LEXINGTON, Va. -- Junior tailback Michael Lackett (Allenwood, N.J./Wall) took a screen pass 30 yards for a touchdown with 32 seconds remaining to lift the Washington and Lee football team to a 24-20 win over Emory & Henry on Saturday afternoon at Wilson Field. The victory gives W&L four ODAC wins for the first time since the 1985 season.
After forcing an E&H punt, the Generals (5-4, 4-2) started the game-winning drive on their own 44-yardline with 59 seconds remaining. Junior quarterback Greg Tweardy (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) started the drive with a pair of completions to sophomore wide receiver Colton Ward (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Country Day) totaling 26 yards, then flipped the screen to Lackett who broke several tackles on his way to the end zone.
The Wasps (3-6, 2-3) opened the scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run by sophomore quarterback Todd Woods (Radford, Va./Radford) at the 9:27 mark of the first quarter. The extra-point was no good.
W&L tied the game at 6-6 with 12:33 remaining in the first half as Tweardy found Ward on a 43-yard scoring strike. The extra point was also no good.
Woods scored again on a 1-yard touchdown run with 8:13 remaining in the second quarter, but the Generals retaliated on a 9-yard pass from Tweardy to junior wide-out Clark Kensinger (Columbia, S.C./Oakwood) with 4:55 remaining in the half. The extra point again failed and the Wasps took a 13-12 lead into halftime.
The Generals took an 18-13 lead on a 50-yard touchdown run by freshman running back Thomas Hubka (San Diego, Calif./St. Augustine) on the first possession of the second half, but the Wasps then assumed a 20-18 lead on a 7-yard scoring strike from Woods to sophomore wide receiver Brennan Stewart (Shawsville, Va./Eastern Montgomery) with 7:52 left in the third quarter.
W&L had an opportunity to take the lead on a 25-yard field goal by sophomore placekicker Ben Long (Frankford, W.Va./Hargrave Military) with 2:33 remaining in the game, but the kick sailed wide left. The Generals defense then forced the E&H punt setting up the winning drive.
Tweardy led the W&L offense by completing 21-of-37 passes for a career-high 275 yards and three touchdowns. His 21 completions give him 186 for the season, a new W&L record. Ward caught six passes for 101 yards and a score, while Hubka rushed four times for 57 yards and a score. Lackett rushed 12 times for 58 yards and caught two passes for 36 yards and the winning score. Senior linebacker Lloyd Wilson (Austin, Texas/Stephen F. Austin) paced the defense with 11 tackles and two fumble recoveries. The Generals had three more sacks, setting a school record for sacks in a season (37).
E&H was led by Woods, who completed 24-of-41 passes for 307 yards and one touchdown. He was intercepted once, breaking a school-record string of 200 passes without an interception. Stewart caught eight passes for 133 yards and one touchdown, while sophomore wide receiver Jerad Jackson (Big Stone Gap, Va./Powell Valley) snared eight balls for 113 yards, his fifth-straight game with 100 yards receiving. Junior linebacker Anthony Boyd (Christiansburg, Va./Christiansburg) led the defense with seven tackles and a half sack.
Washington and Lee finishes its season on Saturday at Greensboro College. The game begins at 1:00 pm.
-- GENERALS --
