FOREST, Va. --- The final ODAC table is an odd view of separation and logjams with two large ties amongst the eight league teams. Randolph-Macon separated itself at the top with a win over Hampden-Sydney. The Yellow Jackets are now tied with an ODAC record 11 football championships and earn the ODAC's bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Randolph-Macon opens NCAA Tournament play with a first round meeting at John Carroll University just outside of Cleveland, Ohio. This will be the first meeting between the two squads. The Blue Streaks are making their seventh overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament and their fourth in the last six years. They are 9-6 in their previous appearances, reaching the semifinals in 2016. For Randolph-Macon, this is the program's fourth appearance on the national stage. The Yellow Jackets previous reached the field in 1984, 2008, and 2016, and are looking for their first victory.
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The rest of the ODAC standings would need multiple levels of tiebreakers to sift thru. Bridgewater's win over Ferrum put the Eagles into a tie with Hampden-Sydney at 4-3 in league play and second in the league standings.
Four teams tied at 3-4 in the conference table. Wins by Shenandoah in overtime over Washington and Lee and Emory & Henry over Guilford brought SU and E&H's records up to 3-4 while W&L and Ferrum dropped to that mark. Guilford finished the season at 2-5.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Emory & Henry quarterback Hunter Taylor, a sophomore from Summerville, S.C., returned from injury to pick up his second weekly award of the season if the Wasps 70-27 triumph over Guilford in the season finale. Taylor accounted for eight touchdowns in the win as he threw for six scores for the second time this season, tying a school record. He also ran in a pair of scores, making him responsible (or partially so) for 48 points. Taylor finished 17-of-28 for 359 yards with six TDs against one interception for a 232.0 efficiency rating. He completed passes to just four receivers on the day, with each catching at least one touchdown pass. Jesse Santiago hauled in three TDs as part of an 8-catch 171-yard day. Gunner Griffith, Bradley Puccio, and Derrick Yates also caught scoring throws. Taylor also carried the ball 10 times for 57 yards with scoring runs of 11 and 1 yard. Taylor completes the season as the ODAC's leader in passing efficiency at a 152.6 rating. He completed 58.9-percent of his passes for 1,942 yards with 21 touchdowns against eight interceptions. He added 405 yards and seven touchdowns on 97 rushes, good for a 4.2 per-carry average.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Randolph-Macon cornerback Anthony Williams, a junior from Purcellville, Va., led a strong Yellow Jackets defensive unit in Randolph-Macon's 48-35 win at Hampden-Sydney to clinch the 2018 ODAC title and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Williams made five stops on the day including one for loss and broke up a pass, but his biggest contributions came in the turnover game. He was responsible for all three takeaways by the R-MC defense as the unit allowed just 14 points thru the first three quarters. Williams first takeaway was a fumble recovery on the first play from scrimmage following a long completion to H-SC receiver Major Morgan. De'Angelo Barr jarred the ball free with Williams picking it up at the R-MC 8-yard line. While that turnover didn't result in R-MC points, the two did. Williams intercepted H-SC quarterback Alec Cobb at the Tigers' 40-yard line late in the first quarter, which the Yellow Jackets turned into the game's first points early in the second frame. Williams second interception helped put the game away as he came down with his third takeaway with 15-seconds left in the third quarter at the H-SC 35-yard line. Just two plays later, R-MC tacked on their final touchdown of the game for a 48-14 lead. For the season, Williams is tied for second in the ODAC with five interceptions. He's racked up 39 tackles including 31 solo stops.