NEWPORT NEWS, VA - Christopher Newport University's football squad won its conference opener Saturday in dramatic fashion at POMOCO Stadium. The Captains edged the Hornets of Shenandoah University in double overtime, 30-27, in USA South Athletic Conference play. It was the second overtime win this season for CNU, as the Captains needed three overtimes two weeks ago to beat Salisbury.
CNU led at the half, 13-6, before the Hornets took control of the game in the third quarter. SU grabbed the lead with two third quarter sores, 20-13, before the Captains pulled even in the final minute of the third quarter.
After a scoreless fourth quarter, the teams matched touchdowns in the first overtime. With the score tied at 27, Christopher Newport took the lead in the second overtime with a 28-yard field goal from sophomore
Matthew Bourne, his third field goal of the game. The Hornets attempted a pass on the first play of their second overtime possession, and CNU sophomore
Markis Kelly intercepted Shenandoah quarterback Vern Lunsford to end the game. The 30-27 triumph was CNU's fifth straight over Shenandoah.
"This was just one of those wild games where you shake your head all day," CNU Head Coach
Matt Kelchner said. "Both teams played hard, there were plenty of mistakes, but we gutted it out. We're 1-0 in the conference and that's all that matters."
The Hornets had a chance to win the game in regulation, but a Travis Bishop field goal attempt was blocked by senior
Trevor Wagner to send the game to overtime.
"Those are two huge defensive plays," Kelchner continued. "
Markis Kelly's interception obviously wins the game, but
Trevor Wagner's block got us to that point. They were both tremendous plays."
Shenandoah junior back Keone Kyle had a huge day for the Hornets, scoring two touchdowns and rushing for 175 yards on 45 carries. Lunsford threw for 192 yards and two TD passes but was intercepted by the Captains three times, including the pick that ended the game in the second overtime.
Christopher Newport senior back
Tunde Ogun scored his 30th career touchdown on a five-yard run in the first overtime. Ogun needs just two more scores to match the CNU all-time record of 32 held by Roland Hilliard. Ogun finished with 76 yards on 23 carries.
Captains freshman quarterback
Christian Woelfel-Monsivais scored on a 10-yard run in the final minute of the third quarter to tie the game at 20. Woelfel-Monsivais also threw a 55-yard TD pass to junior
T.J. Foster in the second quarter. Woelfel-Monsivais was shaken up and sophomore
Antonio Epps re-entered the game to lead the Captains during the overtimes.
"I started Antonio because he had a better week in practice," Kelchner said. "When Christian came in he did some good things and I told him at the half he was going to continue. Antonio was upset, but I told him to be ready because we'd probably need him again. And we did, and he responded."
Sophomore kicker
Matthew Bourne hit from 28, 29, and 30 yards in the win.
The victory for Christopher Newport was its 10th straight USA South win dating back to 2007, and is a new school record..The Captains now have an all-time conference record of 45-8.
CNU evened its record at 2-2 with the win, while Shenandoah dropped to 1-3. The Captains now lead the all-time series with Shenandoah, 6-3.
The Captains head to Danville next Saturday to take on Averett in a 1 p.m. game.
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