WINCHESTER, Va. -- Junior quarterback Andrew Puccinelli (Glen Allen) passed for a game-high 168 yards and one touchdown, a five-yard scoring connection to junior wide receiver Jamahdia Whitby (Williamsburg) in the first quarter, but Hampden-Sydney College dropped a 23-7 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) football decision on the road at Shenandoah University on Saturday afternoon in Winchester. The setback stopped a recent four-game winning streak for the visiting Tigers, who trailed 13-7 at halftime against the host Hornets. H-SC dropped to 5-4 overall, 4-2 in the ODAC, while SU improved to 7-2 overall, also 4-2 in the ODAC.
SU took an early 6-0 advantage when Rashadeen Byrd Jr. scored on a four-yard touchdown run at 9:48 of the first quarter, but the PAT was blocked by junior safety Will Pickren (Mount Pleasant, SC) and recovered by fifth-year cornerback and team captain Jordan Fields (Chapel Hill, NC).
H-SC went ahead 7-6 later in the opening quarter when Puccinelli connected with Whitby on the five-yard touchdown pass at 5:04, and the PAT kick was good by freshman placekicker Elijah Swett (Matthews, NC). It was a 13-play, 52-yard possession that included an eight-yard pass from Puccinelli to Whitby on a third-and-one, while junior running back Melik Frost (Hardeeville, SC) added 24 yards on the ground, including a five-yard run on fourth-and-one.
The Hornets went back ahead 13-7 early in the second quarter when Steven Hugney found Ethan Bigbee in the end zone for a 22-yard scoring play at 10:04. Scott Martin added the PAT, and the score remained the same at halftime—though the Tigers had first-and-goal at the two-yard line late in the half before a fumble halted the effort.
SU added to its lead in the third quarter, getting a 25-yard field goal from Martin at 6:25 to make it 16-7. The Hornets extended their advantage late in the quarter when Hugney scored on a six-yard touchdown run at 1:50, and the PAT by Martin had the hosts ahead 23-7 after three quarters.
Neither team threatened to score during the final 15 minutes as the two defenses were in control of the action.
Puccinelli passed for a game-high 168 yards (21-40) and one touchdown with no interceptions for H-SC. Frost rushed for 79 yards on 28 attempts, adding six yards receiving on two receptions. Junior wide receiver Braeden Bowling (Cary, NC) had 51 yards receiving on three receptions, while Whitby finished with 44 yards receiving on six catches and one touchdown.
Pickren finished with a game-high 11 tackles and the blocked PAT to lead the Tigers on defense. Sophomore linebacker Brendan Wallace (Virginia Beach) had seven tackles, including 0.5 tackles for loss and one quarterback hurry, while fifth-year defensive tackle Michael Harris (Ashland), junior linebacker Jaylin Jones (Rustburg) and junior safety James-Ryan Salvi (Troutville) each finished with five tackles—Harris with one tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry and Jones 0.5 tackles for loss.
Hugney passed for 150 yards (15-24) and one touchdown with no interceptions for SU, adding 63 yards rushing on 10 attempts and one touchdown. Byrd had a game-high 98 yards rushing on 26 attempts and one touchdown, while Bigbee had a game-high 66 yards receiving on five receptions and one touchdown. Ben Burgan and Matt Conroy each finished with eight tackles for the Hornets.
H-SC returns home for its season finale against ODAC member and archrival Randolph-Macon College on Saturday, November 12, at 1 p.m. on Fulton Field at Lewis C. Everett Stadium. It's the 127th edition of "The Game" as well as Senior Day for the Tigers in what's considered the Oldest Small School Rivalry in the South.
Hampden-Sydney Falls On The Road At Shenandoah 23-7
/seasons/2022/boxscores/20221105_op8p.xml
2022
Hampden-Sydney
7
Shenandoah
23
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampden-Sydney (5-4) | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Shenandoah (7-2) | 6 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 23 |
Nov 05, 2022