W&L Football Runs Away from Randolph-Macon, 49-14
LEXINGTON, Va. – Washington and Lee amassed 511 yards of total offense and averaged 10.4 yards per play in defeating Randolph-Macon, 49-14, in ODAC football action on Saturday afternoon at Wilson Field.
W&L (5-1, 3-0) never trailed in the contest as the Generals jumped out to a 14-0 lead just 2:10 into the game. Junior quarterback Nick Lombardo (Duluth, Ga./Peachtree Ridge) scampered 47 yards on the first play from scrimmage and senior running back Luke Heinsohn (Charlottesville, Va./Covenant) ended the 73-yard drive three plays later when he scored on a 9-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead just 1:27 into the game.
Randolph-Macon (4-2, 2-1) fumbled the ensuing kickoff on their own 31-yardline and senior running back Sasha Vandalov (Vienna, Va./James Madison) scored two plays later on a 22-yard touchdown run for a 14-0 lead.
The Yellow Jackets battled back with a 9-play, 72-yard drive that made it 14-7 at the 8:39 mark of the first quarter, as sophomore quarterback Zac Naccarato (Spotsylvania, Va./Riverbend) found senior fullback Vance Hendren (Powhatan, Va./Powhatan) with an 8-yard scoring strike.
The Generals' opening quarter barrage continued on the next possession as Vandalov ripped off a 68-yard run on the first play of the drive and Lombardo scored from 7-yard out two plays later for a 21-7 lead with 2:53 left.
Randolph-Macon drove to the W&L 31-yardline on the next possession, but senior safety Russell Stewart (Elkin, N.C./Elkin) picked off Naccarato and Heinsohn scored on a 47-yard touchdown run three plays later for a 28-7 lead just 3:31 into the second quarter.
The Yellow Jackets owned the second quarter, controlling the ball for 12:57 and limiting the Generals to just six plays. Naccarato found senior wide receiver Luke Sellers (Fredericksburg, Va./Courtland) with an 8-yard touchdown pass with 3:08 left in the quarter to make it 28-14, but a pair of missed field goals by senior placekicker Josh Storm (Forest, Va./Jefferson Forest), including a 29-yarder with 17 seconds left in the half, kept it a two score game at the break.
Washington and Lee seized control of the contest during the third period, scoring on drives of 94 and 99 yards. Heinsohn ended a 12-play, 94-yard drive with 6:11 left in the quarter when he scored from 16 yards out and Vandalov capped a 4-play, 99-yard drive when he rumbled 86 yards for a touchdown with :34 seconds left in the quarter for a 42-14 lead. Lombardo added a 7-yard touchdown run with 6:55 left in the game for the final margin.
Randolph-Macon held the ball for 38:57 and ran 80 plays as opposed to just 49 plays for W&L. However, the Division III rushing leaders amassed 473 yards on just 41 carries, averaging 11.5 yards per rush for the afternoon.
Vandalov led the way with a career-high 199 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries. Heinsohn, the nation's leading scorer, tallied 25 points on the day, rushing 14 times for 125 yards and three touchdowns and booting seven extra points. In the process, he set a new school record for season scoring (124 pts), breaking the record of 110 set by Kevin Weaver '87 in 1985. He also pulled to within 128 yards of breaking Chris Sullivan's '03 school record for career rushing yards with 3,013 yards.
Lombardo rushed for 77 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries, while senior running back Brett Murray (Lookout Mountain, Tenn./Baylor) amassed 62 yards on just four carries. Senior linebacker Jesse Jenkins (Roanoke, Va./William Fleming), senior safety Jake Pelton (Charlottesville, Va./Monticello) and junior cornerback Mitchell Thompson (Memphis, Tenn./Memphis University school) led the W&L defense, which allowed just 106 yards to R-MC in the second half, with nine tackles each. Jenkins added a sack.
Naccarato completed 15-of-25 passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions, while Sellers caught six passes for 51 yards and a score. Junior running back Will McGhee (Fishersville, Va./St. Anne's-Belfield) tallied a team-high 69 yards rushing on 17 carries. Sophomore linebacker Tom Solak (Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin) led the defense with seven tackles.
Washington and Lee returns to action on Saturday when it travel to Bridgewater for a 1:00 pm contest.
