Nov 18, 2023
LEXINGTON, Va. - The Washington and Lee University football team's comeback bid fell short as the Lycoming College Warriors held on to win the inaugural Cape Charles Bowl on Saturday afternoon at Wilson Field.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter | 0-0 Tied
- After Lycoming deferred to the second half, the Generals marched down the Warriors' 39-yard line but on 4th and 8, Stephen Murrin found Jacob Romero in the flat for a seven-yard gain but Zannder White brought him to the ground a yard short of the sticks to force a turnover on downs.
- Lycoming's opening drive was halted after Will Fish couldn't connect with Brandon Timothy on 4th and 3, sending both teams to the second quarter deadlocked at zero.
Second Quarter | 10-3 Lycoming
- The Warriors' next drive extended into the second quarter and on 3rd and 14, Will Fish looked for Brandon Timothy down the left sideline but his pass soared over his head, forcing a punt.
- Lycoming marched down to the Generals' two-yard line but the Blue and White defense forced a 4th down, sending the field goal unit onto the field. Ian Plankenhorn knocked down a 19-yard field goal to put the Warriors up 3-0.
- Washington and Lee's next drive ended in misfortune. On 2nd and 3, a bad snap went over the head of Murrin and Lycoming's Johnny Day dove on the loose ball on the W&L 43-yard line.
- The Warrior's aired it out on their next drive as Will Fish connected with Dawson Debebe for a 42-yard score to put Lycoming up 10-0.
- With three seconds to go in the half, the Generals sent out the field unit on 4th and 8. Arturo Ramierz nailed a career-long 49-yard field goal to get the Generals on the board, this kick is the second longest made field goal in program history.
Third Quarter | 20-17 Lycoming
- After the Generals' defense forced a three and out on Lycoming's opening drive, another bad snap caused the ball to bounce around, allowing Jordan Rhinehart to fall on it for another W&L turnover.
- Ian Plankenhrorn knocked down a 45-yard field goal, a new season-long, to put the Warriors up 13-3 with 10:37 left in the quarter.
- Marcus Payne capped off the Generals' 12-play, 75-yard drive with a five yard rushing touchdown to put the Generals up 17-13.
- However, the Warriors struck gold just two plays later as Terrence Oliver took the hand off up the middle 75-yards to the house to retake the lead.
Fourth Quarter | 20-17 Lycoming
- Both defenses stood tall and didn't allow any offense to gain momentum during the fourth quarter.
- After Jack Johnson stopped Zach Green one yard short of the sticks on 4th and 3, the Generals got the ball back at their own 24-yard line with 2:46 to go in the game.
- On 3rd and 6, Romero took a hand off up the middle for a four yard gain. The Generals sent the field goal unit onto the field with 23 seconds remaining but Lycoming used their second timeout of half.
- Following the timeout, the Blue and White elected to keep the offense on the field. On 4th and 2, Romero took the ball up the middle and was stuffed by Joey Rivituso and Johnny Day, sealing the win for Lycoming.
W&L GAME NOTES
- The Generals conclude their 2023 campaign with an 8-3 overall record while posting a 6-1 mark in ODAC play.
- Despite the loss, the Generals' offense generated 409 yards of total offense, out gaining the Warriors by 77 yards. The Blue and White rushed 62 times for 299 yards and two scores, they averaged 4.8 yards per carry. W&L threw 30 times for 110 yards and 6.5 yards per completion.
- The Generals had the ball in their possession for 34:08, going 9 of 20 (45%) on 3rd down. The Blue and White were 57% on 4th down conversions (4 of 7) while scoring on both of their trips to the red zone.
LYCOMING GAME NOTES
- The Warriors finished the season with a 5-6 record and a 4-2 mark in conference play. Lycoming moved to 2-1 in bowl games, winning their first postseason games since 2021 where they defeated Ursinus 31-23 in the MAC-Centennial Bowl series.
- The Warriors recorded 332 yards of offense, rushing for 132 yards while throwing 36 times for 200 yards and one touchdown. This was Lycoming's fifth game this season with 200 or more passing yards.
- The Warriors were 8 of 16 (50%) on 3rd down but did not convert on their two 4th down attempts. Lycoming punched it in on their only trip to the red zone.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Lycoming's Will Fish was 23 of 36 for 200 yards and one touchdown. The junior quarterback also rushed twice for 14 yards, to be named the Most Valuable Player.
- Stephen Murrin completed 17 of his 28 passes for 110 yards while rushing for 97 yards.
- Jacob Romero rushed 27 times for 100 yards, he is the first player since Josh Breece '22 to rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season. This season, the junior back rushed 226 times for 1,093 yards and eight touchdowns.
- Dryden Duggins hauled in seven passes for 60 yards with a long of 14-yards.
- Lycoming's Dawson Debebe caught five passes for 77 yards including a 42-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
- Austin Rowley led all players with 15 total tackles, six solo and nine assists, and one tackle for loss.
- Jack Johnson led the Generals with ten tackles, six solo and four assists, while breaking up a pass. Hunter Hawk recorded eight tackles for the Blue and White.
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.