Pikeville Controls Fourth Quarter to Defeat UVa-Wise Gridders

November 5, 2005
Game Stats

Wise, Va. – For the first 48 minutes of the game, the University of Virginia’s College at Wise had an upset of 16th-ranked Pikeville College.  The Bears regrouped and owned the final 12 minutes by scoring three touchdowns to avoid the road loss by a 31-20 final over the Highland Cavaliers.
 
Pikeville takes it mark to 6-2 on the year and 2-2 in the Mid-South East Division.  The UVa-Wise loss takes the team to 4-6 overall, 1-3 in the league and the third defeat to a top 20 ranked NAIA team in four weeks.
 
After a career-best 42-yard field goal by Cavs’ kicker Ray Damm (Fredericksburg, VA) to pull ahead 20-17 with 11:58 left in the game, the Bears put together its best drive of the night.  Calvin Joplin, who carried 32 times for 153 yards in the game, carried the majority of the load for Pikeville.  The running back carried six times for 26 yards before rambling into the endzone from six yards to make it 24-20.  Quarterback Chip English completed a 19-yard pass to Jason Wolfe on one third and long before scrambling for 12 yards on another similar long third down to keep the 70-yard, 14-play drive moving.
 
UVa-Wise looked to answer the Pikeville score.  After a five-yard run by Godfrey Pestana, Pikeville’s E.J. Underwood recovered a Hunter Thomas fumble nine yards down the field to take over on the home 34-yard line.  The Bears turned the ball over to Joplin, who rushed six times for 34 yards before plunging in from a yard for what would seal the win and take the tally to the final of 31-20.
 
The Cavs held the lead four different times in their upset bid.  Pestana caught a 41-yard scoring strike from quarterback Randy Hippeard (Stafford, VA) to open the night’s points with 7:18 left in the first frame.  Damm connected for his first field goal from 27 yards midway through the third quarter before Pestana knifed into the Pikeville endzone with 1:31 left in the third for a 17-10 advantage.
 
Hippeard completed 14 of 33 attempts for 170 yards with one td and one interception guiding the UVa-Wise offense.  Pestana caught four passes for 77 yards and one score while rushing for another 30 yards and a td.  Defensive end Jon Nacy (Chesterfield, VA) posted 13 stops and three tackles for loss while Jerry Bentley (Kingsport, TN) had 12 tackles and four tackles for loss.  Eric Ludden (Fredericksburg, VA) added 10 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack.  Damm had a solid night punting averaging 42.7 yards per punt with a 55-yarder while hitting two of three field goals including the career-long of 42 yards.
 
Joplin paced the Bears with his 153 yards and two scores.  English threw for 152 yards with two touchdowns as Pikeville outgained UVa-Wise 345-261 for the game.  Xavier Manning, Donald Tardy and Marcus Crosby posted eight tackles apiece while Elbert Shumake stopped three Cavs runners behind the line.
 
UVa-Wise will wrap up its season next Saturday afternoon at Union College for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff.
 
 

-Go Cavs-