Cavs Rout Brevard in Opener

August 26, 2006
Game Stats

BREVARD, NC -­ The Highland Cavaliers used a quick start, efficient offense and an opptunistic defense to rout Brevard College in the first ever contest on Saturday night. The University of Virginia's College at Wise scored the game's opening 17 points and 27-straight points after Brevard made its way on the board for the eventual 44-20 final score.

Quarterback Randy Hippeard (Stafford, VA/Colonial Forge) engineered the offense which totaled 454 yards while hitting 19 of 29 passing attempts for 255 and three touchdowns. His main target on the night was flanker Kendon Doe (Reidsville, NC), who set career bests with seven catches for 110 yards and scoring catches of 12 and eight yards. Freshman Matt Barbour (Brookneal, VA/William Campbell) grabbed three passes for 56 yards and a 42-yard touchdown.

On the ground, Ra'Shad Morgan (Chesterfield, VA/Meadowbrook) had a solid night with 139 yards on 21 carries with a 10-yard score. Jason Lovett (Fredericksburg, VA/Massaponax) added 10 carries for 61 yards while Chris Laws (Newport News, VA/Warwick) had a four-yard score and senior Dustin Thompson (Bluefield, VA/Pocohontas) scored his first touchdown of his career with a one-yard plunge.

Defensively, strong safety Matt Gular (Hampton, VA/Kecoughton) led with eight stops while middle linebacker Joe Bodenheimer (Burlington, NC/Cummings) added seven tackles and forced a fumble. Freshman Andrew Hutchings (Midlothian, VA/Clover Hill) made the most of his two tackles with one tackle for loss while recovering another fumble. His older brother, Matt Hutchings (Midlothian, VA/Clover Hill) added three tackles while forcing and recovering the same fumble.

After forcing a Brevard punt on the opening drive, UVa-Wise drove 84 yards on seven plays. Morgan had the big play with a 31-yard run before Hippeard hit Doe from 12 yards for the game's first points. Cornerback Brandon Moore intercepted a third-down pass on the Tornados ensuing possession. The Cavs drove the ball 56 yards before Ray Damm hit a 17-yard field goal to lead 10-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The second punt of Brevard allowed UVa-Wise to add to its lead. On second and seven from the home 42-yardline, Hippeard hit a streaking Barbour for the score to make it 17-0.

Brevard showed toughness in its first ever varsity game, the school had a junior college until 1950. The Tornados' Donald Hudson ran in from two yards to cap a 59-yard drive to make it 17-7. After a Cavs' punt, Brevard went 42 yards for its second score in as many drives to pull to 17-13 with five minutes in the second quarter.

The Cavs answered right back. Hippeard threw deep down the right side line and Doe outjumped the Brevard defender for 45 yards. Four plays later, Morgan cut back to the inside for the 10-yard touchdown for a 24-13 halftime tally.

UVa-Wise picked up from there with a dominating third quarter. The offense drove 74 yards taking 6:10 off the clock when Thompson plunged into the endzone. The unit would get no rest as David Shaffer hit the Brevard returner and Aaron Looney recovered for the Cavs on the kickoff.

The offense drove 25 yards where Hippeard found Doe from eight yards to make it 37-13 at 5:49 in the third. On the first Brevard offensive play on the next possession, Bodenheimer hit Hudson to dislodge the ball and Andrew Hutchings recovered the fumble. UVa-Wise put the game away with another score six plays later when Laws found paydirt from four yards.

The Highland Cavaliers will make their home debut next Saturday night, September 2nd for a 7:00 p.m. kickoff against North Greenville.

-Go Cavs-