ODAC Football Report: Week 1

ODAC Football Report: Week 1

ODAC Teams Go 7-0 to Open the 2011 Season

Click to read the ODAC Football Report: Week 1

FOREST, Va. --- Saturday marked the opening day of ODAC football, and member teams began the 2011 season with a bang.  All seven squads scored 20 or more points on the way to a 7-0 start against non-conference competition.

Several storylines featured depending upon the game.  If you're a Hampden-Sydney, Emory & Henry or Randolph-Macon fan, offense was the weapon of choice.  The Tigers exploded for a 63-9 win over Averett University.  Aided by 186 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns by Kirk Rohle, H-SC scored 22 points in the second quarter and 28 points in the final stanza to pull away from the Cougars.  For Emory & Henry, quarterbacks Kyle Boden and Dustin Beck combined for 225 yards and two touchdowns passing en route to a 41-12 triumph over Ferrum.  Running back Adam Pugh ran in for two scores and added another TD receiving.  Randolph-Macon got an efficient effort from quarterback Zac Naccarato (16-for-23, 153 yds, 2 TD) in his collegiate debut as the Yellow Jackets defeated Methodist, 43-7.  Running backs Thaddeus Scruggs and Steven Boyser each ran in a score.

Washington and Lee avenged its only regular season loss of the 2010 campaign with a 24-10 grinder over Franklin & Marshall.  Quarterback Charlie Westfal threw for one TD and ran for another, but it was the defense that keyed this victory, forcing five Diplomats turnovers and recording five quarterback sacks.

For Guilford, it was a return to the win column for the first time since October of 2009 as first year head coach Chris Rusiewicz led the Quakers to a 27-7 dominating win over Greensboro.  Quarterback Zac Halbert threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns and connected with receiver Ben King 10 times for 187 yards and a pair of screen pass touchdowns on the way to 483 yards of offense.  The GC defense held The Pride 126 total yards, including only 43 on the ground.

Bridgewater and Catholic both relied on late comebacks for their wins.  The Eagles didn't score until midway through the third quarter, but the defense kept St. Vincent at bay until the offense could get untracked.  Darrin McKenzie barreled in from two yards out and quarterback Carlos Gonzalez connected with Cassidy Burns on a 23-yard touchdown pass with 2:59 to play to force overtime.  The Eagles' defense again came to the forefront, stopping St. Vincent on its first play in overtime when Chris Wholey collected a fumble.  Provided with an opportunity to win with a field goal, Bridgewater kicker Will Davis converted a 23-yard boot on BC's overtime possession to secure a 20-17 scoreline.

Catholic's road to victory over McDaniel was a bit of a rollercoaster.  The Cardinals built a 24-17 halftime lead, but McDaniel rattled off 19 straight points to own a 36-24 advantage early in the fourth quarter.  CUA quarterback Greg Cordivari fired a pair of his three touchdown passes over the final 10:36 of the game, connecting with Alonzo Cooke for both scores.  The final touchdown was a 34-yard strike with 1:01 to play, putting Catholic ahead 39-36 following a two-point conversion.  Cordivari finished with a career-high 459 yards through the air as he completed passes to nine different receivers.

Below are entries for both of the ODAC Players of the Week.  For more information on ODAC football, view the full ODAC Football Report: Week 1.

ODAC Football Players of the Week

FOOTBALL
GREG CORDIVARI, Catholic, Junior, Quarterback
Cordivari, a junior from Downingtown, Pa., threw for a career-high 459 yards, which is the sixth highest total in school history. The Cardinals' signal-caller threw three touchdown passes, including the game-winner with 1:01 remaining. He completed 31-of-48 passes to nine different receivers. The 459 yards are the most ever surrendered by McDaniel and the most by a Cardinals quarterback since Keith Ricca totaled 530 in 2008. Two of Cordivari's scoring throws came in the fourth quarter as CUA clawed back from a 36-24 deficit for a 39-36 win. He connected with Alonzo Cooke on strikes of 17 and 34 yards, and completed a two-point conversion to Jeff Frusciante on the final score.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC FOOTBALL

 

FOOTBALL
CHRIS WHOLEY, Bridgewater, Senior, Linebacker
Wholey, a senior from Fredericksburg, Va., helped Bridgewater complete a come-from-behind victory by spearheading a defensive effort that kept the Eagles in the game before the offense could get untracked. Bridgewater forced a pair of turnovers and it was Wholey who came up with a big fumble recovery in overtime, eliminating St. Vincent's first and would-be lone opportunity to score in the extra frame. It also set up the game-winning 23-yard field goal by Will Davis. Wholey made a career-high nine stops on the day, including five solo tackles from his linebacker post.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC FOOTBALL