WINCHESTER, Va. – Three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns, spelled doom in a 22-14 Bridgewater victory over Shenandoah Saturday afternoon in the ODAC fifth-place game.
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The Eagles (3-2, 2-2 ODAC) won the rubber match with the eight-point win over Shenandoah (1-4, 1-3).
IN DEPTH
The two teams played three times in the six-week spring season and all three games came down to the penultimate drive of the contest.
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Much like the season opener on February 27, BC intercepted Shenandoah quarterback
Zack Mathis as he attempted to direct a game-winning drive.
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In the third edition of the series, Isiah Farmer picked off Mathis at the BC 13 with 1:14 to play.
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The Eagles took a knee twice to close out the contest.
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Mathis, who finished the game 18-of-25 for 196 yards, came on in relief of sophomore classmate
Chris Sonnenberg after Sonnenberg was victimized for a pair of pick-six interceptions in the first half.
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On the first, Jordan Burden took advantage of a tipped pass to grab the ball at the SU 19 and waltz into the end zone untouched for the initial touchdown of the contest with 2:51 remaining in the first quarter.
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Less than two minutes later, defensive end Da'Sean Davis dropped back into coverage and picked off Sonnenberg on a third-and-10 pass at the SU 32 and found his way to what proved to be the game-winning score.
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BC executed a fake on the PAT with holder Freddie Watkins rushing in from the 10.
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Shenandoah bookended its two touchdowns around halftime, with Rashadeen Byrd, Jr. rushing in from the 1 and the 6 at the 2:16 mark of the second and the 5:30 mark of the third, respectively.
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Mathis replaced Sonnenberg at the start of the three-play, 25-yard drive that ended with Byrd Jr.'s plunge from the 1. The big play on the drive, which was set up by a 19-yard
Yuri Smaltz punt return, was a 24-yard Mathis strike to
Jack Massie.
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The second drive was 72-yards over 13 plays and featured a 29-yard pass completion from Mathis to
Bryar Wheeler.
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Jack Swope led the defense with 10 tackles and 2.5 sacks. The SU defense held Bridgewater to 210 yards in offense with all but 78 of that total coming on the ground.
UP NEXT
Shenandoah opens the 2021 season with a Sep. 4 non-league home game versus Methodist.
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