Football Improves to 2-0 After Protecting Home Field

By Mike DeVader, Reinhardt Director of Athletic Communications & Media

Photo Courtesy of Al Levine

WALESKA, Ga. – Reinhardt returned to Ken White Field at University Stadium on Saturday afternoon in Waleska, and the 13^th-ranked Eagles took full advantage of playing in front of their home crowd once again in a 34-10 runaway over Faulkner (Ala.).

Reinhardt (2-0) went to the house on the second play from scrimmage compliments of a 62-yard touchdown run by Javarsia Meadows. Although the extra point was missed, the Eagle defense would step up to the plate and smother the visiting Eagles by not allow a single point in the first half.

Faulkner would fumble – and lose – all three of their miscues on the evening, which opened the door for Reinhardt to soar to a big lead after a 21-0 second quarter run. Devyn Collins would give the hometown team a double-digit advantage early in the second period after crossing the goal line from a yard out.

After forcing another punt from the visitors, the Eagles would strike again quickly – this time through the air – as Billy Hall found Navarie Solomon for a 75-yard touchdown pass. On Reinhardt's next possession, Hall sparked another scoring drive, this time with his legs, after he went 38 yards down the left sideline to set up Bryce Burgess from seven yards out.

The 27-0 halftime lead would last until the mid-third quarter after Faulkner put its best drive together and got to the five-yard-line. A penalty and back-to-back poor running plays would halt the scoring threat and force the visiting Eagles to connect on a 30-yard field goal to get on the board at 27-3.

Faulkner would threaten again late in the third stanza, but another fumble recovery by Jon Perry stopped the visitors in their tracks in the Reinhardt red zone.

The Eagles would respond in a big way with an 11-play, 86-yard drive for a touchdown that was capped off by Isaiah Blake getting in the paint on a 2-yarder. The visiting Eagles' bright spot of the night would come a few minutes later after a 74-yard touchdown on a busted coverage helped Faulkner score on a 99-yard drive to get within 34-10.

Reinhardt totaled 351 yards on just 44 plays, with 247 of them coming on the ground. Defensively, the Eagles picked up four sacks and three fumbles, and individually, Keyovione Whitlock made a team-best 10 stops.

The Knights of St. Andrews (N.C.) welcome Reinhardt to town next week in a 1 p.m. kickoff on Feb. 20.

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