WASHINGTON, D.C. - Shenandoah University opened its football
season with a win for the first time in five years with a 21-3
non-league victory at Catholic University Saturday afternoon.
The Hornets (1-0) also snapped a six-year losing streak to the
Cardinals with the win. Shenandoah had not officially beaten
Catholic since winning 14-6 at Shentel Stadium on September 20,
2003 due to a 12-0 win in the 2005 season opener that was later
forfeited because of an ineligible player.
After falling behind 3-0 when Brendan DeLuca hit a 27-yard field
goal on Catholic's first possession of the contest, coach Paul
Barnes' club took advantage of a fumbled Cardinals punt to
punch in its first touchdown of the new season.
Ben Brooks,
the Hornets long snapper, gave his club the ball by recovering a
Scotty Braswell fumbled punt at the Catholic 41.
Five plays later, quarterback Vern Lunsford found
Rico Wallace
down the right sideline for a 26-yard TD pass. Wallace leapt high
on the fade route and took the ball off of his defenders helmet for
the score.
On the first drive of the third, junior Keone Kyle announced
his presence to SU football fans. Kyle, who had 30 yards rushing on
nine carries in the first half, had 59 on four touches to give the
Hornets a 2nd on goal from the 9. Lunsford took it those
final nine yards on a naked bootleg around right end to give the
visitors a 14-3 advantage.
Kyle finished the game with 114 yards rushing on 19 carries.
Another CUA fumble eventually led to a Shenandoah score before
the fourth quarter was a minute old.
Catholic turned it over via fumble for the third time in the
contest when quarterback Dylan Knight could not handle a shotgun
snap - SU recovered on the Cardinals 40 with 4:30 remaining in the
third.
It took nine plays to score this time as junior Anthony Cordero
busted over from the 8.
Joe
Lunsford and Larry Gibbs led the
defense with 12 and seven tackles, respectively. Gibbs also picked
off a pass in the fourth quarter.
The Hornets held Catholic to 201 total yards, including 96 on
the ground.
Shenandoah opens up its 2009 home slate next Saturday night at 7
against longtime rival Bridgewater.
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