FOREST, Va. --- All eight ODAC teams were in action this week as Division III football kicked off its 50th season this week. Conference squads went 4-4 with each competing against non-conference opponents.

Bridgewater College was joined by Guilford College, Randolph-Macon College, and Shenandoah University in opening with 1-0 records. ODAC teams out-scored their opponents 227-197 overall including 153-68 in the four games won.

This week's ODAC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week are Guilford quarterback Bailey Baker and Bridgewater defensive back Noah Hines.

• UVA-WISE DEF. FERRUM, 41-9 | BOX SCORE
  The 2022 campaign opened with Ferrum on the road at UVA-Wise, where the Panthers dropped a 41-9 outing to the Cavaliers. Ferrum had an advantage in time of possession (31:24), but they were shut out in the first half and out-gained 573-190. Daniel Lamb scored FC's lone touchdown via a 9-yard pass from Brayden Hawkins in the third quarter. Lamb finished with 47 yards on five catches, while Hawkins threw for 181 yards. Sincere Adams and Drew Hill led the defense with 13 and 10 stops, respectively. Zach Wyatt notched a sack to go with a forced and recovered fumble. Avion Smith intercepted a pass.
   
• APPRENTICE SCHOOL DEF. AVERETT, 27-14 | BOX SCORE
  Apprentice School scored 24 unanswered points to spoil not only Averett's first game in its ODAC era, but erase the Cougars 14-3 third quarter lead on the way to a 27-14 victory. Running back Shawn Watlington ran for 66 yards and score while also catching six passes for 37 yards and another touchdown. Quarterback Bryce Jackson threw for 206 yards and hit Nick Andrews five times for 66 yards. Lake Hojnacki and Jahlin Russell led the defense with 10 tackles each. Russell registered 2.5 sacks with Hojnacki adding one amongst his 2.5 TFLs. Russell also forced a fumble.
   
• BRIDGEWATER DEF. GETTYSBURG, 29-14 | BOX SCORE
  Bridgewater covered by a 14-0 deficit with 29 unanswered points on the way to a 29-14 victory that featured a second-half shutout of host Gettysburg. The Eagles defense forced five turnovers (3 fumbles, 2 INTs) with Aaron Moore capping the day with a 44-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Noah Hines both recovered a fumble that led to a touchdown and intercepted a pass in the end zone to end a GC drive with less than three minutes to play. Quarterbacks Malcom Anderson and Jaylen Wood combined to throw for 211 yards with each tossing a TD pass.
   
• GUILFORD DEF. GREENSBORO, 48-37 | BOX SCORE
  Guilford snapped an 8-game skid dating back to last season with an offensive out-burst to the tune of 575 yards of offensive in a 48-37 win at Greensboro in the annual Gate City Soup Bowl. Quarterback Bailey Baker threw for 316 yards and four touchdowns in addition to 76 yards and two TDs rushing. The Quakers defense forced three turnovers with Blayne Stewart returning an interception 35 yards for a touchdown at the outset of the fourth quarter to provide breathing room late-on. Joey Strong, Jr., registered 10 stops including 1.5 for a loss powered by a sack.
   
• WABASH DEF. HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, 52-48 | BOX SCORE
  Hampden-Sydney and Wabash combined for 1,153 yard of offense and exactly 100 points in the Little Giants 52-48 win in third edition of The Gentlemen's Classic. H-SC led for much of the game -- including 42-30 with 14:25 on the fourth quarter clock -- but Wabash took the lead twice over the final 8:56 including a touchdown with 46-seconds to play to provide the final margin. Quarterback Tanner Bernard threw for 339 yards and a career-best four touchdowns while running for a fifth score. It marked the fifth 300-yard passing of his career. Melik Frost ran for 98 yards and TDs, while David Byler caught eight passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns. Talen Smith and Jamahida Whitby also caught TD passes. James-Ryan Salvi led the defense with 15 tackles. Jordan Akerson finished with 2.5 tackles for a loss amongst his four stops.
   
• RANDOLPH-MACON DEF. N.C. WESLEYAN, 49-7 | BOX SCORE
  It was a familiar tune for Randolph-Macon in the Yellow Jackets 49-7 home win over N.C. Wesleyan with R-MC controlling the clock (32:48) and churning out 284 yards rushing in ultimately a pretty balanced attack (239 yards passing). Five backs registered 31 or more yards on the ground with Andrew Ihle scoring twice and Nick Hale adding a third rushing TD. Quarterback Drew Campanale was 9-of-11 through the air for 166 yards and three touchdowns. Ihle was 4-of-4 passing for a score. Overall, R-MC quarterbacks were ultra efficient at 14-of-17 through the air. David Wallis caught only two passes, but they accounted for 118 yards including a 71-yard catch-and-run for a score. Defensively, Randolph-Macon pitched a rushing shutout with zero yards on 18 carries showing in the box score. That was helped by four total sacks costing NCWC 20 yards (comes off rushing yardage in college football). Jacob Hutchinson made three spots on the day, all behind the line of scrimmage.
     
