The Aggie football team finished non-conference play at home last Saturday night defeating the Dragons of Virginia University of Lynchburg 40-7.
“Hard fought and good win,” said Coach Broadway, and added he was, “¬proud of the way our guys played.”
Quarterback Lewis Kindle set the tone of the game early in the first quarter throwing two touchdown passes, the first to freshman wide receiver Darren Bullock for 18 yards and the second to freshman wide receiver Marquis Gorham for 34 yards. The Aggies extended their early lead to 28-7 after junior defensive back D’Vonte Graham returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.
“I had a lot of space,” Graham said. “My punt team did a good job of holding them up. I had a lot of time. [I] made a couple of moves, found the sideline, waited for one guy to get the punter, and then I was in the end zone.”
While the Aggie defense dominated this past weekend not giving up any points, holding Lynchburg to one first down in the second half and 11 total for the night, the offense only ran the ball for 81 yards and possessed the ball less than their opponent for 26:46 minuets.
“We won the ballgame. We’re excited about that, but it also indicated a lot of things we need to work on this week, the running game being one,” said Broadway.
Lynchburg, members of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association, went into halftime trailing 31-7. The Dragons only score came when Kindle threw a 45-yard interception that was returned for a touchdown by VUL’s Keith Lewis. Lynchburg’s offense failed to put any more points on the board in the second half.
With only three touchdowns in the game, many of the Aggie’s points came from freshman kicker Zach Cimaglia. He kicked four field goals that night, which lead him to be the honorary recipient of the MEAC Rookie of the Week. Three of Cimaglia’s field goals were more than 40 yards.
The last time an Aggie kicker has been successful on four or more field goals in a game was in 2003 when Yonnick Matthews set a single-game school-record of five field goals. Cimaglia not only kicks field goals for the Aggies, but he also handles kickoffs and punts. Aggie kickers over the past 10 seasons have combined to record 19 touchbacks on kickoffs. Cimaglia already has seven in this 2012 season.
Although the Aggies will go into next week’s home game against the Morgan State Bears with back-to-back victories, the pressure will be on. This game is the start of conference play, which will require tougher, stronger, and more focused play.
Last season the Aggies defeated the Bears on the road 24-3 for their first win against the Bears in six attempts.
- Symone Kidd, Sports Editor