9 BRIDGEWATER TE 19 W&L’S NELSON TAKES READY FOR BIG YEAR OVER AT QUARTERBACK
scrımmageplay VOL 1 . ISSUE 1 :: SEP. 4, 2016
Through the air Hampden Sydney’s offense counting on Cam Johnson to put up big numbers. PAGE 15
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VOL 1 . ISSUE 1 :: AUGUST 16, 2016
x’s and o’s 05
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NOT THE END OF THE END Bridgewater TE breaking out
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SPREADING IT OUT Passing attacks thrive in the ODAC
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CONFERENCE RUNDOWN Previewing football, volleyball and soccer across the board
NOT JUST THE GRIDIRON Fall is more than just football
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PREGAME
Back in session An aerial shot of Washington and Lee’s athletic complex including Wilson Field, home of the men’s lacrosse, football and track and field programs. Washington and Lee’s football team will host its first football game of 2016 September 17 against Claremont McKenna College out of California.✖ (Washington and Lee sports information)
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First Quarter Not the end of the end Bridgewater tight end Keith Jennings poised for big year By Drew Goodman
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Keith Jennings isn’t your standard tight end. (BC sports information)
{ THE TE GOODS } Breaking down Jennings’ 2015
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ith the spread taking football by storm, numerous offensive records are falling year by year. Quarterbacks are passing for more yards, running backs are thriving in the extra space to run in, and the wide receivers are perhaps the biggest beneficiaries of all.
The spread might be fun to watch, but the shift out wide has been unkind at times to the tight end position. With the extra emphasis on speed and quickness on the edges, tight ends have seen their roles dramatically decrease in some offenses. Bridgewater senior Keith Jennings however, is bucking the trend, and carrying the flag for the tight end position in the ODAC. Instead of neglecting the the tight end, the Eagles’ version of the spread revolves around Jennings in both the run and passing game. Jennings was Bridgewater’s most dangerous threat through the air last season. The Vinton, Va. native led the Eagles with 35 catches for 541 yards, and four touchdowns. When the Eagles called a running play, the ball carriers would often seek Jennings out, and enjoy an extra amount of real estate, courtesy of the 6-foot-1, 212-pound tight end. “I think it’s a great feeling,” Jennings said. “I feel the tight end position is position is becoming very important in football these days. Take the NFL for example; every great offense has a good tight end. I love the position because I feel like I can create a lot of good match ups for myself by making linebackers and safeties cover in space, which maybe isn’t their greatest skill.” Jennings appeared in just eight games last fall, but the rising-senior notched at least 100 yards and one touchdown in three of them. The First Team All-ODAC tight end’s 541 receiving yards nearly doubles that of the Eagles’ second-highest total through the air. Though Jennings has the ability to play close to the line of scrimmage and perform
the duties of a traditional tight end, the AllConference performer is at his deadliest on the outside as a receiver. “I feel like I can do both (block and catch),” Jennings noted. “I’m at the point of a lot of our run-game, but my biggest role would be catching. My biggest strengths are my athleticism and speed. We joke all the time that I’m a big receiver playing tight end, but I feel at this position that there’s no safety or linebacker that can run with me, so I get a lot of great matchups.” With Jennings drawing ample attention from opposing defenses, look for fellow senior tight end Zane Grudzinski to get a number of good looks in the passing game. A powerful blocker at the point of attack, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound Grudzinski hauled in a big touchdown in Bridgewater’s 2015 season finale against Catholic. Senior Jeffrey Moore, who finished second to Jennings with 30 catches last fall, will lead a young and dynamic receiving corps. The biggest question mark surrounding the Eagles’ offense is, who is going to get the ball to Jennings, Grudzinski, and everyone else? Bridgewater lost its top two quarterbacks to graduation, and the lone returning signal-caller to appear in a single game last year, sophomore Anthony Lovelace, threw just one pass. Junior Brendon Maturey took the majority of the first-team reps during spring ball. The former Mount Vernon High School standout will battle promising sophomore Jeremy Robson and a host of talented newcomers for the starting job. ✖
Inside »
To read more about ODAC football, check out the rest of this issue.
Corner kicks
We’ve gone digital
Lynchburg gears up to find championship form again
But you can have it in print too!