• SHENANDOAH DEF. METHODIST, 27-10 | BOX SCORE
  Shenandoah opened its season with a victory for the second straight season as the Hornets recoved from an early 10-3 deficit with 24 unanswered points in a 27-10 road win at Methodist. SU shook off three turnovers and held the ball for 32:53 on the way to 437 yards of offense. Steven Hugner threw for 227 yards and two touchdowns, while Warren Jones (16 rushes), Rashadeen Byrd (16) and Gary Garlic (11) combined for 210 yards rushing. Byrd, the leading returning scorer (66 pts, 11 TDs) in the ODAC, notched his first TD run of the season. Bryar Wheeler and Caleb Reedy caught touchdown passes. Ben Burgan led the defense with 12 stops including a TFL. Ethan Brown registered 4.0 TFLs including 2.0 quarterback sacks. Jordan Rice also had a sack.
   
• CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT DEF. WASHINGTON AND LEE, 9-3 | BOX SCORE
  Points and offense in general were at a premium as Washington and Lee opened its title defense at home with a 9-3 loss to Christopher Newport. All 12 points were registered by kickers with CNU getting three field goals from Ryan Castle and Arturo Ramirez recording W&L points with a 34-yard fourth-quarter boot. The Generals offense was held in check with just 174 yards from scrimmage. Quarterback Stephen Murrin ran for 39 yards and threw for 61 yards to lead the unit. Nathan Unger posted 2.5 sacks among his five tackles to highlight the defense. Connor O'Malley led with nine stops, while Ronny Williams intercepted a pass in the end zone to stall a 12-play Captains drive late in the first quarter.

FOOTBALL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK Noah Hines | Bridgewater | So. | Defensive Back Hines, a sophomore from Garner, N.C., put his stamp on the first game of not only Bridgewater's season but his inaugural collegiate outing in helping the Eagles to a 29-14 road win at Gettysburg College. Hines posted six tackles on the day with three solo stops. He was involved in two of the five turnovers Bridgewater's defense forced, both factoring in the numbers on the scoreboard. Late in the third quarter, fellow Eagles defensive Val West jarred the ball loose from a Bullets' pass catcher. Hines recovered the loose ball at the Gettysburg 44-yard line. On the fifth play of the ensuing drive, Bridgewater took the lead for the first time at 16-14 on the final tick of the third-quarter clock. Hines then kept points off the board with under three minutes to play. He blanketed a would-be pass-catcher with perfect coverage as the Bullets tried to complete a corner pass for a touchdown. But it was Hines who high-pointed the ball, ending a 12-play drive abruptly with an interception in the end zone with 2:46 to play.

FOOTBALL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK Bailey Baker | Guilford | Sr. | Quarterback Baker, a senior from New London, N.C., opened the new year with a banner day, helping the Quakers snap an eight-game skid dating back to last season with a 48-37 triumph at Greensboro College in the annual Gate City Soup Bowl. Baker accounted for 392 yards of total offense and had a hand in all six Guilford offensive touchdowns. He was 15-of-25 through the air for 316 yards and four touchdowns as he completed passes to 10 different receivers. Twice he found Tre Alexander with scoring throws that covered 52 and 75 yards, helping the senior pass-catcher to 141 yards on three receptions. Baker also had an eight-yard TD pass to Matthew Kidd and a 10-yard scoring throw to Thomas Laws. With his feet, Baker carried the ball 16 times for 76 yards that featured a 38-yard scamper. He scored a pair of touchdowns on one-yard dives.

• PATRICK HENRY | 3RD SEASON AT AVERETT
  Overall | 6-9-0 (.400)  --  ODAC | 0-0-0 (.000)
   
• SCOTT LEMN | 2ND SEASON AT BRIDGEWATER
  Overall | 5-6-0 (.455)  --  ODAC | 1-5-0 (.167)
   
• CLEIVE ADAMS | 3RD SEASON AT FERRUM | 7TH SEASON OVERALL
  Overall | 38-37-0 (.507)  --  ODAC | 5-6-0 (.455)
   
• BRAD DAVIS | 3RD SEASON AT GUILFORD
  Overall | 2-12-0 (.143)  --  ODAC | 0-10-0 (.000)
   
• MARTY FAVRET | 23RD SEASON AT HAMPDEN-SYDNEY
  Overall | 140-82-0 (.631)  --  ODAC | 91-48-0 (.655)
   
• PEDRO ARRUZA | 19TH SEASON AT RANDOLPH-MACON
  Overall | 114-67-0 (.630)  --  ODAC | 71-43-0 (.623)
   
• SCOTT YODER | 10TH SEASON AT SHENANDOAH
  Overall | 44-42-0 (.512)  --  ODAC | 24-34-0 (.414)
   
• GARRETT LeROSE | 4TH SEASON AT WASHINGTON AND LEE
  Overall | 19-12-0 (.613)  --  ODAC | 13-8-0 (.619)