HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. -- Senior running back Melik Frost (Hardeeville, SC) scored on a four-yard touchdown run in overtime, and sophomore placekicker Elijah Swett (Matthews, NC) added the decisive PAT kick, before sophomore cornerback James Townsend (Hardeeville, SC) blocked the potential game-tying PAT kick in OT, as well, as Hampden-Sydney College took a thrilling 26-25 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) football victory past Shenandoah University on Saturday afternoon on Fulton Field at Lewis C. Everett Stadium. Frost rushed for a season and game-high of 110 yards and two touchdowns, while senior quarterback Andrew Puccinelli (Glen Allen) passed for 252 yards and one touchdown, as the host Tigers (6-3, 4-2 ODAC) won their home finale for retiring 24th-year head coach Marty Favret (151-89) against the visiting Hornets (5-4, 3-3 ODAC).
H-SC trailed 19-16 after SU scored a go-ahead touchdown with just 1:45 remaining in regulation on a 12-yard scoring pass from Steven Hugney to Broden Domenico, and a successful PAT kick by Scott Martin. The Tigers, however, took possession at their own 24-yard line with 1:40 on the clock and marched 65 yards on 13 plays to set-up a game-tying 28-yard field goal by Swett with just seven-seconds on the clock to tie the contest at 19-19 and force overtime. The drive started with a 19-yard completion from Puccinelli to junior wide receiver Austin Fernandez (Warrenton), and included a 14-yard reception by senior wide receiver Braeden Bowling (Cary, NC), before senior wide receiver Jamahdia Whitby (Williamsburg) caught a seven-yard pass on fourth-and-six to keep things alive … and another completion to Fernandez for 15 yards helped position the Garnet & Grey for the necessary game-tying field goal by Swett.
SU won the OT coin toss and elected to play defense, and H-SC promptly went 25 yards on seven plays with Frost scoring on the four-yard touchdown run ahead of the PAT kick by Swett. Frost covered 17 of the yards on five attempts, while sophomore wide receiver Mason Cunningham (Arlington) had two receptions for eight yards.
The Hornets then scored a touchdown on their first play in OT, a 25-yard pass from Hugney to Domenico, but the potential game-tying PAT kick was blocked by Townsend to preserve the thrilling triumph.
The hard-fought and closely-played contest featured only a field goal in the opening quarter, a 23-yard effort by Martin as SU led 3-0.
H-SC scored 10 second-quarter points to take the advantage, getting a two-yard touchdown run from Frost at 10:59, with Swett adding the PAT kick for the 7-3 lead. It was a five-play, 43-yard scoring drive that featured Frost on four attempts for 20 yards on the ground, along with a huge 23-yard completion from Puccinelli to freshman wide receiver Ethan Dowdy (Powhatan)—Dowdy making a highlight-reel catch along the right sideline. Swett added a 25-yard field goal with 1:23 remaining in the half, capping a 14-play, 61-yard possession for a 10-3 lead at halftime. Highlights to the drive included a 20-yard reception by Fernandez on third-and-nine, a 10-yard run by Frost and an 18-yard completion from Puccinelli to Fernandez.
The Tigers added the only touchdown of the third quarter to lead 16-3 going into the fourth quarter. The score came with 5:13 left in the quarter, courtesy of a two-yard touchdown pass from Puccinelli to—who else—Fernandez; however, the PAT kick was wide left. It was a five-play, 30-yard drive that was set-up by the defense of the Garnet & Grey … with senior cornerback Tobias Lafayette (Charleston, SC) making an interception at midfield and returning it 20 yards to the SU 30-yard line. Whitby had a 17-yard reception to start it, before Frost added 11 yards on three attempts, ahead of the touchdown.
SU closed to within 16-10 at 11:52 of the final quarter via a six-yard touchdown pass from Hugney to Andre Jackson, with Martin adding the PAT kick. The Hornets were within 16-12 after H-SC elected to take a safety with 3:20 on the clock. SU then took its ensuing possession following the kickoff and drove 58 yards on five plays with Hugney and Domenico connecting on the 12-yard score at 1:45—the PAT kick by Martin making it a 19-16 contest—setting things up for the late-game heroics by the Tigers to tie it and force the OT toward the triumph.
Frost rushed for his game-high and season-high 110 yards on a career-high 34 attempts and two touchdowns, adding four receptions for 24 yards receiving for H-SC. Puccinelli passed for his 252 yards (28-355-1) and one touchdown with one interception. Fernandez had 84 yards receiving on six receptions and one touchdown, while Cunningham finished with eight receptions for 38 yards, Bowling had three receptions for 43 yards and Whitby added five receptions for 34 yards.
Senior All-American safety and team captain Will Pickren (Mount Pleasant, SC) finished with 10 tackles and one pass breakup to lead the Tigers on defense—becoming the school's career leader with 355 tackles on the Hill—surpassing Brendan Weinberg '22 (345). Classmate and linebacker Dorian Green (Martinsville) had six tackles, including 0.5 tackles for loss. Townsend and sophomore running back Markevus Graves-Franklin (Lynchburg) each totaled five tackles—Graves-Franklin making all of his stops on special teams—and of course Townsend adding the crucial, game-saving block of the PAT kick in overtime. Six defenders finished with four tackles, including Lafayette—who had the interception and three pass breakups—senior defensive tackle Kevin Gholson (Montpelier), senior safety and team captain James-Ryan Salvi (Troutville), junior linebacker Jackson Lott (Norfolk), sophomore safety Jaylan Long (Martinsville) and freshman linebacker Harrison Wood (Richmond), who had 1.5 tackles for loss and one pass breakup. Lott added two pass breakups and Gholson had one pass breakup.
Hugney passed for a game-high 263 yards (24-44-1) and three touchdowns with one interception for SU, adding 31 yards rushing on six attempts. AJ Maxwell finished with 48 yards rushing on 12 attempts. Domenico had a game-high 144 yards receiving on 11 receptions and two touchdowns. Ethan Brown finished with a game-high 13 tackles, including 0.5 tackles for loss for the Hornets.
H-SC plays at archrival and nationally-ranked No. 9 Randolph-Macon College next Saturday, November 11, at 1 p.m. in Ashland—the 128th edition of "The Game" in what's considered the Oldest Small School Rivalry in the South.