UVa-Wise Mauls Belhaven

October 13, 2007
Game Stats

Wise, Va. – The 11th-ranked NAIA University of Virginia’s College at Wise football team mauled Belhaven College in every facet of the game on Saturday afternoon. The Highland Cavaliers posted 710 yards of offense while the defense recorded seven sacks and five turnovers in a 69-28 victory over the Blazers.

UVa-Wise scored on 10 of its first 11 possessions and the defensive unit shut out Belhaven in the second half. The Cavs improved to 6-1 on the season and sealed its second winning season in a row for just the second time in school history. The 69 points also ties a school record set against Sue Bennett College during the 1994 season. Belhaven is now 2-5.

All-American running back Ra’Shad Morgan (Chesterfield, Va./Meadowbrook) had his best outing of the year. Morgan ran for 237 yards on 28 carries and two scores including a 62-yard burst in the first quarter. He also caught a pass for 31 yards. His backup, freshman Jyron Barclay (Stone Mountain, Ga.) ran 14 times for 130 yards and a score.

Quarterback Randy Hippeard (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) became the Cavs’ all-time leading passer after completing 13 of 18 attempts for 259 yards and five touchdowns. The junior has 6,694 career passing yards surpassing David Nara’s (1991-94) 6,517. Matt Barbour (Brookneal, Va/Wm. Campbell) grabbed seven passes for 130 yards and two TDs. Jason Lovett (Fredericksburg, Va./Massaponax) caught three balls for 49 yards with two TDs and two two-point conversion as well as throwing a 47-yard end-around pass to Hakeem Abdul-Saboor (Powhatan, Va./Powhatan). Aric Evans (Cincinnati, OH/Taft) added four catches for 88 yards and a 32-yard TD.

The defense had its best outing of the season for UVa-Wise. The unit produced seven sacks, forced five turnovers – three fumbles and two interceptions, six points and held the Blazers scoreless in the second half. Among the many standouts, James Haley (Gladys, Va./Wm. Campbell) had 10 tackles, a sack, forced a fumble, recovered another fumble and broke up two passes. Brett Hammack (Batavia, OH/ Batavia) produced seven stops, a sack and a fumble recovery. Linebacker Ben Robertson (Morehead City, NC/West Carteret) picked off a pass and returned it 12 yards for a score to go with five tackles and 1.5 sacks. Nose tackle Danny Hinkle (Inez, Ky./Sheldon Clarke) forced a fumble and had a sack of seven yards. Other Cavs, who were in on sacks, included Reggie Dorsainvil (Va. Beach, Va./ Salem), Jerry Bentley (Kingsport, TN/Gate City, Va.), Gio Watford ( Morehead City, NC/West Carteret), Kevin White (Newport News, Va./ Warwick) and John Mathis (Copper Hill, Va./Floyd Co.). Jamal Potter (Va. Beach, Va./ Salem) picked off the other Cavs interception.

Wide receiver Anthony Embry was the bright spot for Belhaven with seven receptions for 207 yards and two scores. Quarterback Matt Rich completed 26 of 44 passes for 378 yards and two scores but was sacked six times and picked off twice.

The Cavs held a slim 34-28 halftime lead but received the ball first to start the third quarter. The offensive unit drove 72 yards on five plays capped by Hippead finding Barbour from 26 yards to start the scoring. Hinkle forced a fumble on the Belhaven first possession which Haley returned 46 yards to the visiting 40-yardline. Hippeard hit Lovett from a yard to push the score to 48-28 at 9:30 in the third.

The home team scored two more times in the third and once more to begin the fourth frame on Barclay’s 42-yard scamper to tie the program’s most points in a game for the 69-28 final.

UVa-Wise will stay home to face Pikeville College for a 1:30 p.m. kick-off in a Mid-South East Division matchup on Oct. 20 th.