Nov 05, 2022
ASHLAND, Va. – Senior quarterback Andrew Ihle (Apex, N.C./Middle Creek) rushed for a career-best 104 yards and four touchdowns on Senior Day as No. 16 Randolph-Macon amassed a season-high 563 yards of total offense in registering a 52-10 win over Ferrum on Saturday afternoon to clinch the ODAC championship and earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs.
The Basics:
Score: Randolph-Macon 52, Ferrum 10
Location/Venue: Ashland, Va. / Day Field
Records: Randolph-Macon 9-0, 6-0 ODAC; FC 1-8, 1-5 ODAC
How it Happened:
- The Panthers took the opening kickoff and drove 74 yards in nine plays to reach the end zone and take a 7-0 lead four minutes into the contest.
- The Yellow Jackets responded by going 75 yards in 13 plays in 7:17, capped by a two-yard TD run by Ihle to level the score at 7-7 with 3:34 left in the first period.
- Early in the second quarter, junior Silas James (Greenville, N.C./JH Rose) picked off a pass at the RMC 36. Junior Drew Campanale (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) hit senior David Wallis (Cedar Point, N.C./Croatan) with a 64-yard touchdown pass as R-MC took a 14-7 lead one minute into the second period.
- Senior Jacob Hutchinson (Glen Allen, Va./Deep Run) had a sack on a fourth-down play to give the Yellow Jackets the ball on their 38. Campanale finished the drive with a 45-yard TD toss to Wallis as R-MC went up 21-7 with 10:15 remaining until halftime.
- Following a short Panther punt, Ihle scored from seven yards out with 5:50 left in the second quarter as the lead grew to 28-7.
- After another FC punt, Ihle capped a 55-yard drive with a 13-yard TD run to give the home team a 35-7 advantage at intermission.
- Ihle had a 12-yard scoring jaunt on R-MC's first drive of the second half to extend the lead to 42-7.
- One minute into the final period, sophomore Kyle Ihle (Apex, N.C./Middle Creek), the younger brother of Andrew, hit a 33-yard field goal to put the Yellow Jackets up 45-7.
- The Panthers connected on a 34-yard field goal with 11:02 left to make it 45-10.
- Following a fumble by the Yellow Jackets on the FC 8, freshman Dominick Staples (North Chesterfield, Va./Glen Allen) returned an interception 15 yards for a touchdown to make the final 52-10.
By The Numbers:
- For R-MC's 563 yards of offense, 302 came on the ground and 261 was through the air.
- The Yellow Jackets had eight different players carry the ball. After the 104 by Ihle, freshman Cameron Chatmon (Willow Spring, N.C./Green Level) rushed 11 times for a season-best 68 yards.
- For the second time this season, Campanale was perfect. He went 10 for 10 for 196 yards and two touchdowns. Campanale's completion percentage for the season is .803, the top mark in the nation.
- Junior Brecht Heuchan (Tallahassee, Fla./Maclay) saw his first game action, completing 6 of 12 passes for 65 yards.
- Wallis had six receptions for 155 yards and two scores.
- Junior Jaden Ferriera (Waldorf, Md./Thomas Stone) led the Yellow Jackets with seven tackles. James had six stops, one interception and two pass breakups.
For The Record:
- R-MC won its 13th ODAC championship, the most in the history of the conference. R-MC has captured four of the past seven league crowns. The Yellow Jackets earned titles in 2022, 2020 (played in spring of 2021), 2018, 2016, 2008, 1997, 1993, 1989, 1985, 1984, 1979, 1978 and 1976.
- R-MC tied the program record for victories in a season with nine and is 9-0 for just the second time in program history. The Yellow Jackets went 9-0 in the 1968 season.
- The Yellow Jackets extended their win streak to 15 games. The program record is 19, from 1967-69.
- R-MC defeated Ferrum for the first time at home. The Yellow Jackets were previously 0-3 against the Panthers in Ashland.
Up Next:
- R-MC will conclude the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 12 with a 1 p.m. contest at Hampden-Sydney for the 127th edition of The Game.