HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. – Junior running back Kaleb Smith/Rocky Mount rushed for three touchdowns, and senior wide receiver Blake Page/Richmond caught two touchdown passes from junior quarterback Tanner Bernard/Lynchburg, to lead Hampden-Sydney College to 49-21 home football win past Ferrum College on Saturday afternoon on Fulton Field at Lewis C. Everett Stadium. Senior running backs Cole Becker/Spring Lake, NC and Justin Pollard/Culpeper each added one rushing touchdown, as well, for the host Tigers (4-1), who led 28-0 at halftime against the visiting Panthers (2-3) in the third-place game of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference's first-ever Football Championship Weekend.
H-SC forced an early turnover on the second play of the game when senior defensive end Tyler Lohman/Centreville sacked the FC quarterback, who fumbled, and Lohman recovered the ball at the Panther 20-yard line. It took just two plays to score after Becker had a 12-yard reception on first down from Bernard, before Becker ran into the end zone from eight yards for the first touchdown just one-minute into the contest. Sophomore placekicker Jack Breedlove/Atlanta, GA added the first of his seven PATs for the quick 7-0 advantage.
The Tigers scored again on their second possession, driving 83 yards on 11 plays, before Smith scored his first touchdown on a one-yard run at 4:08. Key plays included a 46-yard completion from Bernard to Page on third down, along with three rushes for 17 yards by Bernard. Breedlove's PAT made it 14-0 after one quarter on The Hill.
H-SC put together a 15-play, 90-yard drive late in the second quarter that resulted in Smith's second touchdown on a three-yard run with 2:10 left before halftime—the PAT by Breedlove. Smith had six carries on the drive for 23 yards, Becker added four carries for 15 yards and senior captain/wide receiver Dillon Costello/South Riding had two catches for 46 yards.
The Tigers once-again forced a turnover as senior linebacker Brendan Weinberg/Apex, NC knocked the ball loose after a short reception and recovered it at the FC 28. Three plays later, Smith tallied his third touchdown on a 20-yard run to the end zone with 1:34 on the clock, and the PAT by Breedlove made it 28-0. Senior wide receiver Nick Kallivokas/Purcellville had a 13-yard reception from Bernard on the drive, as well.
H-SC added two more scores in the third quarter—the first coming quickly after freshman wide receiver Iceysis Lewis/Radiant returned the second-half kickoff a collegiate-best 57 yards to the Panther 33. On fourth down, Bernard found Page for a 33-yard touchdown pass play from the right hash to the left side of the end zone at 14:01, and Breedlove's PAT made it 35-0. The Tigers' second touchdown of the quarter came late with just 42-seconds remaining on yet another fourth down play when Bernard and Page teamed up again, this time on a 20-yard scoring play over the middle with Page once-again beating his man in the end zone. Breedlove's PAT made it 42-7 after three quarters—FC getting its first score on a one-yard run by Joey Lama at 9:45, and the PAT by Tanner Kennedy.
The Panthers scored on a 44-yard pass play from Titus Jones to Tmahdae Penn early in the fourth quarter at 14:33 to make it 42-14 after the PAT by Jack Sheehan. H-SC answered back with its final touchdown of the day, driving 88 yards on 14 plays, before Pollard, a team captain, scored on a six-yard run with 6:05 on the clock—his second career touchdown in his final game, and the seventh PAT by Breedlove made it 49-14. Becker was the workhorse of the possession with seven carries for 48 yards, including a 23-yard gain.
FC managed a late 75-yard drive on 11 plays that resulted in the game's final score when Jones found Penn again, this time for a nine-yard touchdown. Sheehan's PAT provided for the final 49-21 margin of victory for the Tigers.
Bernard passed for a game-high 211 yards (14-22) and two touchdowns with one interception. Becker had a game-high 108 yards rushing on 18 carries and one touchdown, while Smith finished with 82 yards rushing on 14 carries and three touchdowns. Pollard contributed one touchdown on his only rushing attempt. Page had four receptions for a game-high and career-high 121 yards receiving and two touchdowns in his final game. Costello added four catches for 58 yards in his final game. Lewis returned three kicks for 100 yards, including a collegiate-best 57-yard return. H-SC totaled 438 yards of total offense, including 227 yards rushing and 211 yards passing.
Junior linebacker Stephen Cash/Kill Devil Hills, NC had nine tackles, including 0-5 for loss, and freshman defensive back Will Pickren/Mt Pleasant, SC added seven tackles, including three for loss. Weinberg and freshman defensive back James-Ryan Salvi/Troutville each finished with six tackles—Weinberg forcing a fumble and recovering it, and Salvi had a fumble recovery, as well. Junior defensive back Noah Dowdy/Powhatan and junior defensive tackle Michael Harris/St. Stephens Church each added five tackles, including 0.5 for loss by Harris, while junior linebacker Peyton Carneal/Hayes contributed four tackles. Junior cornerback Jordan Fields/Chapel Hill, NC had one interception that he returned 26 yards, along with three tackles, while Lohman (one), senior captain/defensive lineman Phil Pullen/Manassas (one), senior defensive end Bryce St. Clair/Lenexa (0.5) each had sacks in the contest—their respective final games, as well, with junior defensive end Brendan Dudding/McLean (0.5) getting in on the sack action, too.
Jones passed for 205 yards (18-24) with two touchdowns and one interception for FC, while Lama finished with 30 yards rushing on 12 carries and one touchdown. Penn had eight catches for 120 yards and two touchdowns for the Panthers.
H-SC avenged a 31-14 setback to FC during the 2019 season, and also stopped the Panthers' recent three-game winning streak against the Tigers—the series between the two schools is now tied at 3-3.
H-SC has completed the abbreviated spring season with this triumph, finishing with a record of 4-1. The Tigers are scheduled to open the 2021 fall campaign on Saturday, September 4, at 1 p.m. hosting Baldwin Wallace University, located in Berea, Ohio (a western suburb of Cleveland), for a non-conference contest here at Everett Stadium.