EMORY, Va. – Sophomore quarterback R.J. Varner (Birmingham, Ala./Spain Park) connected with senior wide receiver Jack Martin (Clayton, Mo./Hun School) on a 61-yard touchdown pass with 1:07 remaining to lift Washington and Lee to a 17-14 victory over Emory & Henry in ODAC football action on Saturday afternoon at E&H's Fullerton Field.
The Generals (6-2, 4-2) forced a punt with 2:12 remaining in the game and began the winning drive on their own 13-yardline. W&L proceeded to march 87 yards in just four plays capped by Varner's game-winning strike to Martin on 3rd-and-9 play. The Wasps took over the next possession on their own 35-yardline with one minute remaining but managed just 13 yards on seven plays before surrendering the ball on downs.
W&L assumed a 3-0 lead in the first quarter after a fumbled punt setting the Generals up for a 1st-and-goal from the E&H 6-yardline. The Wasps' defense stiffened and forced a 22-yard field goal by senior cornerback Mark Snoddy (Atlanta, Ga./Westminster) at the 3:45 mark.
Emory & Henry (4-5, 1-4) took a 7-3 lead on a 26-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Daniel Booher to Johnathan Hawkins with 10:28 left in the half, but the Generals responded on the next drive as junior wide receiver Stuart Sitterson (Atlanta, Ga./Westminster) capped an 8-play, 76-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run for a 10-7 W&L lead at the half.
The Wasps reassumed the lead at 14-10 with 6:08 left in the third quarter on a 4-yard touchdown run by tailback Matt Gillespie and the lead stood up until Varner's game-winning connection to Martin.
Sitterson paced the Generals with 207 all-purpose yards and one touchdown. He rushed 19 times for a career-high 110 yards, caught two passes for eight yards and racked up 89 return yards. He also completed one pass for 41 yards. Varner completed 13-of-23 passes for 193 yards and one score, while Martin snared six passes for 156 yards and the winning touchdown. Junior defensive end Tommy Matteo (Worcester, Pa./Germantown Academy) paced the defense with nine tackles, while senior linebacker Bryant Fulk (Oceanside, Calif./St. Augustine) totaled eight tackles, 0.5 sacks and one interception.
Gillespie led the Wasps with 109 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries. Booher completed 11-of-25 passes for 137 yards and one score, while Hawkins caught five balls for 64 yards and one touchdown. Linebacker Evin O'Sullivan led the E&H defense with 12 tackles and a pair of sacks.
Washington and Lee will wrap up its season on Saturday as it travels to Carnegie Mellon for a 1:00 pm contest.
-- GENERALS --