By Drew Goodman A number of women’s soccer programs would be thrilled with an unbeaten season in league play, a conference tournament crown, and a 20-win campaign. The Lynchburg College Lady Hornets are not one of those programs. On the heels of claiming the first National Championship in school history in 2014, LC didn’t manage a repeat performance. After claiming their sixth straight ODAC title and fourth consecutive 20-win season, the Hornets’ dream of a repeat NCAA crown came to an end following a 1-0 loss to Rowan in the second round of the tournament. Despite cementing its status as the top dogs in the conference and as one of the country’s premiere programs, the Hornets could not help but feel a sense of emptiness following the 2015 campaign. “Every year our goal is always the same: win a national championship. Just because we didn’t go as far last season as we wished does not mean our goal changes,” rising junior defender Christine Domecq said. “(This year) is
a new team and a new season and a new year to win a national championship.” Domecq will be a part of an elite defense that will look to lead Lynchburg back to Kansas City for another National Championship this fall. Top defender Emily Maxwell was only a freshman when the Hornets won the national title, but played well enough to earn the NCAA Tournament’s Defensive MVP award. The Quantico, Va. native followed up her impressive rookie season with an All-American sophomore campaign, and will look to anchor the Lynchburg defense for the third consecutive season. Maxwell, along with fellow returning FirstTeam All-ODAC defender Natalie Deacon will serve as team captains for the Hornets this fall. LC’s lone fifth-year senior, goalkeeper Tess Freelick has provided a steady set of hands between the post for the past two seasons. Last year, Freelick posted 10 shutouts, and was tied for first in the ODAC with nine goals allowed all season. ✖
BELOW » Marina Clark is a key factor in the midfield for Lynchburg College’s women’s soccer team. (LC sports information)
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Spreading
it out
Story by Drew Goodman Photos from Hampden Sydney, Emory and Henry and Randolph Macon Sports Information
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IT IS NOT JUST THE FLAVOR OF THE MONTH — the spread offense is here to stay. Aside from the option at Washington & Lee and Randolph Macon’s more traditional sets, every school in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference runs some type of spread attack. The versatility on offense was on full display last season, as six of the eight teams in the ODAC averaged 27 points or more per game. Additionally, all six teams that run a spread offense posted over 200 passing yards per contest, which led to many entertaining shootouts throughout the season. Though every spread offense is different, each one of them requires the same thing to be successful; at least one go-to-guy to catch the ball consistently. Whether they be 6-foot-3 jump-ball specialists, the precise route runners inside the slot, or speed demons from the outside, each offense needs a top-notch wide receiver to keep opposing defensive coordinators awake at night. With the number of dynamic offenses present, the conference seemingly churns out elite wide receivers every year. Fortunately for football fans across the ODAC, a new wave of elite pass catchers emerged last season, and the dynamic trio will look to raise the bar even higher in 2016.
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cam johnson HAMPDEN SYDNEY, jr.
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ith the exception of those in the Hamden Sydney football program, nobody in the ODAC was sorry to see All-American wide receiver Holton Walker graduate following the 2014 season. Walker exited the Tiger program after tallying 4,000 career yards through the air, cementing his place in the school’s record book. Little did anybody know that head coach Marty Favret had another deadly weapon that was waiting in the wings at the wide receiver position. After seeing time mostly on special teams and in select offensive packages as a freshman, Cam Johnson emphatically announced his arrival to the conference last fall. Johnson became one of the focal points of the HSC offense, and the 6-foot-3, 185-pound wideout dragged many smaller defenders along for the ride. The Buckingham County product caught just seven passes as a rookie, but increased his total to an impressive 58 receptions the following season. That breakout season began with a bang too. Johnson caught seven passes in the second game of the 2015 campaign alone, and the sophomore began to notice all of the hard work that he put in in the offseason paying off. “The summer prior to last season, I worked the hardest I think I ever have to hone in on my physical ability to go along with the mental growth,” Johnson said. “I started to stress the small things like breakdowns at the top of my routes, blocking, and understanding my opponents’ tendencies. Those small adjustments seemed to help a lot with the big change in catches.” One of the team’s top academic students, in addition to spending countless hours breaking down film and running routes whenever he could, Johnson devoted whatever spare moments that he had into transforming his body in the spring and summer months. Since he set foot on campus as a freshman, Johnson has added roughly 30 pounds to his 6-foot-3 frame, without sacrificing much of his athleticism. Johnson used his newfound size to his advantage and finished third in the conference with 830 receiving yards, and fourth in touchdowns with nine scores. By the time October rolled around, it became clear that opposing defenses had no answer for the sophomore standout. Johnson hauled in 11 catches in back-to-back to contests midway through the season, and eclipsed the century mark in nearly half of the Tigers’ games. With a year of experience and the necessary amount of size needed to adjust to being a deep threat at the college level, the rising junior is looking to take all of the lessons learned for his sophomore year, and help lead Hamden Sydney back to the postseason. “My sophomore year I did a really good job of attacking my defenders repeatedly, with the help of my coach on several different occasions during games,” Johnson said. “I also learned to use my size downfield in year two, while building a deeper chemistry with our QB to make our connection seamless during gameplay.” ✖ www.scrimmageplayodac.com ::
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Christian redman randolph macon, So.
