FERRUM, Va. – No. 9 Randolph-Macon amassed nearly 550 yards of total offense in a 49-16 victory at Ferrum to capture its 14th Old Dominion Athletic Conference football championship.
The Basics:
Score: Randolph-Macon 49, Ferrum 16
Location/Venue: Ferrum, Va./W.B. Adams Field
Records: Randolph-Macon 9-0, 6-0 ODAC; FC 3-6, 1-5 ODAC
How it Happened:
- The Yellow Jacket defense forced a Panther punt on the first possession of the game. RMC moved 55 yards in five plays, as senior quarterback Drew Campanale (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) hit senior tailback Kwesi Clarke (Reigelwood, N.C./North Brunswick) on a flip pass that turned into a 13-yard scoring play as the Yellow Jackets took a 7-0 lead with 8:17 left in the first period.
- After a three-and-out series by FC, RMC went 80 yards in seven plays, capped by a two-yard TD run by senior running back Nick Hale (Vinton, Va./William Byrd) for a 14-0 advantage with three minutes remaining in the first quarter.
- Hale found the end zone from two yards out midway through the second period as RMC took a 21-0 lead.
- The Yellow Jackets took over on their own 2 with 51 seconds left until halftime. Hale ran for 19 yards before Campanale found sophomore receiver Cullen Martin (Moore, N.C./Pinecrest) on receptions of 39 and 27 yards to put the ball on the FC13. On the final play of the half, Campanale hit Martin on a 13-yard scoring strike as RMC led 28-0 at intermission.
- Sophomore Jason Moore (Craven County, N.C./Havlock) returned the second half kickoff to midfield. RMC took eight plays to reach the end zone, as Clarke scored from five yards out to extend the lead to 35-0.
- Following a Panther touchdown, sophomore running back Cameron Chatmon (Wake, N.C./Green Level) burst through the middle on a 21-yard TD run as the visitors led 42-8 with 22 seconds left in the third period.
- Following a second FC touchdown, freshman quarterback Detric Brown (Winchester, Va./Millbrook) scored from two yards out midway through the fourth quarter to make the final 49-16.
By The Numbers:
- RMC registered 544 yards of total offense, with 279 through the air and 265 on the ground.
- Campanale completed 12 of 19 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns. Senior wide receiver JoJo Marinella (Franklin, Mass./Xaverian Brothers) had four catches for 82 yards.
- The Yellow Jackets had six different runners rush for 30 yards. Sophomore Mitchell Johnson (Powhatan, Va./Powhatan) carried nine times for 62 yards, while Chatmon rushed eight times for 50 yards.
- The RMC defense held FC to nine first downs and 72 rushing yards. The Panthers were 1 for 11 on third-down plays.
- Junior tackle Wade Grubbs (Providence Forge, Va./New Kent) and sophomore linebacker Neftali Reyes (Falls Church, Va./Justice) paced the defense with seven tackles each.
For The Record:
- RMC earned its 14th ODAC football title, the most in conference history. The Yellow Jackets have won two consecutive championships and five of the past eight titles.
- The Yellow Jackets have scored at least 30 points in each of their past 27 games, the longest stretch in program history.
Up Next:
- Randolph-Macon will host Hampden-Sydney in the 128th edition of The Game on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 1 p.m. to conclude the regular season.
