BRIDGEWATER, Va. -- Sophomore running back Marc Watson (Marietta, Ga./Walton) rushed for a season-high 160 yards and one touchdown to help lead Washington and Lee to a 20-12 victory over Bridgewater in ODAC football action. With his career day, Watson br oke the W&L single-season all-purpose yards record (1,251) held by Chris Leiser since the 1979 season. He now has 1,380 all-purpose yards this season.
The Generals (3-5, 1-3) opened the scoring with 6:23 remaining in the first quarter, when junior quarterback Christian Batcheller (Stuart, Va./Patrick County) hit senior tight end David Ritchey (McLean, Va./Langley) with a one-yard touchdown pass to make it 7-0 Washington and Lee.
The Generals added to their lead when sophomore wide receiver Wes Hardy (Spartanburg, S.C./Spartanburg) hauled in a 12-yard touchdown pass with 10:18 left in the second quarter. Freshman placekicker Brad Wiginton's (Plano, Texas/Plano Senior) extra point was blocked and W&L led, 13-0.
Bridgewater retaliated with 6:45 remaining in the half, when senior placekicker Michael Padgett booted a 51-yard field goal to make the score 13-3.
Then, with 51 seconds remaining in the half, the Eagles (0-8, 0-4) blocked a W&L punt and recovered on the Generals' five-yard line. The W&L defense would hold on three plays and Padgett kicked a 19-yard field goal as W&L went in at the half with a 13-6 advantage.
Bridgewater began the scoring in the second half as freshman quarterback Jason Lutz rushed 14 yards to paydirt with 6:07 left in the third to cut the W&L lead to 13-12. Padgett's point after touchdown was blocked by senior defensive lineman Ben Middendor f (Athens, Ga./Athens Academy) to preserve to lead for the Generals.
Both teams would play scoreless until the 4:47 mark of the fourth quarter, when Watson took a fourth-and-one play 12 yards to the end zone to give the Generals a 20-12 lead.
Bridgewater drove to the W&L 23 yard line with 1:14 left on the clock, but the Eagles fumbled a handoff that was recovered by junior defensive end Ross Kester (Greenville, S.C./Greenville) to end the threat.
Batcheller completed 14-of-23 attempts for 122 yards and two touchdowns and J.T. Malatesta (Washington, D.C./Landon) caught five balls for 51 yards to suppliment the ground game paced by Watson.
Senior linebacker Brad Baker (Birmingham, Ala./Mountain Brook) had a season-high 18 tackles and a sack and Middendorf collected 13 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and one blocked kick.
Lutz led Bridgewater's offensive attack with 95 yards rushing and one touchdown. He also completed six-of-14 pass attempts for 50 yards.
W&L will go for its third win in a row when it hosts 13th-ranked Emory & Henry on November 7 at 1:30 pm.
--GENERALS--
