WINCHESTER, Va. – Shenandoah University clinched its fourth winning season in past six years with a 35-16 non-league football victory over Newport News Apprentice.
 
Shenandoah (6-3) jumped out to a 21-0 lead over the Builders (1-7) before coasting home to the 19-point win.
 
IN DEPTH
The win is also the 42^nd of head coach Scott Yoder's career, putting him at the top of the all-time wins list at Shenandoah.
 
SU led virtually wire-to-wire as the Hornets took the opening kickoff and drove 62 yards in nine plays and 3:14 to take 7-0 lead by the time the contest with four minutes old.
 
Senior Brant Butler completed that drive by hauling in a two-yard TD pass from quarterback Steven Hugney.
 
A three-and-out for the Builders, combined with a 25-yard punt, gave SU excellent field position for its second drive.
 
The ensuing 67-yard drive took just 2:43 over nine plays as Miles Moore took a Hugney pass and outraced everyone into the end zone.
 
A short field, helped by a three-yard Apprentice punt, kick started the Hornets third touchdown drive.
 
Taking over at the Builders 28, Shenandoah needed just three plays for Rashadeen Byrd Jr. to blast in from the 5 and give the hosts a 21-0 lead.
 
Apprentice had the next two scores, a 39-yard field goal in the second and a seven-play, 50-yard drive in the third, before the Hornets put the game way with Ethan Bigbee and Butler touchdown catches in the third and fourth quarters, respectively.
 
Bigbee did all of the work on his screen pass as he caught the ball at the 29 and outraced a host of Apprentice players across the field and into the end zone.
 
Butler scored his second TD on a pass from backup QB Zack Mathis.
 
Shenandoah had 24 first downs and rolled up 474 yards in total offense with 325 coming through the air.
 
Butler had nine catches for 93 yards and two TDs while Hugney was 20 of 32 for 247 and three touchdowns.
 
Defensively, David Agyei had 12 tackles and one interception while Ben Burgan made 11 stops.
 
UP NEXT
Shenandoah completes its regular season next Saturday with a 1 p.m. ODAC contest versus league champion Washington & Lee.
 
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