DANBURY, Conn. - The Western Connecticut State University Wolves trailed the No. 18-ranked Christopher Newport University Captains, 17-7, after three quarters but were outscored, 20-0, in the fourth frame and lost, 37-7, in their football home opener this afternoon at Westside Stadium. WestConn evens its record at 1-1 and the Captains improve to 2-0. WestConn will visit Gettysburg next on Saturday, September 19 at 1 p.m. WestConn senior QB
Dylan Jackson (Monroe, Conn.) threw for 164 yards and a touchdown and junior LB
Jordan Tyler (Bay Shore, N.Y.) paced the Wolves defensively with seven tackles, two tackles for loss, and an interception.
WestConn drove into Captains territory on its first drive but neither offense threatened much for most of the first quarter until Christopher Newport took a 3-0 lead on a 24-yard field goal by Brandon Prater as the clock hit zero. Captain QB Brandon Pena threw a 28-yard pass to Ethan Barham on the first drive to set up the score, but Tyler was in on two tackles inside the Wolves 10-yard line and Pena fumbled on third down to keep the visitors out of the end zone.
Christopher Newport took a 10-0 lead with 10:28 left in the second quarter on a nine-yard pass from Pena to Braylon Addy, and went ahead, 17-0, with just under two minutes remaining in the first half on a two-yard touchdown run by Jordin Lennon that was set up by a 58-yard pass from Pena to Barham. WestConn answered with a quick 83-yard drive that included a costly Captains penalty for pass interference and a 32-yard bomb down the middle from Jackson to senior WR
Serge Lagardere (Stamford, Conn.) for the Wolves first touchdown.
Trailing, 17-7, Tyler gave WestConn good field position early with an interception at midfield after senior LB
Eamon Moran (Stratford, Conn.) had hit Pena as he threw on the second play of the third quarter. The Captains defense held WestConn to just one yard, however, and both offenses stalled until the final stanza. Christopher Newport scored three touchdowns and missed one PAT in the fourth frame, while the teams combined to lose three fumbles in 1:18 seconds in early part of the final quarter. Addy and Lennin both scored their second touchdowns of the game in the fourth for the Captains.
WestConn outgained the Captains though the air but were held to 48 rushing yards on 20 carries. Jackson was 19-for-29 passing and Pena was 9-for-14 for 149 yards. Alex Jriege led all ball carriers with 98 yards for Christopher Newport. Barham finished with a game-high 98 yards on three catches and Lagardere caught six passes for 60 yards. Senior S
Ryan Rondeau (Carmel, N.Y.) had a game-high nine tackles (six solo), Moran and sophomore DL
Chiemela Kenneth-Gabriel (Bronx, N.Y.) added six tackles apiece, and sophomore DE
Jahtavio Taibe (Bethel, Conn.) made a sack for the Wolves defense. Makari Brown-Porter and James Howard paced the Captains with six tackles each and Lucas Matheny had four tackles and 1.5 sacks.
