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ABU sets rushing record in victory

PHILIPPI — The Alderson Broaddus football team combined to rush for a school-record 379 yards as the Battlers topped Lincoln University 48-10 on Saturday afternoon at the Multi-Sport Performance Stadium.

Freshman Jamil Collison-Cofie led the way for AB (1-2) with a career-best 154 yards and a touchdown on just 11 carries. Joining Collison-Cofie was freshman Darius Hagans who added 82 yards on 10 carries and a score while Amaan Bridgett finished with 61, Jonathan Pierre added 56, and then on the final drive, Jalen Jackson ran for 32 on four carries.

Sophomore Connor McWilliams finished 13-of-24 passing for 173 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Out wide, Tory Lee and Dante Waugh each finished with 45 yards receiving while A.J. Cummings finished with two catches for 35 yards and a score while Maurice Thomas caught three passes for 25 yards.

On the opening drive of the game, the Battlers traveled five plays for 65 yards and a score when Collison-Cofie ran in a score from 32 yards out to put AB out in front 7-0. On the ensuing possession, the Lions (0-3) answered with a drive themselves, also for five plays over 65 yards, when Vincent Espinoza connected with Carlos Croslin for a 33-yard touchdown.

Later in the first quarter, Lincoln took its only lead of the game, 10-7, with its final score when Cody Waddell connected on a 27-yard field goal with 8:01 to play in the first quarter. Just before the end of the first, the Battlers took the lead back at 14-10 when Pierre rushed one up the middle for a three-yard score with 3:31 to play in the first. After AB forced a quick three-and-out, it added one more score in the first, this time on a pass from McWilliams to freshman Dante Waugh, for a 45-yard touchdown reception and a 21-10 lead.

In the second quarter following a nine-yard punt return from Cummings, McWilliams connected with Tory Lee for a 32-yard grab down to the five yard line. On the next play, Bridgett drove one in from five-yards out to make it 28-10 with 13:52 to play in the second. Later in the second before the halftime break, McWilliams threw his second score of the day, this time to Cummings for a diving 24-yard touchdown reception to give the Battlers a 35-10 halftime advantage.

D.J. Opsatnik scored the lone points for the Battlers in the third when he connected on a 19-yard field to make it 38-10, and then in the fourth, the Battlers added another field goal from Opsatnik, this time from a career-long 39 yards out to make it 41-10. With 5:07 to play, the Battlers found pay dirt once more when Hagans scored his first-career touchdown from nine yards out to make it 48-10.

The Battlers finished with 552 total yards of offense in the victory.

The 552 ranks sixth in school history and it’s the most they had in a game since finishing with 558 at Malone in 2013.

Lincoln finished with 263 passing yards and 314 total yards of offense overall. Espinoza finished 14-of-28 passing for 189 yards and a score while Croslin finished with three catches for 73 yards and a touchdown.

On defense, Quade Raley had a strong game for AB as the sophomore finished with nine tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks. Joining him up front was Brandon Lavern who tallied eight tackles, one tackle for loss, and a half-sack, while Matt Jackson finished with seven tackles and a tackle for loss.

Rob Thomas led the Lincoln defense with 13 tackles while Solomon Bassett had eight tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks, and a forced fumble.

AB returns to action next Saturday when it will host Glenville State at noon in the 3rd Annual I-79 Barrel Classic.

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