The Roanoke College football team tasted defeat for the first time last Saturday but not without a fight. The first year Maroons dropped a 35-17 decision to Randolph Macon at Salem Stadium as the Yellow Jackets won their 28th straight ODAC game to improve to 4-1 overall.
The Maroons came in as heavy underdogs despite starting the season 3-0. Roanoke has a team of mostly freshmen and sophomores while Randolph Macon has a veteran team that has been ranked nationally and played in the NCAA Division III playoffs in recent seasons.
“The locker room was confident but aware we needed to play our best to win the game,” said Roanoke coach Bryan Stinespring. “We were unable to do that but we learned a lot about ourselves. As we move forward every game will be a challenge for us. We are excited about the opportunities that these changes bring.”
The Maroons scored first on a 30 yard field goal by Ethan Cyr and kept the Jackets off the board. Randolph Macon took a 7-3 lead and were poised for another touchdown before Tandom Smith forced a fumble at his own one-yard line and the Maroons recovered the loose ball in the end zone for a touchback.
Down 14-3 with one minute left in the first half, Roanoke went 75 yards on six plays in just 54 seconds. Kam Hill scrambled for nine yards but was stripped near the goal line and Carson Rhoads pounced on the loose ball for a touchdown.
The visitors opened a 28-10 lead in the third period, but Hill hit Grey Deal on a 37-yard touchdown pass with 9:23 remaining in the fourth quarter. R-MC scored a late touchdown to cap the scoring.
Hill was 23-for-41 passing for 281 yards and also gained 33 yards on the ground. Deal caught six passes for 102 yards and Khamari Garner also snared six for 71 yards.
Charlie Davis made a game-high nine stops, including seven solos. Smith had six tackles and Lane Shoemaker and Gavin Thompson each had five.
The Maroons will play their first conference road game this Saturday when they travel to Bridgewater College for a 2 pm game. It will be Homecoming for the Eagles, who are 1-4 after losing to Shenandoah in Winchester last Saturday, 24-21.
