Written by Lauren Price, Staff Reporter
This year’s football team has had high hopes for the season, and they have a good reason to feel that way. The momentum from last year’s 7-3 record has pushed the team to work even harder for this season. Although the team faced some injuries, such as quarterbacks Kam Hill and Eli Taylor during preseason, the Maroons have worked hard to improve their chemistry and be better on the field every day.
The season started on the road for ‘Noke against the Dragons: Virginia University of Lynchburg (VUL). The weather that day was sunny and hot, which added to the team’s fire and passion to do well in their first appearance of the season. The game opened with a 23-yard field goal by RC kicker Ethan Cyr. That was the only scoring for the first quarter by either team. The second quarter was also a bit slow with only one scoring drive, but that drive did result in a Maroon touchdown producing a halftime score of 10-0.
VUL came back from the locker rooms at the end of halftime and made a quick pass that led to a touchdown, making the score 10-7; however, never count the Maroons out! Coach Stinespring gave some words of wisdom to his team, and when the Maroons went back on offense, there was no stopping quarterback Linwood Johnson and running back Jerrett Shepherd! The two of them helped the Maroons get three more touchdowns, but the scoring was yet to cease. DeAngelo Walker, a sophomore defensive back, intercepted a throw from the VUL quarterback and managed to get a pick-six, completing the score with another beautiful kick by Ethan Cyr. Overall, Roanoke College dominated the second half for an impressive final score of 37-7. Not too bad for a team only in its second year of collegiate athletics!
Roanoke’s home opener was played a week later, Sep. 12th. At each home game, the day will start with the “Maroon Walk” where the Maroons get to showcase the marching band, cheerleaders, and football team as they parade through the parking lot; excited to meet their fans. This time was no different, except when the opposing team tried to join our parade – oops. After the coin flip, the team cruised through the tunnel made up of band members and cheerleaders to start this special home opener game played in honor of Myles Rainey, a member of the football team who sadly passed away this past May. The stadium observed a moment of silence to remember the legacy he left on the Roanoke College football team.
The pride of Greensboro opened the scoring early in the game with an interception that led to a touchdown. While this play might have dampened some teams’ spirit, the Maroons kept pushing and scored 28 points in a row during the first half. This time, the playmakers were not the same; it was spread between No.4 Grey Deal, No.12 Khamari Garner, and No.19 Linwood Johnson.
Johnson mostly uses his arm to make plays happen, but he can also run it in, and he has done this twice so far in the season. He is considered a “dual-threat quarterback” because of his ability to score in different ways. This will make him a valuable asset in future games. Another asset that will lead to more RC victories is Johnson’s ability to read the game and make calls to many different players depending on the game’s situation.
While Greensboro tried to come back and overtake the Maroons in the second half, it was not enough to overcome the large lead the Maroons had already accumulated, resulting in a final score of 28-14. The next game for Roanoke College will be on the road versus Gallaudet University. They will also be on the road the following week and won’t make a return trip to Salem Stadium until October 10th to play Hampden-Sydney at 4 p.m. The theme for this game will be Breast Cancer Awareness and everyone in attendance is requested to wear pink to show support!
