BLUEFIELD – Wow! For the second consecutive week the Bluefield College Rams rallied late in the game and came away with a victory at Mitchell Stadium. Saturday night the Rams'
Alex Martin crashed across the goal with 53 seconds remaining to lift BC past the St. Andrews Knights in a Mid-South Conference Appalachian Division game. With the win the Rams moved to 3-3 on the season and those three wins equal the most wins in a season since the renewal of the program in 2012.
Early on it appeared the Rams would not get that win as the first-year Knights ran and passed their way to a 20-7 lead after one quarter. The Knights got on the board on a 30-yard pass from Dashaun Ferguson to Jermaine Troutman. Cole Gleason kicked the point. SAU made it 13-0 just two minutes later on a 61-yard run by Trevor McNeil. The PAT failed.
Bluefield got on the board when Martin bulled seven yards into the end zone, capping a nine-play. SAU answered as Ferguson again passed to Trotman, this time for 63 yards and the score. Gleason's kick was good to make it 20-7.
The Rams did not falter, as they drove deep into St. Andrews territory and Griffith booted a 26-yard field goal. Again, it was Trotman causing problems for Bluefield as he ran nine yards on a reverse for another SAU score that made it 27-10. Bluefield added a score before the break as
Malik Brown ran 12 yards with seconds left in the half. Griffith extra point pulled BC to within 10 at halftime, 27-17.
In the third Bluefield drew closer as they took the kickoff and used a nine play drive to put points on the board.
Cason Whitt's keeper and Griffith's point made it a 27-24 game.
The Rams tied things in the fourth on Griffith's 31 yard field goal and took the lead on Martin's go-ahead run from seven yards out with 53 seconds to play. Griffith's kick made it 34-27.
SAU attempted to drive down the field, but
Isaiah Fenner picked off a Ferguson pass with two ticks left. Whitt did a kneeldown and the Rams left the turf at Mitchell Stadium with a two-game winning streak, the most wins in a season since the program restarted in 2012 and a date next week at Point (Ga.).
Andre Evans and
Tyrice Henry led Bluefield as each had eight tackles.
Larry Jefferson had six and
DaMarcus Wimbush five. Fenner's interception was his second of the season and the fourth of the year for the Rams. Those four interceptions equal the number of picks the Rams had in 2016 and there are still five games remaining on the schedule.
Brown led Bluefield's rushing attack as he ran for 112 yards and a score. Martin finished with 92 yards and two scores. Whitt completed 14-of-19 passes for 216 yards. His favorite target was
Antonio Strickland who hauled in four passes for 102 yards including a 34 yard strike late in the game that set up the game-winning score.
The Rams, now 3-3 overall and 1-0 in the MSC Appalachian Division, play another divisional game next week at Point (Ga.).
Scoring Summary
St. Andrews…………….20 7 0 0 - 27
Bluefield………………….7 10 7 10 - 34
First Quarter
St. Andrews – Jermaine Trotman 30 yard pass from Dashaun Ferguson (Cole Gleason kick), 10:13
St. Andrews – Trevor McNeil 61 yard run (Kick failed), 8:09
Bluefield –
Alex Martin 7 yard run (
Tanner Griffith kick), 4:57
St. Andrews – Troutman 63 yard pass from Ferguson (Gleason kick), 2:22
Second Quarter
Bluefield – Griffith 26 yard field goal, 9:16
St. Andrews – Trotman 9 yard run (Gleason kick), 6:16
Bluefield –
Malik Brown 12 yard run (Griffith kick), 0:01
Third Quarter
Bluefield –
Cason Whitt 1 yard run (Griffith kick), 11:35
Fourth Quarter
Bluefield – Griffith 31 yard field goal, 13:19
Bluefield – Martin 7 yard run (Griffith kick), 0:53
