NEWPORT NEWS, Va.- Christopher Newport blew open a 21-21 tie in the fourth quarter and improved to 3-0 Saturday night with a 42-28 triumph over Wesley College at POMOCO Stadium. The victory was the first in four meetings with the Wolverines, who were ranked 17th in the nation this week.
"This is obviously a big win for us," Head Coach
Matt Kelchner said. "Anytime you can take down a program like Wesley it means a great deal. We worked hard all week and I think our conditioning showed, especially in the second half."
The Captains again were propelled by the play of junior quarterback
K.J. Kearney, who set a new school mark for passing for the second straight week. Kearney completed 30 of 44 passes for 400 yards and three scores. Seven of his throws went to senior receiver
Taylor Loudan for 139 yards and a touchdown.
Key plays in the fourth quarter, including the recovery of a kickoff that bounced off a Wesley player, helped the Captains gain control and go ahead by as many as 21 points in the final stanza, 42-21. A Wesley score with just 18 seconds left provided the 42-28 final.
Christopher Newport never trailed in the game, but saw the Wolverines battle from behind to tie the battle for first place in the NJAC three different times. CNU held a 21-14 lead at the half after turning Wesley away twice late in the second quarter with interceptions by senior
Allen Hayes and junior Andre' Toran deep in CNU territory.
"I told them at halftime that Wesley would make a run, and they did," Kelchner continued. "We managed to hold them off and I really believe our conditioning had a lot to do with it."
The Wolverines tied the game in the third quarter at 21-21 on a 41-yard run by senior Jamar Baynard, but Wesley turnovers down the stretch again proved to be the difference.
Wolverines junior quarter Dan Kesack was picked off twice in the second quarter and also lost two fumbles in the fourth quarter accounting for four of the Wolverines five turnovers on the night. Kesack finished the game 18 of 29 for 305 yards and two scores. He was sacked three times by the CNU defense.
Kearney, the NJAC's Offensive Player of the Week last week, threw his first of three touchdown passes to junior
Austin Hall, a seven-yard scoring strike in the opening quarter. He later connected with junior
Kyree Burton on a 19-yard scoring pass with 13:30 to play in the second quarter to put the Captains ahead 21-14, and then hit Loudan with a 19-yard touchdown throw to build the lead to 28-21 with 7:50 to play in the fourth quarter.
CNU senior tailback
Daquan Davis scored three times for the Captains, and rushed for 92 yards on 20 carries. Davis reached the endzone on runs of eight yards to open the scoring in the first quarter, and then scampered 14 and three yards for scores to put the game away in the fourth quarter.
The Captains have dominated time of possession in all three wins this season, and held the ball for 37 and a half minutes Saturday night to Wesley's 22 and a half.
CNU, now 3-0 overall and 2-0 atop the New Jersey Athletic Conference, travels to New Jersey for the next two games, beginning next Saturday with a 12 noon matchup with the College of New Jersey.
The triumph by the Captains marks CNU's second 3-0 start in the 16-year history of the program. The Captains have also won six straight games dating back to last season.
Wesley, now 1-2 overall and 1-1 in the NJAC, has next week off before travelling to Southern Virginia on October 1st.
Video Highlights:
