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Senior quarterback Andrew Puccinelli passed for three touchdowns and ran for another to lead the Hampden-Sydney football team to a 58-28 road win at Greensboro (NC) College. The visiting Tigers (2-1) led 9-0 after one quarter, 36-7 at halftime, and 49-14 after three quarters en route to their victory against the host Pride (0-3).

Senior All-American safety Will Pickren added a fumble return for a touchdown, along with a blocked punt, while sophomore placekicker Elijah Swett contributed two field goals and four PAT kicks. 

Hampden-Sydney football controls first half

H-SC scored the first points of the contest when Puccinelli had a one-yard touchdown run at 10:37 of the first quarter. The Tigers attempted a two-point conversion pass that was incomplete … leaving it an early 6-0 advantage. Swett added a 19-yard field goal later in the opening 15 minutes for a 9-0 lead after one quarter of action.

It was a busy 27-point second quarter for the Garnet & Grey, beginning with a one-yard touchdown run by senior running back Melik Frost at 13:51, but the PAT kick was no good, for a 15-0 margin. H-SC made it a 22-0 advantage when Pickren picked-up a fumble and ran 34 yards to the end zone at 10:45 with Swett adding the successful PAT. The scoring play was made possible when junior defensive end Brendan Wallace had a strip-sack forcing the fumble by the GC quarterback.

Puccinelli then connected with junior wide receiver Austin Fernandez on a 65-yard touchdown pass at 5:27, Swett again adding the PAT for a 29-0 lead. Sophomore running back Markevus Graves-Franklin made it a 36-0 contest with a three-yard touchdown run at 1:25, Swett adding another PAT for the visitors, who led 36-7 at the intermission.

More of the same after halftime

H-SC added two third-quarter touchdowns … the first when senior wide receiver Jamahdia Whitby caught a seven-yard touchdown pass from Puccinelli at 4:55, Swett with his fourth-straight PAT for a 43-14 advantage. Junior running back JT Diehl later scored his first collegiate touchdown on a three-yard run at 1:33, but the PAT was blocked, leaving it a 49-14 margin … as the Tigers led 49-21 through three quarters.

The fourth quarter witnessed a 25-yard field goal by Swett at 6:47 to make it a 52-21 game, before freshman running back Terry Hicks scored his first collegiate touchdown on a 25-yard run at 4:00, though the PAT was off the upright, for a 58-21 lead toward the final 30-point margin of 58-28.

The Hampden-Sydney football team will enjoy their bye (off) week September 23 before returning to competition in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) opener at home. That’ll be against visiting Bridgewater College on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 1 p.m. on Fulton Field at Lewis C. Everett Stadium.