MURFREESBORO, N.C. – Saint Augustine's College scored 21 unanswered points in the second half for a 28-18 victory over Chowan University on Saturday (Oct. 31) in the season's last game for both teams.
The Falcons finished the season third in the CIAA Western Division with a 4-3 record. Their overall mark is 4-6. The Hawks dropped to 2-5 in the CIAA and 2-8 overall.
“We wanted to end on a good note,” Falcon Head Coach Michael Costa said. “The kids were positive. This was good for our seniors to go out with a victory. It also lets you know what we are capable of doing. We played our third-string quarterback and the guys rallied around him.”
Trailing 12-7 in the third quarter, the Falcons scored three consecutive touchdowns to take control of the game. Gerald Marshall, starting his first game at quarterback, scored on a one-yard sneak and Adison Daniels added the extra point for the Falcons, who reclaimed the lead at 14-12 in the third quarter.
The Falcons padded their lead to 21-12 in the fourth quarter on Shane Russell's 13-yard run and Daniels' extra point. The lead stretched to 28-12 with 11:02 in the fourth quarter on a two-yard run by Walter Sanders and Daniels' extra point. One of Daniels' extra points was a 40-yard kick after a Falcon penalty. The Hawks scored on C.J. Westler's 15-yard pass to Robert Holland for the final score.
The Falcons led 7-0 nearly two minutes into the game on an 80-yard pass from Marshall to Tyron Laughinghouse. Daniels tacked on the extra point.
The Hawks closed within 7-6 with six seconds left before halftime when Westler found Holland for a nine-yard pass. They led for the first time on Marcus Johnson's 80-yard interception return in the third quarter.
Senior defensive end Marcus Crump, playing his final college game, led a Falcon defense which held the high-powered Hawks to their lowest point total of the season. Crump had seven tackles including 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks for the Falcons.
A Crump-led defensive front sacked Westler four times and pressured the Hawks' quarterback into throwing four interceptions – two to Charles McKenzie, and one each to Steven Stanback (7 tackles) and Jamil Berry. Westler leads the CIAA in total offense, and the Hawks are the league's top offensive team.
“We started out with a 3-4 defense to give them a different look, but when we went back to our regular (4-3) defense, we were good to go,” Crump said. “We didn't even blitz that much.”
Arnold Mullins gained 116 yards on 14 carries for the Falcons, who amassed 504 yards of total offense compared to 399 yards for the Hawks. Marshall, the third-team quarterback, delivered in his first start due to injuries to starter Joaquin Green and Kris Brownlee. Marshall completed 18 of 30 passes 263 yards, one scoring run and one touchdown pass to Laughinghouse, who caught five passes for 136 yards and one touchdown. Marshall also tossed four interceptions, but Costa was pleased with the way the quarterback stepped up in the spotlight.
“He did a good job,” Costa said. “He showed a lot of poise. He stepped up and held his own even when he threw a couple of interceptions. He didn't go in the tank. I am proud of him.”
By winning with a third-team quarterback and bottling up the CIAA's best offense, the Falcons showed their true potential heading into next season, according to Costa.
“If we continue to work like this, it won't matter who we play,” Costa said. “It will be just a matter of coming together and doing what we need to do.”