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earning a brand new playbook at the collegiate level in less than one month’s time is always a difficult task. Having to step onto the field soon after and actually do what the book says against a college defense is an even more formidable challenge for a rookie. That is exactly what the Randolph Macon coaching staff asked of then-freshman wide receiver Christian Redman last fall. One year after watching his games at James River High School, head coach Pedro Arruza and company immediately entrusted Redman with a prominent role in the RMC offense. After watching the 5-10, 175-pound Redman haul in seven receptions in his first college game, Arruza knew that he had something special. The Yellow Jackets lost that contest in blowout fashion to Johns Hopkins, but the 7-catch performance help shift Redman from a shy newcomer to an eager freshman looking to make an impact. “[The first game] helped with boosting my confidence level. I was definitely nervous going into the first game and others, but it helped with calming those nerves,” said Redman, who caught 44 passes for a team-high 638 yards. “The rest of the team helped with my confidence level and nerves as well which helped me play more comfortable and more confident for them.” Redman increased his yardage from 70 to 88 the following week against Averett, and scored his first career touchdown in a 49-28 RMC triumph. The freshman returned to the end zone in the Jacket’s Halloween victory over Shenandoah for his second and final touchdown of the season. Redman was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise difficult year for the RMC offense. Starting quarterback Joseph Vairo suffered a season-ending injury in the second week of the season. The Yellow Jackets trotted out several different options at QB for the final eight games, and the constant shuffling yielded mixed results. Whomever lined up a signal-caller however could always count one thing; Redman was always going to run a good crisp route, and was always going to be in the correct place. Redman primarily came out of the slot in high school due to his size, but the 5-foot-10 route running specialist is used all over the field at the college level. “Because of our coaches, my route running has improved, which allows me to be open more often,” Redman said. “Another thing is that I give 100 percent effort every play. This makes it difficult for the defender to be able to read whether it’s a run play or a pass play.” ✖
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tyree ward EMORY & HENRY, So.
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n September 26, 2015, Emory & Henry freshman wide receiver Tyree Ward realized his dream, and saw his life’s work on the gridiron finally pay off. With the Wasps trailing East Tennessee State by four with less than one-minute remaining, Ward hauled in a seven-yard catch for a touchdown. Ward was overjoyed following what ended up being the game-winning grab, and spiked the ball to the ground in celebration. Though many fans in attendance may have gotten the wrong idea, the touchdown celebration was not meant to ruffle any feathers. After redshirting the 2014 season while attending Lenoir Rhyne University, Ward transferred to Emory and Henry the following fall, with the goal in mind of scoring numerous touchdowns at the college level. When the moment finally happened for the first time, Ward could not help but get a little over-excited. “I (spiked the ball) that one time, but I never once did it again,” Ward said. There was no need for excessive celebrations after that, as Ward would find a permanent home in the end zone for the rest of the season. Ward finished the 2015 season with 10 touchdowns, good enough for third in the entire ODAC. The 5-foot-7, 185-pound speedster led the Wasps across the board in receiving statistics, including 36 catches for 647 yards. Though Ward was living out his life goals on a weekly basis, the freshman could not help but think back at the journey that brought him to Emory and Henry. Ward began his football career on the offensive line as a youth, and eventually moved to the linebacker corps as he got older. Because he was bigger than everyone else at a young age, Ward also played center in basketball, before the rest of his classmates caught up with him. Ward has only spent a portion of his football career at receiver, and the rising sophomore is beginning to understand why so many in the ODAC value the spread offense. “The athletes that are coming up now, you have to utilize them in some sort of way, you can’t just set them aside and give them one assignment; you have to give them the ball in space, and that’s what the spread offense does with all of these athletes,” Ward said. In one season’s time, Ward has established himself as one of the league’s best home run threats out wide. Ward led the ODAC with an impressive 18 yards per catch, while lining up in a number of different formations. Whether he was the outside, in the backfield, or put into motion the goal was always the exact same; get Ward the ball, and let him do the rest. “It’s like being free,” said Ward. “Anybody with my size, my speed, and my abilities and all of the receivers we have, we’re blessed to be in this offense. We get to spread the field, we get to we get to line up everywhere… we’re accustomed to everything.” ✖ www.scrimmageplayodac.com ::
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GC Quakers Changing of the guard With Pawloski gone, it’s up to Hoots to lead the Quakers By Drew Goodman
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Hunter Hoots leads the Quaker defense heading into 2016 (GC sports information).
{ TACKLE BOX } Returning tackle leaders for the Quakers.
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hough he’s always focused and chomping at the bit to return to the game for his next defensive series, Guilford College senior linebacker Hunter Hoots could not help but sit back and smile and when his offensive counterparts dissected opponents for the past two seasons.
Under the direction of First Team All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference signal-caller Matt Pawloski, the Quakers averaged a whopping 45.2 points per contest in 2015. Pawloski’s laser-like precision led Guilford to a 9-1 record, and a second-place finish in the ODAC for the second consecutive season. Now, with Pawloski gone, it will be up to Hoots and the Quaker defense to take the program to the next level. Like the outgoing quarterback, Hoots has been a staple in the Guilford program for the past two years. The 6-foot-1, 230-pound linebacker has started 20 consecutive games for the Quakers, earning First-Team All-Conference recognition as both a sophomore and junior. The Quakers defender helped lead the troops for a six-game winning streak to close last season. “I feel like the biggest stride that I took personally from the [2014 season] was really just seizing the opportunity when it presented itself,” Hoots said. “Where as my sophomore season, I was nervous to mess up a lot of the time, last season, I felt more comfortable to make a big play or a big hit.” Hoots will lead the charge for a Guilford defense that is eager to equal the production of the program’s offense over the past several seasons. The Quaker defensive line is loaded with experience, headlined by pass-rushing specialist Gibson Ziah. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound junior finished third in the ODAC with 4.5 sacks last fall. Ziah will be a force on the outside once again, but Guilford will be equally strong in the middle, with juniors Quan Austin and Kemar Bachelor holding serve at defensive tackle.
