By Keith McMillan
D3sports.com
STEPHENS CITY, Va. – During a time when large schools like Boston University are shutting down their football programs, the scene here just south of Winchester on Saturday night was as refreshing as they come for football fans.
A standing-room only crowd, the largest ever to witness a Shenandoah event, swayed to blaring Jock Jams while a 12-member dance team gyrated. Families, teens & elderly folks stomped their feet on metal stands, rooting on the home team.
The Hornets hadn’t fielded a football team since 1967, and one certainly got the feeling Saturday that the locals had missed it.
In fact, Arrowhead Stadium at Sherando High School was so jumping, it was easy to forget that the Hornets got whooped by Bridgewater 41-16.
Though head coach Walter Barr, who came out of retirement to revive the Shenandoah program, was not pleased with the final score in this, their second game of the season, he considered the squad’s first home game a success.
"It was exciting, the enthusiasm, everything around tonight," said Barr. "That’s what football is all about. To be involved with something and the community supports it, that’s what an athlete wants."
"It was very exciting," agreed Trey Kern, the Hornets’ lone senior, a transfer from Hampden-Sydney. "It was probably the best crowd I’ve ever played in front of at any level."
The visitors felt the energy as well.
"That’s football," said Davon Cruz, Bridgewater’s junior tailback. "When you come into a big game, [the crowd] can root for you or not – but you’ve got to love it either way."
The home fans loved the 3-0 lead Shenandoah gained after taking the opening kickoff 64 yards in 12 plays, settling for a 28-yard Morgan Linkenauger field goal. But the Eagles quickly crushed any hopes of an home-opener upset.
Freshman cornerback Levar Anthony returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown and Cruz rambled for an 80-yard score on the Eagles’ first play from scrimmage for a 14-3 lead Bridgewater never relinquished.
The Hornets did have some bright moments, however. Running back Wes Karns hauled in a 57-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Josh Copp midway through the second period. T.J. Catlett rushed for a team-high 59 yards, including a third-period score that followed an onside kick recovery at the start of the second half.
"We’re satisfied with the improvement," said Barr. "If the kids don’t get the will knocked out of them, we’re going to be OK."
"I compliment Walter in preparation," said Eagle head coach Michael Clark. "They were a different football team than what we evaluated on film, for them to do that this early in the season [is a sign of good things to come]."
Of the 116 players who came out for the Hornets 2000 squad, Barr says about 107 are left, and including "redshirts," 99 dressed out Saturday. Furthermore, Barr has just one senior, two juniors and 10 sophomores on the roster.
"When we started," said Barr, "people were giving us two or three years [to get good] because everybody is so young. But nobody thinks that way. Everybody expects us to win."
"Losing is not a good thing," Barr adds. "Everything in a successful program comes from winning. Confidence comes from being successful in anything in life."
Barr says his players succeeded in improving Saturday, but need to eliminate mental mistakes for the Hornets to post their first win.
Averett, Shenandoah’s Dixie Conference rival in most sports, notched their first victory in school history Saturday, 34-18 against Gallaudet, which returned to Division III this week after playing on the club level since 1995. Shenandoah heads to D.C. to face the Bison on Saturday, and will travel to Averett on Oct. 28.
Top 25 material
Bridgewater reaped the rewards of its 2-0 start in the AFCA poll released Tuesday. The Eagles are ranked 25th, but don’t expect the program’s first national ranking to go to their heads.
"We had to keep in mind that anybody can get beat on any day," said receiver Marcus Richardson on Saturday. The senior receiver did his part against Shenandoah by scoring two touchdowns.
"I feel we’ve earned everything we get," said Cruz, who also scored twice. "We know where we’ve been and we know where we’re trying to head."
The Eagles were 2-8 in 1997 and 0-10 when Cruz was a freshman.
"We carry that with us," he said. "We never forget where we’ve been. We’re confident we know what we can do. All we can do is try to build on that."
Week 2 rebounds
A couple of South Region powerhouses bounced back Saturday after difficult season-opening losses.
