HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, VA (October15, 2005)—Colton Ward’s 29-yard touchdown reception with 34 seconds to play gave the Generals of Washington and Lee a 38-34 victory over Hampden-Sydney College Saturday at H-SC’s Hundley Stadium and Fulton Field.  With the win, the Generals remain unbeaten in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference with a 3-0 mark and 5-1 record overall, while the Tigers fall to 2-2 in ODAC play and 4-2 overall.

The game’s final touchdown came on a fourth-and-two situation for the Generals as quarterback Greg Tweardy dumped the ball off to Ward who scrambled most of the 29 yards into the endzone for the game-winner.  The score capped off a seven-play, 50-yard drive that took 3:04 off the clock.  The Tigers got the ball back on offense with 30 seconds to play, but J.D. Ricca’s (Gaithersburg, MD/St. John’s) pass intended for Drew Smith (Richmond, VA/Mills Godwin) at the General 17-yard-line was intercepted by Stuart Swann to put the game and win on ice for Washington and Lee. 

Hampden-Sydney held a 14-0 lead for much of the first 27 minutes of action, thanks to touchdown passes from Ricca to Charlie Omick (Lawrenceville, VA/Brunswick Acad.) and Drew Smith, before Washington and Lee capitalized with 30 and 33-yard field goals from junior kicker Ben Long in the final two and one-half minutes of the first half. 

Long got things started for the Generals in the second half, drilling a 47-yard field goal to make it 14-9, while Colton Ward’s first touchdown of the game came midway through the third quarter on a five-yard pass from Tweardy.  A two-point conversion pass from Tweardy to Clark Kensinger was completed, putting the Generals in the lead for the first time in the game, 17-14.   

The Tigers answered on their next possession, marching it down the field 65 yards on eight plays before Ricca hit senior receiver Brian Rolander (Exmore, VA/Broadwater) from 15-yards out for a touchdown, giving H-SC the lead, 21-17.  Then, on the ensuing kickoff, Colton Ward returned the ball 56 yards to the Tiger 34 and after five plays, running back Michael Lackett scored on an eight yard carry to put W&L back on top, 24-21. 

The back-and-forth continued on the Tigers next drive as J.D. Ricca scored on a three-yard carry to finish off a 78 yard drive that lasted for 14 plays and 5:11, but kicker Reed Westra (Chester, VA/Lloyd C. Bird) failed to convert the extra point, making the score 27-24 in favor of H-SC.  With 6:29 to play, Lackett scored his second TD of the half on a one-yard dive into the endzone that set up by a 29-yard pass from Tweardy to sophomore receiver Jack Martin. 

Trailing, 31-27, the Tigers rallied one last time as the team traveled 65 yards on nine plays before freshman Josh Simpson (Richmond, VA/Mills Godwin) finished off the drive with a nine-yard touchdown scramble that gave the Tigers the lead, 34-31, with 3:47 to play.  T.C. Steven’s (Halifax, VA/Halifax County) kickoff was taken by W&L’s Stuart Sitterson at the one yard line and returned 49 yards to the 50, giving the Generals a short field to make their final drive.  Seven plays later, Ward found the endzone and the Generals found themselves with their first victory over the Tigers since 2001. 

Overall, Washington and Lee out-gained Hampden-Sydney, 466-438, as Greg Tweardy completed 29-of-38 passes for 397 yards and two touchdowns.  Jack Martin finished as the game’s leading receiver with 12 catches for 219 yards, but was held out of the endzone, while Ward had six catches for 71 yards, gained 24 yards on the ground and tallied 56 return yards to go with two touchdowns. Hampden-Sydney’s J.D. Ricca completed 20-of-35 passes for 273 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, while Drew Smith hauled in seven passes for 138 yards and a touchdown.  Simpson finished the day with 102 yards on the ground on 17 carries, while he also had seven catches for 46 yards and tallied 61 return yards. 

Defensively, Stuart Swann led the Generals with eight tackles to go with his interception, while Robert Foster tallied seven solo stops to go with three tackles for loss and a sack.  Hampden-Sydney freshman corner Jamie Edlow (Williamsburg, VA/Bruton) led all players with 13 tackles, while Louis Burrell (Richmond, VA/Highland Springs) had nine stops and a fumble recovery, which he returned 32 yards in the first half to set up the Tigers’ first touchdown of the game. 

Hampden-Sydney returns to the gridiron next Saturday, October 22, as the team travels to Washington, D.C., to take on Catholic University at 1 pm.