The Quakers finished fourth in the ODAC last fall in yards per game, surrendering 406.8 per contest. The over-400-yard total yielded just 23.9 points per contest, and Hoots is looking to limit opponents even more this fall. “I think this year the defense will come together as a unit better than ever before with the players that are in our system; We are unselfish and we just want to dominate and win,” Hoots noted. “We are very strong up front. We have an eight-man rotation on the defensive line, and they are all talented players.” On the other side of the ball, the Quakers return their entire offensive line, including senior tackle Wes Johnson, who missed the 2015 season due to an injury sustained last August. Whomever wins the starting quarterback job will have plenty of talent to work with at the skill positions, including versatile running back De’Eric Bell, wide receivers, Rontavious Miller, and Daniel Woodruf as well as four-year starting tight end Trey Dill. The biggest question mark on the Guilford team, and perhaps in the entire ODAC however will be who will ascend to the driver’s seat of this high-powered spread attack? Rising senior AJ Pasquale is the veteran of the group, but the Wellington, Florida native has appeared in just two games in the past two seasons. Pasquale will compete with junior Christian Miles and sophomore Joe Ferrick, as well as highly-touted incoming freshman Trequan Wade for the starting job. ✖
Quakers corner »
Guilford takes on Greensboro Saturday Sept. 3rd in the Gate City Soup Bowl.
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RMC Yellow Jackets Staying on the right track RMC’s defense looks to build on solid finish to 2015 By Drew Goodman
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Deshaun Rogers (above, 7) makes a tackle against Emory and Henry. (RMC sports information)
{ 7 VS. 3 } Average points and yards per game given up in 2015.
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hough everything appeared to be in place for the Randolph Macon football team prior to the start of the 2015 season, the wheels slowly fell off for the Yellow Jackets in the first two months.
The offense sustained several key injuries, the defense was giving up over 30 points per game, and RMC appeared to be in a free-fall by late October. Staring at a record of 1-6, then-junior cornerback Deshaun Rogers urged his team to remain positive, despite the struggles. What then transpired was something that even Rogers might not have even envisioned. After taking its lumps through the first seven weeks of the season, Randolph Macon closed out the 2015 campaign with three consecutive wins. Rogers and the defense stood tall in the stretch run of the campaign, yielding just 12 points per game in the final three contests. The 5-foot-8, 180-pound Rogers tallied 24 of his 60 tackles in the last three games, while helping will the Yellow Jackets to victory, both on the field and from the sidelines. “I got behind [head coach Pedro Arruza] and kept chugging, but what clicked is that we (the defense) realized that we had to be leaders on the team,” said Rogers of his role in turning the season around. “We had to demand a great performance from everyone, even the guys that perform well on a daily basis… We had to hold everyone accountable for everything.” While a record of 4-6 is hardly what Rogers and his veteran defenders had in mind last fall, the late three-game winning streak gave them something to build off of heading into 2016. This season will represent the final chapter for what has been a roller-coaster ride for several rising seniors during their years in at RMC. Rogers, along with linemen Xaiver Stroth-
ers and Cole Burdette, as well as fellow defensive back Eric Long were forced into significant roles as sophomores in 2014, and have been staples in the Jackets’ defense ever since. The two DBs finished the 2015 campaign as RMC’s top two tacklers, with 64 and 60 stops respectively, while Strothers and Burdette provided a powerful inside/outside combination on the line. Long earned FirstTeam All- ODAC recognition, while Rogers and then-sophomore defensive end Jake Pinkston received Third-Team honors. The quartet of seniors will lead a Yellow Jacket defense that returns nearly every contributor from last year’s team. While the senior class has had its share of ups and downs over the past several years, Rogers feels that the struggles that the veterans have endured have helped shape this dynamic senior class. “It’s been a journey,” said Rogers. “It was a difficult transition, which hints to the rough start on defense. We had to figure out how to lead each other…But once we figured that out and all came to the realization that it’s all out of love and to reach the same goal, it felt like one big train that couldn’t stop.” And fortunately, coordinator Phil Nicolaides has a solid core of underclassmen to build around in the future, including juniors Pinkston and safety Marcus Mitchell, and rising sophomore defensive back JJ Hill. ✖
Yellow Jackets Nest » Randolph Macon football opens its season on the road against Dickinson.
