Emory & Henry Falls In ODAC Showdown

BY ALLEN GREGORY
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
EMORY, Va. – The stage was set for the Emory & Henry football team.
A homecoming crowd of over 6,100 jammed into Fred Selfe Stadium Saturday to watch the Wasps battle the Hampden-Sydney Tigers for first place in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.

The previous two E&H home games ended with suspenseful comeback wins for the Wasps. There was more late-game drama Saturday, but the final chapter ended in frustration as the Tigers posted a 23-12 win.

“We fought hard and stayed into the game until the end,” E&H junior tailback Caleb Jennings said. “I think we need to raise ticket prices here because we’ve had some very exciting home games this season.”

Hampden-Sydney, the preseason ODAC favorite, opened a 14-0 lead at the 5:23 mark of the first quarter as 6-foot-3 senior quarterback Corey Sedlar connected twice with 6-foot-3 receiver Anthony Mancini.

E&H coach Don Montgomery then started to have success with an aggressive approach on defense, pressuring Sedlar with blitzes led by 6-4 junior linebacker Ed Smith.

“We couldn’t just sit back because [Sedlar] was too good,” Montgomery said. “In the five games I saw on film, I never saw any team get to the Hampden-Sydney quarterback.”

While the Wasps (4-1, 0-1) were able to harass Sedlar with four sacks, the E&H offense sputtered with three missed field goals and one interception. The final miss came at the HSC 17-yard line with 1:06 left in the game.
“I don’t think our kids did anything wrong,” Montgomery said. “And at times, we played to the very best of our ability on defense.”

Hampden-Sydney (6-0, 3-0) entered the game averaging 40 points and 502 total yards per game. The Tigers managed just 24 yards rushing Saturday, but Sedlar distributed 29 complete passes among nine receivers for 320 yards and three scores.

“Emory is well-coached and they had two weeks to get ready for us,” HSC coach Marty Favret said. “Emory took away the things we do well, and some of the new stuff we put in worked.”

E&H senior defensive end Andrew Giordani admitted the no-huddle, multifaceted Tiger offense was challenging. The Wasps played without senior linebacker and co-captain Evin O’Sullivan, who suffered a fractured ankle in the Sept. 26 game at Methodist.

“It took us a while to get accustomed to the speed of the game with Sydney,’’ Giordani said. “That’s a solid offense we were going against, but we put some pressure on their quarterback and put up a good fight. We just need to score when we get the opportunities.”

The other part of the Favret plan centered on the relentless Jennings.

“Sure, we focused on him,” Favret said. “[Jennings] is the straw that stirs the drink on this team and he’s a credit to our league. I thought we did a great job, except for one play.”

That play was a 74-yard scoring burst by Jennings in the second quarter. Before that run, Jennings had been held to 22 yards on nine carries. He finished with 104 yards on 19 carries.

“Defenses key on you a little more in a one-back offense, but that’s part of the game,” Jennings. “If we do our job, we have other people that can make plays.”

Jennings admitted that Saturday’s matchup offered a chance for a milestone victory.

“We tried to keep it like every other game, but we knew that this was a big one and we were excited about our opportunity,” Jennings said. “For the first time all year, I was a little nervous before the first snap.”

E&H quarterback Drew Piscopo passed for 123 yards. However, the Wasps were unable to finish off several long drives. E&H is also playing without starting offensive lineman Brad Lester, who is sidelined with a knee injury.

“I think our kids responded to the challenge today, but this loss is certainly a stinging bite,” Montgomery said.

(276) 645-2544