WISE -- UVA Wise got the treat and Mars Hill got the trick Halloween afternoon as the Highland Cavaliers used a fumble recovery to spark a three-play, 31-second touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to grab a 21-16 lead with 4:30 left. They then used a later interception with 1:31 left to stop a MHU drive and seal the come-from behind victory over the Lions.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Result: UVA Wise 21, Mars Hill 16
Records: UVA Wise (2-7, 2-5 SAC); Mars Hill (5-3, 4-3 SAC)
Location: Wise, VA | Carl Smith Stadium
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
After each team punted on its opening possession, the Cavaliers started at their 1 and moved across midfield on
McCalan Beason completions to
Thomas McCoy,
Tre'mell Washington,
Evan Kennedy and
Elijah Thompson, along with a 13-yard run by Kennedy, before a sack and an incompletion forced a punt from the Mars Hill 50. Mars Hill put together a 12-play, 67-yard drive to the Cavaliers' 10, but
Johnathan Navakas and
Gabriel McArthur stopped a run for no gain, McArthur dropped Lukas Kachilo for a 1-yard loss, and Matthias Newsome missed a 28-yard field goal at 3:25. The Cavs picked up 15 yards on two
Jeremiah Augustin receptions after the miss, but Caden Hilemon intercepted Beason at 2:24, and Mars Hill's final possession of the first quarter stalled after a holding penalty and a
Kenneth Long quarterback hurry before a punt ended the first quarter at 0-0.
Second Quarter
UVA Wise moved the chains early in the second quarter when Beason hit
Thomas McCoy for 16 yards on third-and-12, but the drive stalled after a Mars Hill sack and Max Hammer punted it away. Mars Hill's next possession was extended by a Cavaliers pass-interference penalty before the Cavaliers forced a punt, but a muffed return gave Mars Hill the ball at the Cavaliers' 35. After
Davion Jackson dropped Rayvon Durant for a loss, Lukas Kachilo found Ryder Bush-Ivanko for 31 yards and later connected with Bush-Ivanko for a 12-yard touchdown at 7:18, with the missed extra point leaving the Lions ahead 6-0. Mars Hill added a 52-yard scoring drive late in the second quarter, capped by Kachilo's 1-yard touchdown run and Matthias Newsome's extra point for a 13-0 lead, before Hammer's 63-yard punt pinned Mars Hill at its 2 and the second quarter ended with the visitors ahead 13-0.
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Third Quarter
The Cavaliers' defense forced punts on Mars Hill's first two possessions, and
McCalan Beason's 30-yard completion to
Thomas McCoy helped the Cavaliers move out from their own 1 before their first drive ended in a punt. Starting at its 13 at 9:35, the Cavs put together a nine-play, 87-yard scoring drive, with
Evan Kennedy breaking a 38-yard run, Beason finding
Thomas McCoy for 18 yards and
Tre'mell Washington for 17, and Beason hitting Kennedy for a 4-yard touchdown before
Aiden Magee's extra point made it 13-7. MHU moved back downfield on the next possession, getting a 28-yard completion from Lukas Kachilo to Ryder Bush-Ivanko and a third-down pass to Braylen Burgis before Matthias Newsome's 33-yard field goal at 1:35 pushed the score to 16-7.
Tre'mell Washington returned the ensuing kickoff 29 yards, and Beason connected with Augustin for 42 yards on the first snap of the drive as the Highland Cavaliers reached the Lion 24 before the third quarter ended with Mars Hill ahead 16-7.
Fourth Quarter
UVA Wise finished their opening possession of the fourth quarter with
McCalan Beason's 18-yard run to the Mars Hill 6 and his 6-yard touchdown pass to Chase McConnell, with
Aiden Magee's extra point making it 16-14 at 14:29. The defense got Mars Hill off the field on a fourth-and-1 stop at the Lion 48, and after both teams traded field position, Max Hammer pinned Mars Hill at its 15 with a 41-yard punt.
Davion Jackson sacked Lukas Kachilo and
Kenneth Long recovered the fumble at the Mars Hill 11 at 5:01, setting up Beason's 7-yard touchdown pass to Augustin and Magee's extra point for a 21-16 Cavalier lead at 4:30. The Lions converted one fourth down on the next drive but turned it over on downs at the Cavaliers' 43, and
Nehemiah Jones intercepted Kachilo at 1:31 before the Cavs ran out the clock to close a 21-16 win.
GETTING WISE
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McCalan Beason went 21-for-36 passing for 206 yards and three touchdown passes
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Thomas McCoy had seven receptions for 76 yards
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Jeremiah Augustin pulled in five receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown
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Evan Kennedy had ten carries for 59 yards and caught three passes for 23 yards and a touchdown.
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Davion Jackson led the team with 7 tackles, a sack, and forced fumble
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Kenneth Long and
Nehemiah Jones had key defensive takeaways to enable the Cavs o grab the lead and seal the win.
- The Highland Cavaliers are now 3-1 on Halloween, with the lone loss coming in the 1992 season to Tennessee Wesleyan.
- The win is the first over Mars Hill in Wise and the second overall by the Cavs in the series, which dates back to 1999, though the two teams did not play between 2005 and 2018.
UP NEXT
The Cavaliers host Catawba in a Senior Day matchup next Saturday at 3 p.m. on the Beaty-Richmond Field.
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