Side out Yellow Jackets face challenge of repeating 2015 showing By Drew Goodman Though it had already established itself as a powerhouse in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, the 2015 campaign was a season to remember for Randolph Macon volleyball. The Yellow Jackets returned to the NCAA Tournament after a two-year hiatus, and become the second team in ODAC history to reach the national quarterfinals. One year after falling in the conference semifinals, Randolph Macon cruised to a perfect 11-0 record in a ODAC-play, and won a program-best 28 games. “I think what made last season click so well was the fact that we were already used to playing together. We only lost one player, so I think that helped with keeping the group dynamics intact,” said senior hitter Rachel Watt. “We all got along and put the team’s need before our own. Also, we worked really hard during spring season which allowed us to get
stronger and more connected as a team.” RMC will not have the same luxury this fall. The Yellow Jackets graduated an impactful six-person senior class that bookended their careers with NCAA Tournament appearances. A pair of All-ODAC outside hitters headline the departing group, but RMC will return plenty of weapons throughout its lineup. First-Team All-Conference libero, junior Samantha Sallade is back after setting a new single-season record for digs with 161 on the year. Setter Erin Quinn will help ease the personnel overhaul on offense. Only a rising junior, Quinn already has the ninth most assists (696) in program history, and is 10th on the career list, with 1,079. Look for fellow rising junior Colleen Beaver to dominate the front line once again. The 5-foot-11 middle hitter is 51 blocks away from reaching the top in school history in that category. ✖
BELOW »Senior hitter Rachel Watt leads the RMC offense. (RMC sports information)
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E&H Wasps Lightfoot, heavy stick Wasps’ defensive back looking for another big year in 2016 By Drew Goodman
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hortly after arriving at Emory & Henry College, first-year defensive coordinator Dick Howard made it clear that he wanted to rev up the intensity on the field. A 30-year veteran of college coaching, Howard will personally mentor the Wasps’ secondary.
Defensive back Tre’Von Lightfoot enters his senior year for the Wasps. (E&H sports information)
{ TACKLE BOX } Returning tackle leaders for the Wasps.
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Call it an an attempt to keep up with all of the high-flying offenses in the ODAC. Fortunately for Howard, the Bobby Bowden protégé will have senior cornerback Tre’von Lightfoot as a coach on the field for his first season at E&H. Almost certainly entering his third consecutive season as a starter, Lightfoot was the Wasps’ lone defensive representative on the All-ODAC First Team last fall. Lightfoot has proven to be of the top ballhawking cornerbacks over the past two years, and finished in the top 10 in all of NCAA DIII with 17 passes defended in 2015. After an intense spring while learning Howard’s new system, Lightfoot feels that he has further refined his skills, and is ready to implement his newfound knowledge on the gridiron. “(The Emory & Henry defense) has changed the way that our technique is as far as when we’re reading the offense. Coach Hopkins wants us to read the quarterback a little bit more, and then he wants us to make our move and react to the play,” said Lightfoot, who recorded 49 tackles last season. “In spring ball, everything was a lot smoother and everyone was together more, and we felt like everything was coming together.” Lightfoot is hoping that the new scheme will help him forward As a junior, Lightfoot doubled his interceptions total from the year before, and increased his pass breakups from four as a sophomore to 13 in 2015. Hardly the flashiest or most vocal player in the locker room, Lightfoot will look to continue to lead by example. He has spent the summer training alongside senior linebacker Rasheen Williams, who
experienced a career renaissance last fall. After spending the first two years of his college career at various positions on offense, Williams thrived in his move to defense as a junior. The 5-foot-9, 215-pound Williams finished third on the Wasps with 62 tackles in his first year in the linebacker corps, and received Third-Team All-ODAC recognition as a result. “[Williams] has been around the block,” said Lightfoot of his off-season training partner. “He played defense in high school and was actually the defensive MVP at his high school in Charlotte, North Carolina. He’s like my brother.” Williams and Lightfoot will look to make plays against both the run and the pass, and allow rising sophomore defensive linemen Davon Keith and Kash Jones to grow into their roles as cornerstones of the Wasp defense. While Lightfoot will likely draw every opponent’s top option at wide receiver, some of the best competition that he will see will be on the opposite end of the practice field. Emory & Henry boasts one of DIII’s most dangerous wide receivers in redshirt sophomore Tyree Ward. Ward led the Wasps and finished in the top five in the ODAC in every major receiving statistical citatory. As if Ward was not dangerous enough, E&H received a huge addition to the receiving corps in former William & Mary wideout Jesse Santiago this season. Ward, Santiago, and junior running back Isaiah Rogers will be a handful for opposing defenses in 2016. ✖
Wasps hive »
Emory & Henry will take on Brevard in the Wasps’ home opener September 10.
Corner kicks Vision a thing of the past, Martin looks to lead Wasps By Drew Goodman Emory & Henry rising junior defender Clarissa Martin has been playing soccer for most of her life, but it has rarely come easy for her. Martin battled through issues with her vision from age 10 on, but still played well through high school enough to earn a spot with the Wasps program. Shortly before enrolling at Emory & Henry however, Martin became aware of the source of her problems. After watching her vision decline over time, the doctors diagnosed Martin with Stargardt Disease, and declared the Raleigh, N.C. native legally blind. Despite the significant barriers placed in her way, Martin hit the ground running in 2014. “I have had this problem for so long and I honestly don’t even realize I have a problem until something happens that reminds me,” said Martin of her limitations on the field. “My biggest problem is my depth perception which
makes heading the ball difficult. I frequently misjudge the ball and it either drops in front of me or way behind me. I also have to follow the ball constantly with my eyes. If I lose track of it, it takes me a minute to find it.” Martin appeared in 12 games as a freshman, including eight starts in the midfield. The 5-foot-2 Martin scored her first and only goal of the season in a triumph over SweetBriar. The following fall, Martin shifted back to her natural position on the defensive end of the pitch. Martin started 12 of the 17 games that she appeared in, and managed to score against the Vixens once again. Martin and the Wasps finished eighth in the ODAC last fall, but Emory & Henry returns a core of young talent, including rising sophomore Gillian Hogg in the midfield, and goalkeepers Kayla Wright and Kieran Leseski. ✖
BELOW » Defender Clarissa Martin, left. (E&H sports information)
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SU Hornets Enjoying the new digs Cedric Delaney’s transfer to Shenandoah is going splendidly By Drew Goodman
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Delaney, above, has been first team All-ODAC the last two years. (SU sports information)
{ PRODUCTION } Delaney’s 2015 statistics YPG
115 YPC
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hroughout the recruiting process, some athletes do not find the correct school the first time around. There are numerous reasons for a kid to transfer in order to salvage what is left of his or her college eligibility.
