EMORY Va. -- Hampden-Sydney College dropped a 37-13 non-conference football decision on the road at Emory & Henry College on Saturday afternoon at Fred Selfe Stadium in Emory. The visiting Tigers fell behind 20-0 in the first quarter and trailed 23-7 at halftime against the host Wasps. H-SC dropped to 2-4 overall, while E&H—transitioning to NCAA Division II—improved to 4-2 overall.
E&H scored on the opening kickoff when Jo'-el Howard returned it 96 yards for the touchdown at 14:48, and Cameron Jones added the PAT for the early 7-0 advantage. The Wasps made it 13-0 when they blocked a punt by H-SC that was returned 31 yards for a touchdown by Jack Crumblish at 12:32, though the PAT was no good. The hosts made it 20-0 in the opening quarter after Devontae Jordan scored on a 30-yard touchdown run at 5:23, the PAT good this time by Jones.
H-SC got on the scoreboard in the second quarter following the first of two interceptions on the day by sophomore cornerback Tobias Lafayette (Charleston, SC) at the E&H 30 yard line. The Tigers needed five plays to reach the end zone, the final 14 yards on a touchdown pass from senior quarterback and team captain Tanner Bernard (Lynchburg) to fifth-year wide receiver and second-year team captain Dillon Costello (Haymarket) at 10:17. Costello made a leaping catch over the defender in the right corner. Sophomore placekicker Palmer Smith (Chesapeake) added the PAT to make it 20-7.
The Wasps added a late second-quarter field goal from 35 yards by Jones with just 16-seconds left to lead 23-7 at the intermission.
H-SC added a pair of field goals in the third quarter to make it a 10-point game at 23-13 after 45 minutes. Palmer Smith made both kicks, the first from 30 yards at 7:04, and the second from 31 yards at 1:41. The first field goal drive featured a 33-yard pass completion from Bernard to sophomore wide receiver Braeden Bowling (Cary, NC), while the second field goal drive was aided by three penalties against the hosts.
E&H, however, secured its home win with two fourth-quarter touchdowns. The first came early in the fourth quarter when Jordan scored his second touchdown from nine yards out at 12:11, and the second came late with 2:58 left to play when Kyle Short scored from one yard out on fourth down. Jones added both PATs to provide for the final 37-13.
Bernard passed for a game-high 163 yards (16-37) and one touchdown with two interceptions for H-SC. Senior running back Kaleb Smith (Rocky Mount) rushed for 33 yards on 11 carries with one touchdown, adding 17 yards receiving on two catches. Bowling had four catches for 45 yards, fifth-year tight end and team captain Ed Newman (Farmville) had six catches for 42 yards, sophomore running back Melik Frost (Hardeeville) had two catches for 34 yards and Costello had two catches for 23 yards and one touchdown.
Sophomore safety Will Pickren (Mt Pleasant, SC) finished with a game-high 11 tackles, adding one interception for the Tigers. Classmate and fellow safety James-Ryan Salvi (Troutville) equaled his collegiate-best with 10 tackles, including one for loss and one pass breakup. Fifth-year linebacker and team captain Brendan Weinberg (Apex, NC) added nine tackles, while senior linebacker Garrett Robinson (Culpeper) had eight tackles, including 0.5 for loss. Lafayette contributed three tackles, including 0.5 for loss, along with his two interceptions.
Short passed for 118 yards (11-17) with three interceptions, adding 37 yards on the ground via 13 attempts and one touchdown for E&H. Jordan rushed for a game-high 162 yards on 31 carries and two touchdowns. Kashawn Cosey had a game-high 65 yards receiving on six receptions. Deondre Chambliss, Addison Knicely, Ivan Phillips and Donovan Pinnix each had seven tackles for the Wasps.
H-SC returns home next week to welcome Ferrum College in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) action on Saturday, October 23, at 1 p.m. on Fulton Field at Lewis C. Everett Stadium. It'll be Homecoming Weekend at the College, and among the many festivities … the Tigers will celebrate the 50th Anniversary/Reunion of the 1970 and 1971 football teams that each played in the post-season Knute Rockne Bowl at the conclusion of those two seasons. A special recognition ceremony will take place at halftime.