The Game Facts:
Score: Roanoke 34, Hampden-Sydney JV 27
Location: Salem, Va.; Salem Stadium
The Short story: In the program's first game since 1942, the Roanoke College football team defeated the visiting Hampden-Sydney College junior varsity squad 34-27 in front over 9,000 fans at Salem Stadium. Â Â Â
Roanoke took the lead for good on a
Blake Moore to
Ethan Graves connection for a 27-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to cap an 11-play, 80-yard drive. The Maroon defense sealed the win on a
Connor Pleasants interception in the closing seconds.
The Maroons are competing this year as a club team before achieving full varsity status in 2025 and becoming a full member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC).
How it happened:
*Roanoke got on the scoreboard first at the 5:43 mark of the first quarter as
Tyson Miller caught a Moore pass for an 11-yard score.
*Hampden-Sydney found the end zone twice to go ahead 14-7 before Moore hit
Cole Chizuk for a 37-yard touchdown early in the second quarter to knot the game at 14-all.
*The Maroons erased a 21-14 deficit with two touchdowns before halftime.
Brayden Andrews ran the ball in from nine yards out and
Wyatt Bach took an interception into the end zone to give RC a 26-21 edge at intermission.
*HSC went ahead 27-26 with a TD and failed two-point conversion. The Maroons succeeded in their two-point conversion on Graves' touchdown and the defense made the seven-point lead stand up.
Inside the numbers:
*Moore completed 19-of-36 passes for 269 yards, three touchdowns and just one interception.
*Chizuk caught all seven of his targets for 110 yards receiving, while Andrews had a team-high 44 yards on the ground on 10 carries.
*Issac Rivera made a team-high eight tackles and
Gavin Thompson had three sacks.
*Kaelan Ferris paced the HSC JV offense with 130 yards rushing and a touchdown.
Next time:
The Maroons travel to Winchester, Va. on Sept. 22 to face the Shenandoah University  junior varsity team.
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