In the case of Shenandoah running back Cedric Delaney however, the opportunity to return home and play for a program that fit his offensive skillset has proven to be the perfect marriage for all parties. After leaving Dean college following a disappointing freshman season, Delaney arrived at Shenandoah in 2013. Over 2,000 rushing yards and back-to-back First-Team All Old Dominion Conference selections later, it is clear that Delaney made the right call in joining the Hornet program. “It really humbled me to come to Shenandoah and play and get all of the recognition, and be able to play well the last couple of years” Delaney said. “Coming out of high school, I was never the go-to-man, or the person that people would talk about when they’re talking about the football team.” Though he began his new career with the Hornets as a slot-receiver, Delaney evolved into more of a primary ball carrier in his sophomore season. Delaney was still a dangerous target in the passing game, but Shendenoah’s shotgun/ spread offense called for the Manassas native to run the ball into the heart of the opposing defense. Luckily for the Hornets, that is exactly what Delaney had been clamoring to do since he graduated from Osborn High School. The 5-foot-9, 170-pound speedster finished the 2015 campaign with 1,035 yards, marking the second-highest rushing total in the entire ODAC. Delaney’s instinctiveness and agility will
be an asset to quarterback Hayden Bauserman, who will be in his second season running the offense for the Hornets. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Bauserman threw for over 2,100 yards and 21 touchdowns last fall, but also tossed 15 picks in his rookie campaign with Shenandoah. Bauserman will have several talented to receivers to work with this fall. Other than Delany’s continued rise to the top of the ODAC, junior wideout Leonard Scott might have been the story of the year for the Hornets in 2015. After catching just 12 passes as a freshman, Scott enjoyed a breakout campaign last season, leading the team with 34 catches for 411 yards.Fellow outside receiver Deshon Brown spent the entire 2015 season nipping at Scott’s heels, but the former King George High School standout finished the year with 32 grabs for 405 yards. On the surface, the Shenendoah passing attack looks to be one of the strongest in the ODAC this fall, with Scott and Brown keeping defenses honest on the outside and Michael Ashwell holding serve in the slot. “We’re a mixture of it all on offense. We have four-year starters, we have two year-starters, and we have freshmen that can come in and start for us,” said Delaney. “We have sophomores and seniors playing receivers, and basically the best 11 will play, regardless of what year they are in.” ✖
Hornets Nest »
Sheanandoah football’s home opener is September 10th against Ferrum.
Corner kicks Septer eager to anchor revived defense By Drew Goodman In the fall of 2013, Erin Septer took a leap of faith and left her home state of New Jersey to play goalkeeper for Old Dominion Athletic Conference newcomer Shenandoah University. Several weeks prior to the start of her junior campaign, Septer and her Shenandoah teammates flew over 4,500 miles to Spain to get in shape for the upcoming season. While in Europe, Septer and her teammates battled three Spanish club teams, who opened the Hornets’ collective eyes to an entirely new brand of soccer. Septer and her fellow defenders encountered a more deliberate style of offense in the three exhibition games, which allowed Shenandoah to shift its defensive strategy. “Being able to go away (to Spain) when we did and getting to see their pace of play versus ours in America, it was very different and very eye-opening,” Septer said. “The fact that we got to train over there and got to play the teams that
we did, I feel like it really helped us a lot.” The Spanish Odyssey proved to be the perfect springboard into 2015, as the Hornets finished the campaign with their best record since joining the ODAC in 2012. Applying that to the season, Shenandoah finished second-place in the conference with 28 points, and a 9-1-1 league mark. The Hornets allowed just five goals in ODACplay compared to 13 the year before. Septer earned First-Team All Conference honors, after registering 83 saves in the campaign. After helping her team climb the ladder in the conference in 2015, Septer and her veteran teammates have their sights set even higher. Shenandoah returns all but two players from last year’s ODAC runner-up squad, including All-League defenders Michelle Krause and Alysha McCleaf, along with dynamic midfielder Jennifer Nguyen. ✖
BELOW » Erin Septer looks to see her defense thrive in 2016. (SU sports information)
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W&L Generals Keys to the car
Nelson takes over at QB, shows off arm and legs By Drew Goodman
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Charlie Nelson will be a dual-threat quarterback for W&L this year. (Washington and Lee sports information)
{ BEAT THE RUSH } Top returning rushing leaders for W&L.
