BOXSCORE
Christopher Newport's Jay Graham hit a 31-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining to lift the Captains to a 21-20 win over Wilkes University in its home opener.
The Colonels took a 20-18 lead with 1:24 to go on a
Chris Horn (New Tripoli, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh) 32-yard field goal, but the Captains wasted little time eating up yardage on the ground for the final score of the game. Trailing by two, CNU took possession at its own 44-yard line and quickly reached Wilkes' side of the field on a 10-yard run by Mike Thomas. It looked as if the Wilkes defense would close out the game on a third-and-eight play where quarterback Matt Long was wrapped up by two Colonel Players for a sack, but somehow found Tunde Ogun out of the backfield for a six-yard gain and a first down.
“We had one guy by his ankles and one at his hip. I was waiting for him to go down as he dumped it to the back,” head coach Frank Sheptock said. The next three plays saw the Captains rush three times for 24 yards in just under 30 seconds before Graham hit the game-winner.
The Captains took an early 3-0 lead after Graham connected on a 27-yard field goal, capping off a nine play, 55-yard drive. The field goal was set up on a 49-yard pass play from Long to Tony Spradlin on a third-and-13 play. It was the only third down conversion of the day for Christopher Newport. Long finished the day with 104 yards passing, completing six-of-13 passes.
The Colonels answered 25 seconds later when
Rob Johnson (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) connected with
Jason Prushinski (Wapwallopen, Pa./Crestwood) for a 64-yard touchdown pass. Prushinski caught the ball on the CNU 30-yard line and ran in for the Colonels first score of the day. Johnson threw for a career-high 263 yards on 15-of-21 passing. Prushinski caught six passes for 151 yards and his third touchdown of the season.
Horn made it 10-7 on the Colonels next possession after hitting a career-long 42-yard field goal with five seconds remaining in the first quarter. The field goal marks the second of the season past 40 yards for Horn. After three games he remains perfect, hitting five extra points and four field goals.
Wilkes took a commanding 17-7 lead after freshman
Harry Reese (Plymouth, Pa./Wyoming Valley West) scored his first touchdown of his collegiate career on a three-yard run with 6:36 to go in the half. The score capped off a seven-play, 79-yard drive which was set up by key passes from Johnson to Prushinski for 25 yards and to
Aireil Adams (New Brunswick, N.J./New Brunswick) for 19 yards.
The Captains closed it to 17-10 when Tunde Ogun ran in nearly untouched from 27 yards with 56 seconds to go in the half. Long and Thomas combined for 48 yards rushing on the drive that went eight plays and 95 yards. “The momentum really shifted to their favor on the last series of the first half and into the third quarter,” Sheptock said.
CNU took the lead for the first time late in the third quarter when Mario Barnes recovered an Ogun fumble in the end zone. The Captains started the drive on their own 39 yard line and marched 61 yards on 15 plays - 14 of which were runs, taking over eight minutes off the clock. Long, who was the holder on the extra point, took the bad snap and ran it in for the two-point conversion, giving the Captains an 18-17 advantage.
The Colonels gave the Captains a first down after a roughing the passer penalty was called on a fourth-and-nine play, which put the ball on the Wilkes 45-yared line.
Wilkes was penalized 10 times for 82 yards, while Christopher Newport was called just four times for 35 yards. The Colonels had 364 yards of total offense with the majority coming through the air. Seven different players caught passes for Wilkes, while six players carried the ball.
The Colonels will be back in action next Saturday when they host Lebanon Valley at 1 p.m. at Ralston Field for their annual homecoming game.
