the Cougars Marquis Oliver returned the ball 43 yards to the Captains 15-yard line. Senior wide receiver Taylor Loudan showed great hustle and charged downfield to tackle Oliver and thwart a Kean score on the play..
Moments later, with the ball at the CNU 9-yard line, Kean quarterback Charles App was intercepted by junior Justus Drakeford, who scampered 95 yards for a CNU touchdown. It matched the longest play in school history, and gave the Captains a 17-7 edge at intermission. Drakeford's runback was the same distance as Roland Hilliard's 95-yard kick return vs. North Carolina Wesleyan in 2006.
Both squads struggled to move the ball in the second half, resulting in 11 punts in 17 total possessions. Christopher Newport's defense allowed just 83 yards in the second half, and just 177 for the game. The defense also contributed a second score early in the third quarter when junior lineman Chris Coggins tackled Kean's D'Wan McCrary in the end zone for a safety. It was one of nine tackles on the day for Coggins, and put the Captains ahead, 19-7.
Kearney concluded the day's scoring with a 1-yard plunge with just under five minutes to play. Kearney finished the day 14 of 28 passing for 171 yards with the scoring pass and run. Seven of his completions went to Loudan for 74 yards.
"I thought he handled things pretty well," Kelchner said of Kearney's first start. "He managed the situations he was in and led the offense effectively for the most part."
The Kearney-led offense tallied 286 yards on 73 plays, with 115 yards on the ground and 171 in the air.
Christopher Newport dominated time of possession in the game, with the Captains holding the ball for almost 40 of the game's 60 minutes.
Coggins and junior linebacker Brennan Gary topped the defense with nine tackles each. Junior linebacker Drew Davidsonrecorded six stops.
Kean, 8-3 last year with four straight victories to conclude the season, lost several key players due to injuries suffered Sunday. Both senior starting tailback Damian Corredor and junior starting quarterback Tyler Rodriguez left the game in the first quarter and did not return. Senior offensive lineman Dante Focerelli left the game in the fourth quarter and also did not return.
The victory was the first for Christopher Newport over Kean in three all-time meetings. The Cougars took the first two matchups, both of which took place in Union, New Jersey.
The opener was the final for Kelchner, who announced at the start of training camp that 2016 will be his last on the CNU sideline. Kelchner will become an Associate Athletic Director at Christopher Newport following the season.
CNU is now 5-11 all-time in season openers, and the Captains have won their last two since joining the New Jersey Athletic Conference.
The Captains travel to Hampden-Sydney for their only non-conference game of the season next Saturday. The Tigers, 0-1, lost their season opener on Saturday night at Averett. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.