Box Score
BOX SCORE
LEXINGTON, Va. – Sewanee opened its 2009 football season at century-old rival Washington and Lee on Saturday and the host Generals topped the Visiting Tigers 31-13.
W&L went up 14-0 on a pair of General runs in the first quarter before Sewanee answered in the second with a Patrick Shelton (Hickory, N.C., Hickory) TD pass to tight end Rascoe Dean (Nashville, Tenn., M.B.A.). Later in the second period, W&L's Matt Cassilly picked off a Sewanee pass and ran it back for a touchdown to send the Generals up 21-7. Another touchdown and a field goal in the second period secured the final 31-point tally for the Generals.
In the second half, Sewanee held the Generals scoreless and then notched some points of its own on a 28-yard touchdown pass from reshman QB Robert Ratliff (Fort Worth, Texas, Nolan Catholic) to 2009 preseason All-American Chalankis Brown (Millbrook, Ala., Stanhope Elmore). Brown made his offensive debut today and caught four passes for 62 yards. He also logged seven tackles on the other side of the ball for the Tigers.
Ratliff led the Sewanee passing with 12 completions for 165 yards. Freshman running back Michael Poarch (Chattanooga, Tenn., Tyner Academy) led Sewanee's rushing with 62 yards on 24 caries. Charlie Westfall led W&L's rushing game with 69 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown. Jonathan Clemall had two TDs on the ground.
Defensively, sophomore Alfonza Knight (Nashville, Tenn., M.B.A.) led Sewanee with 11 tackles, a sack and an interception. Former running back Trey Reliford (Strawberry Plains, Tenn., Jefferson County) made his defensive debut and logged seven tackles at linebacker. Washington and Lee's Donavon Sawyer led the Generals with eight tackles and an interception.
Sewanee is now 0-1 and will play Hampden-Sydney in Sewanee next wkeend (1:30 pm CST). Washington and Lee is now 1-1.
