Now it gets serious. After going undefeated in a brief jayvee schedule last year and opening their first varsity season since World War II with three wins this year, the Roanoke College football team will take on the big boys. The Maroons will host Randolph-Macon this Saturday at Salem Stadium for a 2 pm kickoff.
Randolph-Macon has been the class of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in recent years, with national D-III rankings and appearances in the D-III post-season tournament. The Yellowjackets are 3-1 and looking for their third straight 10 win season. The Jackets have won their last 27 games against ODAC foes, including a 24-6 win over Washington & Lee in Ashland last Saturday. They’re 2-0 in the ODAC, having defeated Bridgewater 27-3 on September 20. They’re loaded with talent from Virginia High School League schools, including freshman Dontay Davis from Salem High. He’ll be wearing number 52.
The Maroons, fielding mostly freshmen and sophomores in their first varsity season since 1942, won their first ever ODAC game at Salem Stadium last Saturday against Gallaudet University, who is also a first year conference member in football. Roanoke took a 38-14 win to improve to 3-0 overall. Coach Bryan Stinespring has yet to lose a game as RC head coach but this Saturday looms as his biggest challenge to date, by far.
Last Saturday in Salem the Maroon defense was up to the task against Gallaudet, holding the Bison to 236 yards of total offense. RC defensive back Lane Shoemaker, a sophomore from William Byrd High School in Vinton, was named the conference Defensive Player of the Week. Shoemaker accounted for two of Roanoke’s three takeaways while adding four tackles, including a tackle for a loss.
Lane’s first interception came midway through the opening quarter as the Bison entered into Maroons’ territory. Shoemaker grabbed the ball at the 40-yard line and returned it for what the Roanoke-faithful thought was a pick-six, only for an illegal blocking penalty to negate the 70-yard sprint.
Shoemaker’s second interception came early in the second quarter when he “played centerfield” on a deep fly pattern down the seam. He hauled in the errant throw at the 25-yard line, which started an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that saw the Maroons increase their lead to 17-0. For the season, Shoemaker has notched 15 tackles (10 solo) with three interceptions, which is tied for second in the ODAC with teammate Javier Waldron.
Radford High’s Charlie Davis led the Maroons with seven tackles. Wyatt Bach had an interception.
Offensively, RC rolled up 478 yards of offense. Quarterback Kam Hill connected on 19-of-28 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns, one to Malcolm Levenberry and one to Grey Deal. Deal caught six passes for 115 yards while Salem High grad Khamari Garner snared four for 68 yards.
Polo Hill had 48 yards rushing on nine carries and three catches for 41 yards. Tyson Miller ran for two scores for the Maroons, who led 38-7 before the Bison tacked on a late score.
