WINCHESTER, Va. – Visiting N.C. Wesleyan kept its hopes alive for a USA South Conference football title with a 38-0 win over Shenandoah Saturday afternoon.
NCWC (6-3, 4-1 USA South) led 14-0 after one and 24-0 midway at the break as Shenandoah (3-6, 3-3) committed a pair of first half turnovers in Bishops territory.
The two miscues, on an interception and a fumble, were two of five turnovers the Hornets had on the day.
The visitors also stuffed SU on two different fourth-down plays in the first 30 minutes.
N.C. Wesleyan used trickery for its first score as halfback Greg Edwards hit Keenan Carter with a 33-yard pass at the 9:54 mark of the first.
Edwards eluded three SU defenders in the backfield before lofting his pass to a wide open Carter one yard into the end zone.
Just less than three minutes later, quarterback Jordan Vann found Carter for a 9-yard score to give the visitors a 14-0 lead.
Another Vann touchdown pass, this one 14 yards to, Laqwan Brodie, made it 21-0 less than five minutes into the second quarter.
NCWC turned to the big play for its two second-half touchdowns. Jamal Smith had a 47-yard run on the opening possession of the third and Tyreck McFadden bested Smith by one yard at the 13:13 mark of the fourth.
Smith paced the victors with 18 carries for 159 yards and the one touchdown – NCWC had 247 of its 407 yards in total offense on the ground.
Keone Kyle countered for SU with 33 carries for 114 yards. It is his 10th career 100-yard game in 17 games.
Defensively, Corey Giffing had 10 stops for the Hornets. He sets a new school record with 10 double-digit tackle games in his career.
This is the second time in the past three Winchester meetings between the two schools that the Bishops have pitched a shutout.
Shenandoah completes its season next Saturday at Greensboro with a 1:00 USA South Conference contest.