Throughout the 2023 college football season, HanoverCountySports.net and RVA Sports Network founder and play by play voice of the Yellow Jackets, Rob Witham, will present an in-depth review of each week's Randolph-Macon football game. Here is an inside look into week one, and their successful trip to Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
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Step one is complete. But it was more of a "starving artist" display rather than a Picasso.
But that's fine. There was plenty to love about #15 Randolph-Macon's maiden voyage in the 2023 campaign, as the Yellow Jackets piled up 493 yards of total offense, building a 31-0 halftime lead, and cruising to a 51-9 victory at North Carolina Wesleyan Saturday in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. It was the second-ever meeting between the Yellow Jackets and the Battling Bishops, a member of the USA South Conference. Randolph-Macon bested North Carolina Wesleyan in the 2022 season opener at Day Field 49-7.
The mission was accomplished, and it was all about what the Yellow Jackets did on their sideline, and on the field.
"When you open up the season, it really doesn't matter who you're playing," noted Randolph-Macon head coach Pedro Arruza on Thursday in an interview for the pregame show which aired prior to the game Saturday. "There's a little bit of game planning, but everybody is kind of evaluating what they're doing in the offseason. You focus a little bit less on that, a little bit more on what you're doing."
The Battling Bishops enjoyed a good defensive start, allowing just one first down, forcing a Yellow Jacket punt on their opening drive. Randolph-Macon held North Carolina Wesleyan to seven yards on three punts, getting the football back near midfield.
The next drive ended on a 23-yard field goal from Kyle Ihle for a 3-0 lead. The 2022 team only tried five field goals in their entire season. But back to back incompletions on goal to go made them settle for three.
More stifling defense led to the first touchdown drive, capped by a Nick Hale five-yard run for a 10-0 lead with 4:19 left in the first period.
If there's a "play of the game", it happened on the ensuing Bishops drive as starting quarterback Chaz Hirschman's pass over the middle was intercepted by Tony Skinner at the North Carolina Wesleyan 40, racing 34 yards for a first and goal at the six. Nick Hale quickly cashed in on the turnover with a six-yard score. In fifteen seconds, the Randolph-Macon lead went from 3-0 to 17-0, and the rout was on.
Hale would add his third rushing touchdown of the half on a seven-yard plunge early in the second period. Then Randolph-Macon put together their best drive of the game, a thirteen-play, 82-yard journey which chewed just over eight minutes off the clock. Drew Campanale's first touchdown pass of the season went to tight end Brandon Woolridge from six yards to end the first half scoring.
The second half was a casting call, as Arruza and his staff liberally substituted on both sides of the ball, opportunities abounding for second and third string players, all of whom earned their spot on the travel roster, to showcase their talents and look to add to the team's chemistry.
Brecht Heuchan, who needed no audition nor introduction, spelled Campanale in the second half, going 11-of-15 for 101 yards and a touchdown pass to Joe Lokke, who was one of four Yellow Jackets who caught three passes on the day, joining Woolridge, fifth year David Wallis, and sophomore Cullen Martin. The scoring began in the second half on a 61-yard scamper from Kwesi Clarke who took an inside handoff, saw daylight to his right, bounced outside and won the race down the Yellow Jacket sideline for the score.
Ten different Yellow Jackets caught passes from Campanale and Heuchan, who combined for 221 yards. Clarke led all rushers with 108 yards while Hale added 87. The Yellow Jackets rotated five different tailbacks, as Powhatan product Mitchell Johnson rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown.
The Battling Bishops finally hit the scoreboard with a short touchdown pass with 2:34 left in the third quarter and added a field goal in the fourth.
Defensively, no pun intended, the Yellow Jackets swarmed all over the field, and, more often than not, the first defender to hit a Bishop would be the one to bring him down or do so with assists from several teammates. After gaining zero yards rushing in the 2022 loss, North Carolina Wesleyan only had 32 yards on the ground at home.
Drake Schaeffer led the defense with five tackles, two unassisted, while Skinner added four. Jackson Deaver, Neftali Reyes and Jackson Currie each had three. Max Richardson had a late-game interception as well.
One area Arruza discussed postgame was the running attack. And, while it was good to spread the carries around, the rotation will sharpen and tighten in the weeks to come, and he wants to see more of what was a Yellow Jacket running staple in 2022.
"I think the one thing I was really disappointed in is the lack of explosives," Arruza explained. "One thing that really made our offense different last year was how many explosives we were able to create. Kwesi had the long run and that was huge, but I thought we sputtered a little bit offensively."
Those "explosives", watching the Hales and the Clarkes, et al break through the first line of defense, then shed the second, will come in time. After all, it's week one. But Arruza is glad that there are plenty of areas to break down on film and work on as the Yellow Jackets turn the page and get ready for Catholic in next Saturday's home opener.
"I think we have a lot of capable guys. I love the guys that we have on the team. I think they've got the right mindset. I think we really have a lot of talent, and really, really great chemistry."
And, with seventeen fifth-year seniors, this is, perhaps, the most experienced Randolph-Macon team in their storied history. And they hope to experience even more than their 11-1 ride one autumn ago.
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--With the victory, Arruza earns his 125th victory as Yellow Jacket head coach, as he began his twentieth season on the sideline Saturday.
--The win was Randolph-Macon's fourth consecutive on opening day. Their last defeat in week one was to Johns Hopkins in 2019.
--CLICK HERE to purchase tickets to the Saturday September 9th home opener against Catholic. Kickoff will be at 1pm. If you can't make it to Ashland, join Marty Wilson and Rob Witham for all the action on the Randolph-Macon Sports Network by CLICKING HERE.
(File Photo)
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