Benion, GW run roughshod against Glass

DeVaughn Benion scored three touchdowns and Stephen Ham added two more as George Washington routed rival E.C. Glass 34-13 on Friday night in Danville.

Benion churned out 178 yards on 25 carries and proved a monster in the return game as GW improved to 3-0 for the first time in three years, topping the Hilltoppers for the fourth consecutive season. The game marked the 88th meeting between these storied football programs, which clashed as non-district rivals for the first time since World War II.

“Today we played our hearts out,” Benion said. “They say this is the oldest rivalry in Virginia. … I’ve been out here for the last three years. It feels good. We’re stepping up and showing everyone what we can do.”

GW’s running attack was near unstoppable as the Eagles continued to break off huge yardage on the ground, rushing a whopping 51 times for 315 yards and 16 first downs. Terrance Jackson punished Glass (0-3), which joined the Seminole District this season, to the tune of 83 yards on only six carries before leaving with an injury in the first half. He appeared to be fine, but never re-entered the game. Ham added 53 yards on 10 carries and snagged an 8-yard pass, GW’s only completion of the night.

“We got into some formations tonight that they’d seen very little of, some of our spread stuff. We intended to get out there and throw the ball around a little bit in that position, but they were giving us what we wanted to run the ball out of that set and we took advantage of it,” GW coach Dan Newell said. “It wasn’t exactly how I envisioned it going. We opened up the playbook and probably ran almost every running play we’ve got in the book now. I wish we would have thrown the ball a little bit more effectively, but when you can run the ball like we did tonight, you’re better safe than sorry.”

Glass running back Corey Bradley and quarterback James Gaines carried much of the load for the Hilltoppers, each scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run. Gaines’ score on a quarterback sneak capped an 11-play, 63-yard drive that pulled the visitors to within a single score at 21-13 with 9 minutes remaining in the game.

But GW responded in dominating fashion, marching 80 yards in 10 plays while draining more than 5 minutes off the fourth quarter clock. The slippery Benion capped the drive by scampering 25 yards for a score, his longest run of the night.

“That long drive really, really took it out of us,” Glass coach Richard Trent said. “I felt like we were right back in the ballgame and we just couldn’t get it done defensively.”

Ten of Benion’s 25 carries went for 10 yards or more and he broke off huge chunks in the return game, as well, including a 72-yard punt return in the second quarter that set GW up for a 3-yard touchdown drive and a 14-7 lead.

Gaines finished 8 of 15 for 84 yards through the air and ran the ball eight times for 17 yards. Demitrus Garland snagged three of those passes for 39 yards and Steve Pannell grabbed two for 34. Bradley rushed 11 times for 56 yards, but was largely held in check after amassing 35 yards on his first two carries.

GW 34, E.C. Glass 13
First quarter
G-Benion 1 run (Campbell kick), 7:43
E-Bradley 18 run (Prest kick), 3:57
Second quarter
G-Ham 1 run (Campbell kick), 8:10
Third quarter
G-Benion 5 run (Campbell kick), 7:32
Fourth quarter
E-Gaines 1 run (kick blocked), 9:16
G-Benion 25 run (kick blocked), 3:52
G-Ham 1 run (Campbell kick), 1:43

TEAM STATISTICS
Glass GW
First downs 9 16
Rushes-Yards 25-97 51-315
Yards passing 84 8
Passing 8-17-0 1-4-0
Fumbles-Lost 1-1 0-0
Penalties 4-30 6-35

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Glass-Bradley 11-56, Gaines 8-17, Wesley 5-17, Hamlette 1-7. GW-Benion 25-178, Jackson 6-83, Ham 10-53, Gibson 1-7, Wiles 1-1, Younger 2-0, Shuler 5-(-7), Team 1-(-1).
RECEIVING: Glass-Garland 3-39, Pannell 2-34, Wertz 2-16, Wesley 1-(-5). GW-Ham 1-8.
PASSING: Glass-Gaines 8-15-0-84, Wesley 0-2-0-0. GW-Shuler 1-4-0-8.
RECORDS: Glass 0-3, GW 3-0