BOX SCORE
HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. – Junior quarterback
Connor Creech (Winston-Salem, NC) passed for a career-high 176 yards and two touchdowns—both to sophomore wide receiver
Dario Benaglia (Frisco, TX)—who had a career-high six receptions and 88 yards receiving, and Creech added a career-high 76 yards rushing and one touchdown, while sophomore running back
Will Foley (Virginia Beach) equaled his career-high with a game-high 98 yards rushing on nine attempts and one touchdown, as well, to lead Hampden-Sydney College to a 31-19 non-conference football home win past (RV)Monmouth (IL) College on Saturday afternoon on Fulton Field at Lewis C. Everett Stadium. The host Tigers (1-1) led 14-7 after one quarter, 24-7 at halftime and 31-13 after three quarters against the visiting Fighting Scots (0-2) during
Hall of Fame Weekend on the Hill.
"Really proud of how the guys came out and played today," said third-year head coach
Vince Luvara. "They beat an excellent football team. The exciting part is there is a lot of growth still left with this team."
Monmouth, getting votes in this week's D3football.com Top 25 Poll, forced a three-and-out on the game's opening possession and then went 67 yards on its first possession with Silas Braun connecting with Chase Newman on a 45-yard scoring play. Aiden Sensabaugh added the PAT kick for an early 7-0 margin at 11:08 of the first quarter.
The two teams exchanged possessions before H-SC took its third possession and went 60 yards on five plays with Creech finding Benaglia in the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown. Sophomore placekicker
Hank Webb (Salisbury, NC) added the first of his four PAT kicks to tie it at 7-7 with 5:09 on the first-quarter clock. Keys to the drive include runs of 16 and 11 yards by Creech, along with an 11-yard completion to senior running back
Terry Hicks (Clayton, NC).
The Tigers forced a punt by the visitors and took their next possession 58 yards on four plays with Creech and Benaglia once-again connecting in the end zone, this time for 26 yards and the touchdown. Webb's PAT kick made it 14-7 with 45-seconds left in the opening 15 minutes. The drive also included a 19-yard completion to Benaglia, the second-year receiver out of Texas who was able to take advantage of his 6-6 height all day.
H-SC went ahead 17-7 at 6:23 of the second quarter, courtesy of a 33-yard field goal by Webb—the first of his collegiate career. It was a 10-play, 78-drive by the home team that featured a 14-yard run by Hicks, a 12-yard run by Creech and a 23-yard run by Foley. The Tigers got the back quickly after forcing a punt, and promptly went 65 yards on four plays with Foley scoring on a 41-yard touchdown run. Webb's PAT kick made it 24-7 at 2:12 of the second quarter toward the 17-point halftime margin.
The Garnet & Grey defense forced yet another Monmouth punt to open the third quarter and senior wide receiver
Aaron Chaney (Belmont, NC) returned the punt 26 yards. The offense took over and quickly went 39 yards on four plays with Creech scoring on a four-yard touchdown run. Webb's PAT kick pushed the advantage to 31-7 at 11:19 of the quarter. Key to the drive was a 33-yard completion to senior wide receiver
Tyler Hendley (Charlotte, NC).
The Fighting Scots added a late touchdown in the quarter when Braun connected with Mason Emin for a 27-yard scoring pass with 47-seconds on the clock, but their two-point rushing attempt failed, leaving it 31-13 with 15 minutes remaining. The visitors added another touchdown at 7:54 of the fourth quarter when Braun and Newman connected again, this time for a 30-yard scoring pass, and two-point passing attempt failed. Monmouth did manage to drive to the H-SC 12-yard line with just over three minutes left to play; however, junior cornerback
Parks Cromwell (Charlotte, NC) made an interception in the end zone and the Tigers ran-out the clock for the final margin of 31-19.
H-SC had 409 yards of total offense, including 223 rushing and 176 passing, as Creech passed for his career-high 176 yards (14-22-1) and two touchdowns with one interception, adding his career-high 76 yards rushing on 14 attempts and one touchdown. Foley rushed for his game-high 98 yards on nine attempts and one touchdown, adding 65 yards on three kick returns and a long of 24 yards. Hicks had 48 yards rushing on 15 attempts, adding three receptions for 19 yards. Benaglia had his career-highs of six receptions for 88 yards receiving and two touchdowns, while Hendley had three receptions for 48 yards. Webb averaged 44.8 yards on five punts, including a long of 55 yards in his first collegiate game punting, while Chaney had 48 yards on three punt returns and a long of 26 yards.
Sophomore linebacker
Gavin Gallavan (Richmond) had a career-high and game-high 13 tackles and one quarterback hurry for the Tigers. Junior linebacker
Frank Brewer (Charlotte, NC) and junior safety
Mitch Ladamus (Fort Mill, SC) each added 10 tackles, including 1.0 for loss, and an interception by Brewer, and 1.0 for loss by Ladamus. Cromwell finished with six tackles, the interception and two pass breakups, while sophomore linebacker
Jefferson Meade (Ashland) also had six tackles, and sophomore safety
Will Bostwick (Bluffton, SC) contributed five tackles. Sophomore cornerback
Tyshaun Baldwin (Riverdale, GA) also had an interception.
Monmouth had 395 yards of total offense, including 140 rushing and 255 passing, as Braun passed for a game-high 255 yards (16-31-3) and three touchdowns with three interceptions, adding 20 yards rushing on five attempts. Nate Wrublik had a game-high 98 yards rushing on 25 attempts. Newman had game-highs of six receptions and 138 yards and two touchdowns. Tristan Brown had a game-high 13 tackles for the Scots.
H-SC will play on the road for the second time in three weeks at non-conference opponent the University of New England on Saturday, September 19, at 12 p.m. in Biddeford, Maine.
It was
Hall of Fame Weekend at the College as H-SC inducted its
Class of 2026 on Friday night in Stephen F. Snyder Hall at the Kirk Athletic Center. The 39th class of honorees was recognized at halftime of the football game against Monmouth, and included Baseball All-American
Matt Brown '10, Football All-American
Will Ferrell '14, two-time Lacrosse All-American
Scott Ketcham '99, along with Football All-American
Kyle Vance '12.
