Box Score

The Yellow Jackets fought and fought but in the end their chance at a game-tying drive came down to a referee's spot. Facing fourth down and 21 from their own 25 Yellow Jacket quarterback Tyler Seals found receiver Shannin Bennefield open up the middle. Bennefield ran a few yards and then, with a pair of tacklers hanging on, dove as far forward as he could.
After a lengthy discussion the referees ruled him down a yard short of the first down to effectively end the Yellow Jackets' hopes of a comeback as they fell 18-10 at UVA-Wise Saturday afternoon.
It was the final crucial moment of a game packed full of them.
The Yellow Jackets opened the game in superb fashion as Josh Wade carried twice for eight and the 10 yards followed by a pass from Seals to Bennefield for five more yards.
Even when they lost a fumble at the UVa-Wise 45 a few plays later it only proved to be a speed bump as Ayinde Warren picked up a Warrior fumble two plays later with WVSU actually netting three yards in the exchange.
When the drive stalled Cory Broughton's punt was downed at the UVa-Wise one.
The WVSU defense held the Warriors to four yards and the Yellow Jackets were back in business at the Wise 49.
Seals promptly hit Joe Thornton for 44 yards to give WVSU a first and goal at the five.
But on the next play Seals' pass out to his right toward Thornton was picked off.
The squads traded possessions the rest of the first quarter with the only serious scoring threat coming when Wise kicker Paul Melshen missed a 37 yard field goal attempt.
Melshen redeemed himself with a 27-yarder early in the second period.
After the WVSU offense stalled on the ensuing possession a Broughton punt gave the Wariors the ball back on their own 43.
Wise quarterback Cullen Lavoi hit James Long about 10 yards downfield and Long outran three Yellow Jacket defenders to the endzone to make the score 10-0 going into halftime.
The Jackets did not throw in the towel though.
The defense held the Warriors to open the second half and the offense marched 57 yards down the field in 10 plays to set up a field goal by freshman Josh Reuber to close the gap to 10-3.
The defense came up big later in the third when a UVa-Wise 58 yard drive culminated in the Warriors going for a touchdown on fourth and goal from the Jackets' one-yard line. The Warriors gave the ball to their leading rusher, Zach Cochran, but the Yellow Jackets threw him for a yard loss.
The UVa-Wise defense then rose to the occasion and tackled WVSU back LeFloyd Phillips in the endzone for a safety and a 12-3 lead.
After Broughton's free kick gave the ball back to the Warriors the WVSU defense came up with a big play again though as Sam Lester forced a fumble that Dwight Blankenship recovered at the Wise 43.
The Yellow Jackets put together a solid six play drive capped by Wade's five-yard touchdown run to pull to within 12-10 with 13:37 to play.
Both defenses held strong on the next four possessions with a Warrior punt being downed at the WVSU two 2:12 to play.
Needing just a field goal for the win Seals opened the drive with a two yard run.
On the next play the Warriors' defense drove through the Jackets' line in force and caught Seals in the endzone and knocked the ball loose and recoved it for a touchdown.
Still, when the accompanying extra point missed, the Yellow Jackets were remained alive trailing 18-10.
They continued to fight for yardage right up until the fourth and 21 play was ruled a just short of a first down.
Romell Haley kept the Yellow Jackets' interception streak alive with a pick just before halftime and finished with eight tackles as did Will Merritt and Blankenship.
Wade ended up with 62 yards on the ground and Seals 121 through the air.
Brought averaged 35.5 yards on 11 punts with three ending up inside the 20.
The Yellow Jackets next game is Saturday at home against Notre Dame College at 1:00 p.m.