Bluefield tops Knights in Offensive Battle

Football | Sat, Oct. 23, 2021 at 11:25 PM

BLUEFIELD, WV – Not often does a football team score 64 points and come up on the losing side. On Saturday evening St. Andrews dropped a 64-79 Mid-South contest against Bluefield. With the loss the Knights now drop to 1-5 on the season as the Rams improve to 3-5.

After blocking a St. Andrews punt on the Knights opening drive, Bluefield was the first team on the board with a Nathan Herstich touchdown pass to Antonio Stickl with 12:56 on the clock.

Quarterback Austin Wallace (SO/Royal Palm, Fla.) tied the game up on the next possession capping off a eight play drive with a 18 yard rushing touchdown. 

The 7-7 tie would end up being the closest St. Andrews would get in the contest as the Rams scored three unanswered touchdowns with 6:06 remaining in the opening quarter. Down 20-7, D’Vonte Allen (SO/Marion, S.C.) provided a spark to the Knight offense with a 77 yard rushing touchdown to close out the first quarter. 

On their opening possession St. Andrews drove down the field for 94 yards and scored on a Wallace pass to Kashard Cohens (SR/Norfolk, Va.) for 29 yards. The second quarter was the best defensive performance for the Knights as they held the Rams to one touchdown and a halftime score of 20-27.

Despite playing from behind Wallace continued to complete passes with three touchdowns to three different receivers in the third quarter.  Adelaziz Junior Ellis (SR/Jacksonville, N.C.) was first with a 20 yard pass from Wallace, followed by a 50 yard bomb from Wallace to Cohens, and later another 50 yard connection with Devon Roesch (FR/Wilson, N.C.).

Down 41-58 at the start of the fourth quarter, Trevor McNeil (SR/Charleston, S.C.) punched in a touchdown to bring St. Andrews within ten points with 12:05 in the game. 

Herstich was just as impressive as Wallace under center as he threw for two of his eight touchdown passes in the final nine minutes of the game.

Offensively, Cohens led the Knights receiving core with 140 yards and two touchdowns, while Junior Ellis, Aronson Cook (FR/Winston-Salem, N.C.), and Allen each added one touchdown. On the ground, McNeil finished with 17 carries and 125 yards, followed by Allen with 11 carries and 124 yards. 

Austin Hunt (JR/Fayetteville, N.C.) and Idrise Strange (SR/Charlotte, N.C.) led St. Andrews defensively with 11 and nine tackles respectively. Benjamin Houston (SR/Gainesville, Fla.) finished with two tackles for loss. 

In the loss the Knights finished with a season high in total yards (791), passing yards (425), completion percentage (66%), and rushing yards (366).

The 2021 season schedule doesn’t get any easier for St. Andrews as they now prepare for a home contest against No.10 Reinhardt on Saturday, Oct. 30. Kickoff between the Knights and Eagles is set for 1:00 pm.