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hough current Washington & Lee quarterback Charlie Nelson was required to do a variety of things guiding the offense while attending St. Luke’s High School, running the ball was not one of them.
In fact, the Storm’s lengthy spreadoption playbook only featured two designed quarterback runs, allowing Nelson to primarily sit back in the pocket and display his arm strength. That all changed when Nelson arrived in Lexington in 2013 however. The 6-1, 195-pound Nelson joined a W&L program that prides itself on running the ball from the spread option attack. Having spent his entire career as a passing quarterback, Nelson slowly began to learn the new system, and ascended to the top of the depth chart by the end of his freshman season. “The option was actually a completely new (scheme) for me. When I got to W&L, I got a crash course on the option during preseason, and basically had to learn everything about running our offense, which I never really got down until the end of that year,” said Nelson. Two years after having to figure out where to stand on the field, Nelson now has the keys to one of the most prolific offenses in all of college football. In 2015, Nelson and W&L led the entire NCAA (FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III, and NAIA) in rushing with 433.9 yards per game. The efficient ground attack paved the way for the Generals to complete their first undefeated regular season since 1961. Washington & Lee won seven of its 10 regular season contests by at least two touchdowns, before falling to Thomas Moore in the first round of the NCAA playoffs. The Generals return 17 starters from their 2015 ODAC Championship squad, including Nelson, who earned third team All-Conference recognition. Balance is the name of the game though
for W&L, as the Generals will return 4,680 of the school record 5,439 yards of total offense from last season. In 2015, five different skill-players rushed for 600 yards or more, while seven Generals scored four touchdowns or more. Washington & Lee is deep in the backfield, but a duo of senior running backs will likely get the lions’ share of the carries in 2016. Richmond native Marshall Hollerith led entire ODAC with 13 rushing touchdowns last fall. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound senior is the power back in W&L’s option, and thrives off of initiating contact. Fellow senior Connor Chess is the homerun threat out of the backfield, and led the Generals with 882 yards, and an impressive 7.9 yards per carry last fall. Opponents must also be mindful of versatile rushers Walker Brand and McKenna Johnston, as well as incoming freshman Oliver Herndon. “Skill-wise, it’s such a talent-rich and diverse group,” said Nelson. “It’s a very selfless group of guys who are back there to help the team in whatever way they can.” On the other side of the ball, seven returning starters on defense will look to help W&L defend its ODAC crown. The secondary should be particularly strong, with all four starting defensive backs returning. Strong safety Thomas Freeland was named Virginia SID’s College Division Rookie of the Year, following a standout freshman campaign. ✖
Generals’ quarters »
Washington and Lee will host Claremont in the Generals’ home opener September 17.
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Success stories begin here.
Success Story: Mike Thomas Mike Thomas simply exploded his senior year in high school. While attending Woodland Hills Taft High located in Los Angeles, California, Thomas put together 1,656 yards on 86 receptions and scored 21 touchdowns. It motivated the Los Angeles Times to name him Southern California’s most improved player. Looking to help round out his recruiting profile, Thomas enrolled at Fork Union in the fall of 2011 to play for celebrated postgraduate coach John Shuman. During his time with the Blue Devils, Thomas further developed his skills as a receiver. He had 497 yards and seven touchdowns on 23 catches and vaulted up the recruiting rankings to become the nation’s No. 4 overall prep school talent, and a four-star recruit. That caught Ohio State coach Urban Meyer’s attention. It turned out to be a fantastic fit for Thomas. In Meyer’s system, Thomas became the Buckeyes’ top receiver as a sophomore and junior. Playing a key role during OSU’s 2014 National Championship run, Thomas had 54 catches for 799 yards and nine touchdowns. As a senior, he hauled in 56 catches for 781 yards and nine touchdowns. Thomas graduated in December of 2015 with a degree in Sport Industry and turned his focus on the NFL Draft. At his pro day he ran a 4.55 second 40-yard dash and put up a 33 and half inch vertical. With a 6-foot-3 inch frame and a solid 212 pounds, he drew plenty of attention going into the draft. With the 47th overall pick, the New Orleans Saints selected Thomas. He enters the offseason looking to make an impact for one the league’s top offenses. From Los Angeles to Fork Union to Columbus, Mike Thomas has shown he can play at the highest level. Now yet another Blue Devils joins the NFL fraternity with opportunity to continue playing the game he loves.
