DANVILLE, Va. - The NC Wesleyan College football program put on a defensive and rushing clinic on Saturday evening as they spoiled rival Averett's homecoming with a suffocating 17-9 win in Danville.
Freshman Running Back Trevon Crank led the Bishop offense running for a career high 217 yards and two touchdowns averaging 9 yards per carry. It was part of a 252-yard rushing performance from the offense.
He got things started for Wesleyan as he roped off a 83-yard TD scamper in the first quarter to give the Bishops a 7-0 lead. Averett woudl then come back with a touchdown of their own early in the second quarter to finish off a long drive. They missed the extra point, however, and still trailed NCWC 7-6.
Wesleyan would then go on a mini 8-play 24-yard drive late in the first half ending with kicker Rafa Niederleytner's 37-yard FG with 3 minutes to play before half.
The Bishops then got the ball first in the third quarter and of course Crank got back to work for Wesleyan running off another long touchdown run, this one a 63-yard dash as he rumbled and stumbled pulling Averett defenders into the end zone with him shocking the Cougar faithful. The score and extra point gave Wesleyan the 17-6 lead.
AU would add a field goal late in the third quarter to get within eight points at 17-9.
However, early in the fourth, Averett would drive to the NCWC one-yard line only to get stood up by the Bishop defense on 4th and goal. Wesleyan's Sevion Brown then intercepted AU on NCWC's own two-yard line again later in the quarter snuffing out another Averett drive with 9 minutes to go.
Averett's final drive of the game saw them go 77 yards in 95 seconds, but the Wesleyan D would again stand tall as Robert Gonzalez sacked the AU QB at the Bishop nine ending the threat and the game.
Defensively, LB Luke Moorhead also had an interception that he returned 32 yards to go along with his 6 tackles while fellow LB Charles Sias led the team with 12 tackles. Senior DE Rob Carley also played well registering 8 tackles, 2 for a loss, along with a sack and a blocked kick while freshman DB Moses Kemp also had 8 tackles and two pass breakups.
Gonzalez also tallied two sacks and 3 total tackles while safety RJ Carter recovered a fumble that was forced by senior CB D'Maurien Franklin. That duo combined for ten tackles while freshman DB Korey Hunter made 7 tackles as well.
Wesleyan improves to 2-3 on the year and 2-1 in the USA South while Averett falls to 3-2.
The Bishops next will return home on Saturday to host Greensboro on homecoming at 12 Noon.