A pair of first quarter pick-sixes helped Bridgewater past Shenandoah 22-14, in the final career game for head coach Michael Clark.
Clark retires as the ODAC’s all-time winningest football coach with a career mark of 167-103-1. The victory also clinched Clark’s 16th winning season since 2000, as Bridgewater wrapped up the 2020-21 campaign with a 3-2 record.
Brett Tharp led the BC defense in tackles yet again with 12, while Isaiah Farmer totaled nine tackles, 1.0 TFLs and a game-clinching interception. Freshman Jordan Burden had four passes defensed, including one of those early interception return TDs.
Demetreus Jalepes carried the ball 18 times for 108 yards and added two receptions to lead the Eagle offense. Kenneth McCray completed 9-of-13 passes in his first career start under center.
Burden opened the scoring late in the first quarter, intercepting a deflected pass and taking it back 19 yards for the touchdown.
The next time Shenandoah had the ball, a short underneath pass was thrown right to Da’Sean Davis, who rumbled through several tackles for a 32-yard pick six.
Both sides missed fourth down tries after sustained opening drives.
The Hornets drove 10 plays, including an earlier fourth down pickup, but were stopped on a fourth down pass breakup by Burden. Bridgewater went 13 plays and 56 yards the other way but stalled out on the SU 9-yard line.
The Hornets cut the lead to 15-14 with a pair of scores, but BC answered with a key third quarter drive.
Jalepes broke a 43-yard rush into the red zone, and Viante Tucker cut in and then bounced back outside on a jet sweep to make it 22-14 Eagles.
Down by eight points early in the final period, Shenandoah converted two third downs and a 4th-and-5 with an out route just past the sticks. The Hornets reached 1st-and-goal before fumbling on second down, recovering it, and then seeing a fourth down rush get blown up by Bryant Graham.
This was the third matchup between the teams this season and for the third time Shenandoah took over in the final few minutes down by one score and drove into Bridgewater territory. The Eagles clinched the win with a red zone interception for the second time, with Farmer tipping and then collecting a pass at the 13-yard line.
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