NCWC football drops CNU to gain sole possession of first place

Newport News, VA - Saturday’s much-anticipated gridiron battle between North Carolina Wesleyan and Christopher Newport lived up to its hype as NCWC spoiled the Captains’ 2007 Homecoming with a 42-32 victory at Pomoco Stadium.  Wesleyan snapped CNU’s 20-game league winning streak at home and gained sole possession of first place in the USA South in the process.  The Blue & Gold have now won six straight games to improve to 6-2 overall, 5-0 in conference play.  Wesleyan has also earned nine straight league victories dating back to last season.

The Bishops struck first, going 80 yards on 17 plays on the opening drive of the game. The drive culminated in Steve Burant’s 16-yard touchdown reception from Cedric Townsend with 7:35 left in the first. Brian Vaughn’s PAT put NC Wesleyan up 7-0.

Christopher Newport (5-3, 4-1) evened the score at the end of the first quarter on Jesse Bradshaw’s 70-yard touchdown reception from Todd Faison. Jay Graham’s kick tied the score at seven.

The difference in the game, scoring wise, came in the second quarter as the Bishops out-scored CNU, 14-3.  Teron Bush scored the first NC Wesleyan TD of the quarter on a 24-yard TD strike. The second came on Bryan Haywood’s 1-yard plunge with 6:03 left in the half. Sandwiched in between was Graham’s 27-yard field goal for the Captains. NC Wesleyan led 21-10 at the half.

In the third, each team scored once. Townsend’s 10-yard scamper gave the Bishops a 28-10 lead, but the Captains responded on Tunde Ogun’s 3-yard score with 4:11 left to cut the lead to 28-17.

Early in the fourth, Burant caught his second TD pass of the afternoon to extend NCWC’s lead to 35-17, this time on a 10-yarder from Townsend.  The drive was set up by senior Justin Augustin’s 51-yard run after a forced fumble and recovery.

CNU, however, would not go quietly as they put up back-to-back touchdowns. Ogun scored his first from one yard out and Faison’s second TD pass was a 25-yarder to Bradshaw. Ogun converted on the two-point conversion, and CNU trailed, 35-32.

On the Bishops ensuing drive, senior wideout Noah Parsons hauled in a Townsend pass inside at the 10-yardline that set up a fourth-and-short situation. Townsend got just enough yardage on the keeper for the first down to keep the drive alive. He later scored from 11 yards out to seal the win.

Townsend finished with 103 yards on the ground on 20 carries and two scores. He was 15-of-26 for 215 yards and three touchdowns through the air. Defensively, senior linebacker Bo Brown turned in a game-high 13 tackles.

For the Captains, Bradshaw caught 10 balls for 272 yards.  Mike Thomas ran for 78 yards on 21 carries, while Ogun finished with 54 yards on 21 attempts. Faison was 14-of-22 for 292 yards.

Wesleyan wraps up its regular season home slate next Saturday when Ferrum College visits the Rocky Mount Athletic Complex.  Game time is slated for 1:00 p.m.  NCWC will honor its first senior class prior to kick-off.