Written by Lauren Price, Staff Reporter
Yes, you read that right. Hurricane Isaias hit the Salem area on Oct. 10, the same day of the Salem half-marathon and a Maroons football game against the Tigers of Hampden-Sydney College. While the weather did not really affect the half-marathon because it was early in the morning, it did affect the football game and atmosphere. The rain and wind gusts were on and off throughout the day, so both coaches needed to adjust their game strategies quickly.
On rainy days, football games tend to focus more on running the ball rather than passing it. It’s often easier to hold onto the ball when it is relatively dry from a hand-off rather than being thrown and risk it getting too wet for the receiver to catch. This is what both teams did for most of the game. The Maroons used a couple different guys to run the ball, including sophomore Jerrett Shepherd and senior KJ Bratton. These students have been big playmakers all season, but these two would be tested against the defense of Hampden-Sydney.
Another variable in making this game difficult to play was kicking. Kickoffs can be adjusted easily by using a holder instead of the tee; kicking extra points or a field goal would also make the game more difficult and both teams needed to adjust their strategies to accommodate the weather.
Still, the game must go on despite the weather. In the first play of the game, Bratton took the receiving kickoff to a good field position where junior Ethan Cyr finished the play with a field goal. The Tigers were able to come back with a scoring of their own making the score 8-3 with some time still left in the first quarter. ‘Noke junior Ethan Graves did manage to find the endzone before the first quarter ended for the first RC touchdown of the game, resulting in a score of 10-8. The game continued in this back-and-forth scoring for the rest of the first half, eventually leading to a score of 22-17 with Hampden-Sydney leading.
Hampden-Sydney would receive the ball to start the second half settling for a field goal to end their drive. The very next play, KJ Bratton used his running abilities and took the ball “to the house” [a 50-yard touchdown] for the second time this season, resulting in a ‘Noke touchdown made complete with a 2-point conversion to even the scoring at 25 a piece. Bratton is ranked No. 1 in all of Division III football for kickoff returns, so the fact that he has done extraordinarily well this season should be no surprise to ‘Noke Nation.
The Tigers scored twice more before the Maroons were able to get a touchdown of their own on the board. Unfortunately, the one touchdown scored late in the fourth quarter was not enough to overcome the two touchdowns Hampden-Sydney had scored earlier, resulting in a final score of 39-33. The game was so electrifying despite the Maroons first loss of the season. These players can now flex that they played a game in a weather condition most others have not.
The next game for the Maroons would be at Shenandoah University; again playing in not so favorable weather conditions. The scoring was pretty even, except in the second quarter when Shenandoah scored two touchdowns as compared to Roanoke’s one field goal. This disparity in scoring would continue throughout the game with Shenandoah ahead. The final drive of the game was in Noke’s possession, making a comeback from a score of 24-30 possible. If the team could score a touchdown, they would be tied. If the point-after attempt was solid, the Maroons would come back to Salem with a win under their belt.
In the last few seconds, a holding penalty was called on the Maroons, pushing the ball back 10 yards and replaying the down. With 31 seconds left, sophomore quarterback Linwood Johnson attempted to throw the ball toward the endzone; but the receiver was unable to connect, turning the ball over to Shenandoah. The opposing team was able to take a knee and secure the win, resulting in a ‘Noke loss.
Despite the back-to-back losses, the Maroons are excited to head home playing Oct. 24 at Salem Stadium. This game’s theme will be homecoming, an exciting addition to the atmosphere of Roanoke College. As Coach Stinespring says, “You [the fans] are home-field advantage,” so if you are able to come support the Maroons and be that home-field advantage, please attend the upcoming game!
