Sept. 8, 2007

Box Score

BALTIMORE, MD - Sophomore running back Zak Thornton (Hatboro, PA/Hatboro-Horsham) rushed 37 times for 122 yards and the Randolph-Macon defense held host Johns Hopkins to just 207 yards of total offense as the Yellow Jackets slipped past the Blue Jays, 18-9, in one of the strangest games in the 100-year history of Homewood Field. In a game containing a two-point defensive extra point, a safety, an interception return for touchdown, an offensive fumble recovery for a touchdown and the unusual score of 9-8 at the half, it was Randolph-Macon (2-0) that got 10 fourth-quarter points to pull out the win.

The Blue Jays (1-1) needed just one play midway through the first quarter to make the Yellow Jackets pay for a fumbled punt return as Steve Houck (Highland Village, TX/Marcus) recovered Rod Nelson's (Durham, NC/Charles E. Jordan) fumble at the Randolph-Macon eight-yard line with 6:14 remaining in the first quarter and senior Phil Roberts (Philadelphia, PA/Chestnut Hill) sprinted up the middle one play later to give the Blue Jays a quick 7-0 lead.

Hopkins held the 7-0 lead late in the first quarter before handing the Yellow Jackets two points when sophomore quarterback Mike Murray (Ijamsivlle, MD/Urbana) mishandled a snap at the two-yard line and fell on the ball in the end zone to give Randolph-Macon a safety and make it 7-2. The safety came three plays after the JHU defense stopped the `Jackets on fourth-and-goal at the one-yard line.

The Blue Jay defense forced another turnover early in the second quarter, but Randolph-Macon finally got the running game going in the middle of the second quarter and took it first lead - albeit a short-lived one - late in the second quarter, but not without one of those aforementioned strange plays. Thornton fueled a 14-play, 69-yard drive with 24 yards rushing and sophomore quarterback Brandon Branner (Roswell, GA/Blessed trinity Catholic) hit freshman Scott Pickett (Richmond, VA/Collegiate School) with a key 15-yard pass on a third-and-eight to set the `Jackets up inside the Blue Jay 15-yard line. Branner then rolled out on a second-and 10 from the JHU 13 and sprinted towards the goal line, where senior Adam Winter (Berwick, PA/Berwick) forced a fumble. Pickett recovered the fumble in a pile in the end zone for a touchdown and an 8-7 lead.

The 8-7 lead didn't officially last for any elapsed time as Johns Hopkins senior Chris DiForte (Staten Island, NY/Poly Prep) got free up the middle and blocked the extra-point attempt. Senior Dan Requena (Fairlawn, NJ/Fairlawn) scooped the ball up on the run at the 15-yard line and raced 85 yards for the two-point defensive extra point to give the Blue Jays a 9-8 lead with less than a minute to play in the second quarter.

The 9-8 lead lasted through the third quarter, although it took a pair of interceptions in JHU territory to halt long drives for the Yellow Jackets. Junior Austin Ehrhart (Lancaster, PA/Manheim Township) made a sliding interception at the Blue Jay 12-yard line to end an eight-play, 45-yard drive early in the period and senior defensive lineman Patrick Kay (Marietta, GA/Walton) intercepted a Branner pass at the JHU 16-yard line on Randolph-Macon's next drive to stop the `Jackets next drive.

A 31-yard punt return by Nelson set Randolph-Macon up at the JHU 28-yard line late in the third quarter and freshman Scott Strope (Mechanicsville, VA/Hanover) drilled a 40-yard field goal on the second play of the fourth quarter to give the Yellow Jackets an 11-9 lead that they would never surrender. The Randolph-Macon defense forced three straight Blue Jay punts and pinned Hopkins back at its 13-yard line with less than a minute to play. A 16-yard completion from Murray to freshman Tucker Michels (Allendale, NJ/Northern Highlands) moved the ball out to the 29, but Murray's next pass was tipped at the line and senior Nate Shook (Newport News, VA/Lafayette) caught the deflection and raced 25 yards into the end zone for what proved to be the decisive score.

Thornton's 129-yard effort helped the `Jackets roll up a better than six-minute advantage in time of possession. Branner was 7-of-17 for 135 yards with the two interceptions and also rushed for 29 yards. Sophomore Christian Stahl (Germantown, MD/Seneca Valley) posted a team-high 13 tackles to lead a Yellow Jacket defense that allowed just 82 rushing yards on 35 attempts by the Blue Jays.

Roberts rushed for 59 yards and the one touchdown and Michels had four receptions for 58 yards to the lead the way for Hopkins. Murray was 13-of-23 for 125 yards with the one interception. Senior Zach Rosswog (Mars, PA/Mars) posted a career-high 15 tackles, while Winter added a personal-best 11 stops, including 1.5 for losses, to go along with the one forced fumble to lead the Blue Jay defense.

Johns Hopkins will return to action next Friday night when the Blue Jays host Gettysburg in the Centennial Conference opener for both teams. Randolph-Macon will host Frostburg St. next Saturday.

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