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Overtime
Not just the gridiron Fall is a lot more than football, a lot more in fact
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s the calendar flips to August and the back-to-school commercials begin to flood the airwaves, football fever grows even stronger than it is throughout the year for sports fans across the country. For eight schools in Old Dominion Athletic Conference, the wait is almost over. On September 1, defending conference champion Washington & Lee will travel to Johns Hopkins to officially kick off the 2016 football season. The other seven teams looking to dethrone the Generals start their respective campaigns two days later, beginning arguably the most exciting three months of the entire year. Yes, football brings together alumni bases and communities like no other, but half of the schools in the ODAC look beyond the gridiron during the autumn sports season. Eastern Mennonite, Hollins, Lynchburg College, Randolph College, Roanoke College, Sweet Briar, and Virginia Wesleyan do not have football teams, but each institution has plenty to keep them busy in the fall. The women’s cross-country title could run through Eastern Mennonite this fall. Reigning ODAC Female Runner of the Year Hannah Chapel-Dick will look to claim the individual title for the second consecutive season. Coming off of an All-American performance in track and field during the spring, the senior will try to add to her ever-growing legacy at EMU. Fellow runners Kat Lehman and Laurie Serrell both finished in the top 15 at the ODAC meet last November, and along with Chapel-Dick, will look to lead the Lady Royals to their first team conference title since 1978. All eyes will undoubtedly be on the Lynchburg College women’s soccer team, but one of the biggest stories at Lynchburg this year will be the field hockey team’s quest to reclaim the ODAC crown. After not losing a conference match for six years, the Hornets failed to win the league title last season for the first time since 2007. The youth movement is alive and well in Lynchburg, as a trio of rising sophomores are coming off of breakout freshman campaigns. The 2015 ODAC Rookie of the Year Nicole Sampao led the Hornets with 42 points coming out of the midfield. Fellow sophomore attack Kayla Copeman earned Second-Team All-Conference honors for LC, with 17 goals and 10 assists. Isabella Eldridge appeared in 16 games and tallied five goals as a freshman, and will look for a bigger role during her sophomore season. While the Lynchburg field hockey team will rely heavily on its sophomore class, a trio of upperclassmen will look to take the Randolph College program to the top of the ODAC. The Wildcats finished second in the conference in 2015, and will return several major contributors this fall. Senior forward Troy Jurney led the entire league in points with 27, while helping lift Randolph to a 7-1-3 record in the ODAC. Midfielder Blake Heatherly, another First-Team All-Conference selection, finished second in the league in both assists and goals, with nine and eight respectively. Rising junior Travis Brown earned second-team All-ODAC recognition, and finished close behind Heatherly, with seven goals on the year. The Roanoke College men’s soccer team finished two points below Randolph in third place in the conference in 2015, and the Maroons have plenty to be excited about heading into this year. Roanoke will be a little younger than it was last year in several key slots, but the Maroons have the benefit of a preseason trip to Spain to prepare. Junior midfielder Fortune Sibanda is back after collecting First-Team All-ODAC honors as a sopho-
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“Half the schools in the ODAC look exclusively beyond the gridiron in the autumn.” more. Replacing Robbie Lentine’s 20 goals will not be easy, but forward Cole Thornton will look for a bigger role on offense this year. The Maroons will also be breaking in a new goalkeeper, but All-Conference defenders Sam Rauf and Tim Mahabir will ease the new keeper’s transition. Randolph Macon is the defending ODAC volleyball champs, but Virginia Wesleyan dropped just one conference match last fall, and is looking to overtake the Jackets this year. The Marlins lose several valuable seniors, but they will return six of their top seven leaders in kills. Rising senior Tiffany Barnett was the leader by a wide margin with 481 kills, and the standout outside hitter will look to elevate her game this year. Kristina Scott had a breakout freshman campaign with 201 kills, and will need to step up even more as a sophomore. Kirstin Sessmom’s 647 assists will be difficult to replace but junior Emilee Pierson is in line to be the next top Marlin setter. Like we said, there’s a lot to watch, and we’re excited to follow it all. ✖
Drew Goodman STAFF WRITER
back talk »
What are you most excited about for the fall season in the ODAC: drew@scrimmageplay.com
See a photograph you like? Defensive stand Warriors goalie has more than one trick | By Ryan Yemen
At Scrimmage Play we pride ourselves on offering best possible graphics Two years ago the the Western Albemarle boys to Shin, who doubles as a Junior National Judo soccer team get was fueled its underclassmen medalist, we can our byhands on, in both our but has developed into one of the with sophomores and freshman bearing the area’s most versatile goalkeepers. magazine well as at our website at brunt of the workas load. The netminder has shown he’s capable of Now two years later, forwards Aaron Myers making big saves, particularly in the team’s www.scrimmageplay.com and Alex Nolet, as well as senior defender two ties. In the first game of the season, Tom Rogers are all in their senior seasons and looking to earn a Region II bid, something that Orange County snatched away from them in the Jefferson District semifinals last season. After the first month of play, the Warriors seem to have the defensive side of the equation figured out and junior goalkeeper Kai Shin is a big part of that. Before Western went on its spring break, none of its four opponents were able to score more than once, a testament to the team’s play in the middle of the field, but also a nod
Shin endured wave after wave of Albemarle attack, but stood tall and showed no rust in the 1-1- tie. But while Shin’s on the field because he can make stops, his strong leg has also been of great use as he’s able to easily clear the zone but also spark fast breaks all by himself. The Warriors averaged a little over two goals per contest before the break, but if that average starts to increase, don’t be surprised if it’s because of Shin’s ability to contribute to the transition game. ✖
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Western Albemarle’s Kai Shin hauls in a shot during his team’s 1-1 tie with Albemarle that kicked off the soccer season for both squads. (Frank Crocker)
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