FOOTBALL: A GOOD FIFTEEN

BIG 2nd QUARTER PROPELS CU TO HOMECOMING VICTORY

• Share:

Football, as just about anyone who follows the game will tell you, is a game of four quarters.

But sometimes a game's outcome can be decided in just one.

Concord's Football team broke open a scoreless tie with a an explosive 24-point 2nd quarter, and rode that outburst to a 38-7 victory over WVIAC foe West Virginia State at Callaghan Stadium.

The victory, in front of a capacity crowd on Homecoming Saturday, improved CU to 2-0 in the conference and 2-2 overall.

Both teams had opportunities to score early, but each offense saw its first possession end on missed 4th down conversions. The Yellow Jackets' second drive also ended on a 4th down play, this time an interception in the end zone by CU senior safety Aaron Martinez (right).

Concord went on a 10-play, 80-yard drive which ended on Chris Rodriguez's three-yard touchdown run.

West Virginia State went three-and-out on its next possession, and Riyahd Richardson returned the punt 42 yards to the Yellow Jackets' six-yard line. A penalty pushed CU back five yards, but two plays later Zack Grossi completed a ten-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Stewart that pushed the Concord lead to 14-0.

CU's defense forced State into another three-and-out on its next possession. The Mountain Lions drove 40 yards to the Jackets' seven, setting up a 24-yard field goal by John Scritchfield for a 17-0 lead.

West Virginia State came back with long drive, but the 12-play, 51-yard march ended on an incomplete pass on 4th-and-2 and the Concord 21 with just 1:01 left before halftime.

Two Grossi passes fell incomplete, but on 3rd down the quarterback found Stewart (left) on a pass to the right, and the freshman wideout weaved his way for a breathtaking 79-yard touchdown pass that electrified the near-sellout crowd and lifted Concord to a 24-0 lead with only :39 left in the half.

The Mountain Lions ran 24 offensive plays for 178 yards in the pivotal 2nd quarter and scored on all four of their possessions.

West Virginia State spoiled Concord's shutout bid on a four-yard TD pass from Ricky Phillips to Robert Jackson with 6:19 to go in the 3rd quarter.

But the Mountain Lions came right with an eight-play, 66-yard drive, capped by a one-yard scoring run by Brian Kennedy that made the score 31-7.

Grossi and Stewart connected for their third TD of the day – a 12-yard pass – to close out the scoring with 8:11 remaining in the game.

Concord's offense piled up a season-high 570 yards on 75 plays.
Grossi completed 22 of 39 passes for 375 yards and three touchdowns; all the TDs went to Stewart, who finished with seven receptions for 177 yards.
(In the last two games, Stewart has 12 catches for 294 yards and five TDs.)
Kennedy posted 230 yards of total offense. He rushed for 127 yards on 19 carries, including a touchdown, and caught five passes for 93 yards.

The Mountain Lions defense forced four takeaways, including interceptions by Martinez, Joe Greenway and Josh Clark. Greenway topped CU with 16 tackles, including three tackles for loss and one sack.
Carlton Downs added ten tackles, including a TFL. Jake Lilly had nine tackles and Zach Gibbins eight.

BOXSCORE/PLAY-BY-PLAY

Up next for Concord is a meeting with undefeated, nationally-ranked and defending WVIAC champion Shepherd next Saturday, October 1. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 pm at Callaghan Stadium.


^{(photos by Jennifer Logan / statistics provided by CU SID GA Becky Brouse)}

Print Friendly Version