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UVA-WISE 22, KENTUCKY WESLEYAN 19

Cavs Pounce Panthers for First Win
September 4, 2004

WISE, VA - Devon Carson's (Winter Garden, Fla./West Orange High) six-yard touchdown run late in fourth quarter coupled with William Brooks' (Richmond, Va./Huguenot) last-minute interception sparked UVa-Wise to a thrilling come-from-behind 22-19 victory over Mid-South Conference newcomer Kentucky Wesleyan College Saturday at Carl Smith Stadium.

Carson's TD gallop came at the 4:18 mark in the fourth when the Cavaliers had been trailing the Panthers 19-14.

The score put UVa-Wise ahead 20-19 and then a two-point conversion pass from a scrambling Josh Mabe (Appalachia, Va./Appalachia) to tight end Jason Levister (Stafford, Va./Brooke Point) put the Cavs up by three.

Kentucky Wesleyan, playing its first game as a member of the Mid-South Conference, had a chance for a come back of its own after getting the ball back with a 1:35 to play following the Cavs' touchdown. Three plays into the drive, however, Brooks picked off KWC quarterback John Jent's pass to seal the win for UVa-Wise.

"Our guys played really tough out there tonight and they knew they could win this game," UVa-Wise head coach Bruce Wasem said following the contest. "This win puts us in a real good position and I'm excited about what we did tonight."

Kentucky Wesleyan led the game early and went into halftime with a 6-0 lead after a pair of Shawn Payne field goals.

The Panthers (0-1 overall and 0-1 in the MSC) increased their lead to 13-0 when Jent hit Erik East on a 37-yard scoring play with 5:06 to play in the third quarter.

Being down by nearly two touchdowns seemed to get the Cavs rolling. Following East's score, senior Dieontea Stewart (Pemberton, N.J./Pemberton Township) returned the subsequent kickoff 94 yards down to the Panthers two-yard line.

After junior Larry Smith (Fredericksburg, Va./Brooke Point) inched the Cavaliers closer to paydirt, Carson plunged into the end zone from a yard out to bring UVa-Wise to with 13-7.

On KWC's next drive, Jent tossed the first of his two interceptions of the day. This time it was defensive tackle Maurice Hughes (Midlothian, Va./Meadowbrook) who was in the right place at the right time. Hughes took the ball and rumbled deep into Panthers territory, but a UVa-Wise penalty brought the ball back to the Cavs' 35.

Two plays later, the Cavaliers took their first lead when Mabe hit Smith with a pass that Smith ran into the end zone for a 60-yard score. Freshman Ray Damm's (Fredericksburg, Va./Stafford) extra point put UVa-Wise in the lead, 14-13.

KWC later scored on a 60-yard play of its own when Jeff Morning took a handoff on a reverse into the end zone. That put the Panthers up 19-14 with 12:50 to play.

Stewart, who got some snaps at quarterback, led the Cavaliers' rushing attack with 44 yards. Mabe completed seven of 17 passes for 168 yards and an interception.

On the defensive side of the ball, freshman Jerry Bentley (Kingsport, Tenn./Gate City) led UVa-Wise with 15 tackles and senior Josh Hamm (Thomasville, N.C./Ledford) added 11.

The Cavaliers hope the momentum from Saturday's win stays with them as they embark on a three-game road trip that begins next week against MSC foe Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tenn. Kickoff for that game is 2:30 p.m. eastern.

From there UVa-Wise travels to Mars Hill (N.C.) College on Sept. 18 and then go to play defending MSC co-champions Lambuth University on Sept. 25 in Jackson, Tenn.

The Cavaliers return to Carl Smith Stadium Oct. 2 for a Homecoming game with Belhaven (Miss.) College.