Football Finishes with Victory
WINCHESTER, Va. - Shenandoah University used the big play
Saturday afternoon to key a 30-22 USA South Conference victory over
Methodist Saturday afternoon on Sprint Field at Shentel Stadium in
the season finale for both teams.
Shenandoah (3-7, 2-5 USA South) clinches its best season since a
7-4 campaign in 2004 with the victory and also snaps a three-game
losing streak to the Monarchs (2-8, 1-6).
This win also gives the hosts sole possession of sixth place in the
USA South and is the first season-ending victory for the team since
a win over Methodist in the 2003 season finale.
Sophomore BJ
Smoot had the first of 50-yard plus plays on the afternoon when
he returned the opening kick 73 yards to set SU up with a 1st and
goal on the Methodist 8.
It took four plays, but Hornets quarterback Vern
Lunsford found tight end Kevin
Spoth on 4th down for a 3-yard TD pass and Shenandoah had a
lead just over two minutes into the contest.
The Monarchs tied it with a 20-play, 92-yard drive at the 12:40
mark of the second, but SU took the lead for good with a 92-yard
drive of its own at the end of the second quarter.
Taking over on its own 8 with just 93 seconds to play in the half,
Lunsford hit senior Mark
Sanford with a 78-yard strike on 1st and 10 from the 21 to set
the Hornets up with a 1st and goal on the MU 1.
Kevin
Roberts, who finished the day with 99 yards rushing on 24
attempts, took a pitch left on 3rd down for the score.
Kicker Travis
Bishop kicked the first of his three field goals, this one from
37 yards, to open the second half scoring.
And then Smoot struck again.
Running a wheel route, Smoot caught the ball on the Monarchs 25 and
raced untouched for an 82-yard TD pass.
The 82-yard play was the 19th this season for Smoot of at least
20-yards and the second that went for 80+.
After Methodist made it 24-14 on an Erik Teague to Chris Peoples
38-yard TD pass, Bishop hit 37- and 38-yard field goals to ice the
contest.
Teague hooked up with Peoples with 86 seconds remaining for both a
13-yard TD and the ensuing two-point conversion, but the Monarchs
hit the on-side kick out of bounds and Shenandoah ran out the
clock.
SU outgained Methodist 349-343 as Lunsford set school records for
both passing yards in a season (1474) and game (221) with his 10
completion performance.
Joe
Lunsford and Corey
Giffing both led the defense with 12 tackles with Lunsford also
picking off a pass.
Box
Score
Notes: Today's game part of the USA South Conference "Cans Across
the Conference" food drive and SU collected over 500 cans this
afternoon. To date, Shenandoah has collected 5064 cans for the
annual event.