Western Maryland blanked Randolph-Macon, marking the first time the high-scoring Yellow Jackets had been shut out since Oct. 14, 1994, a span of 56 games.
The Green Terror played nickel and dime packages the entire game against the Yellow Jackets’ four- and five-receiver sets. The move forced head coach Tim Keating to rotate his starting defensive linemen, leaving some on the bench during key game situations.
"Never once did any one of them complain," said defensive coordinator Al Thomas after the 21-0 victory. "They were into the whole game plan. They just wanted to win."
Thomas said he spoke with his players during the team breakfast Saturday.
"I don’t know if we’ll win or lose the game," he says he told them, "but I know we’ve got winners on this football team."
Catholic also bounced back with a 39-0 victory against Franklin & Marshall, a 73-point swing from their 37-3 loss to John Carroll in the opener. The Cardinals are off for a week before traveling to Randolph-Macon September 23.
Around the Region: Lycoming bounced back as well this week, but it was only from a 7-0 halftime deficit. The 21-7 home win against Juniata marked the 39th consecutive MAC victory for the Warriors and the sixth straight versus the Eagles. The last time Juniata beat Lycoming was in 1987. The teams tied 14-14 in 1992. ... Talk about your squeakers. Widener and Wilkes were each a point away from early-season trouble. The Pioneers’ Jim Jones caught the game-winning touchdown with 15 seconds left. The 21-20 victory over FDU-Madison was necessary heading into this week’s showdown against Lycoming. The Colonels, meanwhile, avoided having their season-opener spoiled by Albright when quarterback Jeff Marshman connected with Brian Miller with 1:10 remaining, salvaging a 22-21 win. ... Emory & Henry proved reports of its demise to be exaggerated with a 10-0 over ACFC favorite Ferrum. The Wasps, expected to be in the thick of the ODAC race, start things off this week by hosting Bridgewater. ... The ODAC has had the Centennial’s number so far this year, going 5-1 against CC foes. Five different ODAC schools have beaten a Centennial opponent in the first two weeks. Only Western Maryland’s win over Randolph-Macon prevented a CC whitewash. Schools from the two conferences will meet twice more in the regular season, when Bridgewater hosts Johns Hopkins on Oct. 21 and when Washington & Lee travels to Swarthmore on Nov. 11.
Week Three games to watch
Lycoming (1-0) at Widener (1-0): First of back-to-back road tests for the Warriors, who’ll gain much-needed confidence for its young offense with a win. The Pioneers barely won last week, but have a decent chance to upset the big dogs of the MAC.
Bridgewater (2-0) at Emory & Henry (1-0): The Wasps will go for 19 in a row over the Eagles, who have won just one of 26 games in the series. The last two E&H wins have come by a total of just four points. The Eagles want to prove they’re over the hump, but Fullerton Field is a tough place to play. The winner gains the upper hand in challenging defending champ Catholic for the ODAC title.
Susquehanna (1-0) at King’s (1-0): The Monarchs’ rushing attack scored 51 points in its opener, but the Crusaders are out to prevent a repeat performance. This is a key early-season MAC matchup, even though the teams are in separate divisions.
Greensboro (1-0) at Ferrum (1-1): The Pride could establish itself as an ACFC front runner with a win, but the Panthers want to avenge last season’s 13-7 loss. Expect another low-scoring battle.
Muhlenberg (1-0) at Dickinson (1-1): The Centennial’s middle class clashes when it comes to style. The Mules will take to the air and put up points. The Red Devils play old-style, smash-mouth football. Winner can probably put itself alongside Ursinus and Western Maryland as CC contenders.
Randolph-Macon (1-1) at Washington & Jefferson (1-0): A chance for the Yellow Jackets to make a statement against a perennial playoff team. They desperately need to bounce back after being held to 17 passing yards against Western Maryland. Not an all-or-nothing game for R-MC, but they’d like to head into the Catholic game feeling good about themselves.
Allegheny (0-2) at Frostburg State (0-1): Two perennially tough squads each searching for win No. 1. Allegheny lost to Mount Union and W&J, but played tough, so Frostburg will have its work cut out.
