WISE – The Highland Cavalier football team picked up their first South Atlantic Conference win of the season in their first home game of the season as a late field goal kicked them past Catawba 31-28 Saturday afternoon on the Beaty-Richmond Field at Carl Smith Stadium.
The win was the first time since joining the SAC in 2019 that UVA Wise has won their SAC opener. It was also the first win at home for first-year Coach
Gary Bass.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: UVA Wise 31, Catawba 28
Records: UVA Wise (2-1, 1-0 SAC); Catawba (1-2, 0-1 SAC)
Location: Wise, VA | Beaty-Richmond Field at Carl Smith Stadium
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After the Cavs turned the ball over via a fumble on their opening drive, Catawba drove 66 yards on ten plays, capped off by a two yard rush up the middle for the touchdown by Quece Williams.
- The Cavs answered back as
Ian Scammell's four-yard run capped off a 73-yard drive and tied the game with 5:12 left in the first quarter.
- The Catawba Indians quarterback Preston Brown hit LJ Turner for an 84-yard touchdown pass to kick off the second quarter.
- Once again, UVA Wise tied the game as a 31-yard kickoff return by
DJ Powell opened a drive from the Wise 34-yard line. The Cavs then marched 66 yards on eight plays to tie the game for the second time with the seven-yard touchdown pass by
Seth Fischbach from
Jake Corkren.
- The score stood until the Cavs took their first lead of the game with a two-yard pass from Corkren to
James Gunter
- Catawba would answer back with a quick-strike three play drive with three straight rushes by Turner covering 50 yards in 1:17 to tie the game at 21-21.
- UVA Wise reclaimed the lead with an 18-yard fumble recovery and score by
Da'Jon Barnes.
- Williams scored again for Catawba from one yard out to cap off a drive lasting almost eight minutes.
- On the ensuing drive by the Cavs, a 33-yard pass by Corkren to Fischbach put UVA Wise in the Red Zone. The drive then stalled at the Catawba seven-yard line, but
Jordan Crabtree's 24-yard field goal attempt was good and put the Cavs ahead 31-28 with 3:43 remaining. Catawba was unable to score on two more drives as UVA Wise went on to capture the win.
GETTING WISE
- The Cavs had 417 yards of offense and 20 first downs. They had 27 rushes for 151 yards and a touchdown; and were 27-38 for 266 yards with two passing touchdowns and no interceptions, all from Corkren.
-
Dejauvis Dozier had 13 carries for 70 yards, including a 30-yard run. Scammell added six rushes for 35 yards and a touchdown, while Corkren rushed six times for 34 yards.
- Fishbach had 10 catches for a career-high 126 yards and a touchdown.
Dorien Goddard chipped in five catches for 79 yards.
-
DaCorian Jones-Montgomery had a team-high eight tackles, while
Brub Hines III had seven tackles, including one for a loss of eight yards.
- Barnes had an 18 yard fumble recovery to go with five tackles, whole RaaPhell Mayes II had five tackles as well and an interception he returned for 13 yards. Four other Cavs also had five or more tackles.
- The win was the 148
th overall for the UVA Wise football program and the 55
th on the Beaty-Richmond Field. It also tied their win totals for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
CATAWBA NOTES
- The Catawba Indians had 499 yards of offense, passing for 304 and rushing for 195. They had 23 first downs.
- They rushed 37 times for 195 yards, led by Turner's 110 yards on 14 carries.
- Brown went the entire game at quarterback and was 23-33 for 304 yards and an interception and a touchdown. Williams had 19 carries for 84 yards and a touchdown,
- Jaylin Linder led the receiving corps with seven catches for 65 yards, while Kobe Christian had five carries for 64 yards.
UP NEXT
The Cavs return to the road next week as they travel to Newberry, South Carolina, to face Newberry at 7 p.m.
