RAM TOUGH takes on a whole
With strong contributions from several Fredericksburg athletes, the Rams are off to a good start in bidding to repeat as the President's Cup champions of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, symbolizing all-around excellence in sports.
The football team is 4-0 following a 34-14 victory over Glenville State, boosting the Rams to 25th place in the American Football Coaches Association's Division II poll--their first ranking in years. Shepherd also is ranked 23rd in the divisionII.com poll.
Senior linebacker Jeremy Bailey (Culpeper) preserved the Rams' 34-32 victory over Shippensburg on Sept. 3 when he batted away a two-point conversion attempt in the closing minute of play. The 6-foot-1, 238-pounder has recorded 32 tackles, including three tackles for losses, and has one pass interception.
Senior Jamie Ritchie (Liberty) is having a similar impact on the soccer field, where the Rams are 4-0-1. Junior forward Richard Smith owes many of his scoring opportunities to Ritchie, who has one goal and five assists. Ritchie already is the Rams' all-time leader for total goals (39) and career points (97) and closing in on Tim Miller's record for career assists (24).
Better days should be around the corner for the 4-11 women's volleyball team thanks to the play of freshman Kori Ford (Chancellor) who has 113 kills, 40 digs, 31 blocks and 10 service aces in starting all 15 matches.
"The best asset about Kori is her playing style. She is fun to watch, has a great time playing, and you can often see her laugh at her own mistakes," Rams coach Sarah Smith said via an e-mail message.
Splitting time between middle blocker and outside hitter, Ford has solidified the Rams' defense and is coming off her best match of the season, totaling 13 kills against Bluefield while committing only one error in 20 attempts for a .600 hitting percentage.
McNemar shares leadStringing together a round that included five birdies, Southern Illinois' Sean McNemar (Culpeper) fired a 3-under-par 68 for a share of the lead following Monday's first round of the Butler Fall Golf Invitational.
Lacey nears milestone
Junior tailback Brandon Lacey (Washington & Lee) rushed for 61 yards and one TD on seven carries to help spark the Shenandoah University football team to a 20-10 victory over Randolph-Macon on Saturday.
Lacey is Shenandoah's No. 4 all-time leading scorer and needs 36 rushing yards in this week's home game against Ferrum College to reach the 1,000 career mark.
The Hornets' starting lineup also includes wide receiver Proteus Herring (Courtland) and defensive lineman Jim Rishmawi (King George), while Rippert Roberts (Courtland) sees considerable action in the secondary coming off the bench.
Also on the squad are linebacker David Abraham (North Stafford), offensive lineman Scott Briscoe (King George), tight end Justin Graham (Colonial Forge) and linebacker Jake Wilson (Courtland).
Sharing the spotlightArea athletes are contributing to their team's success on a variety of fronts. Here are a few:
Longwood's Lauren Lawson (North Stafford) contributed an assist and one of the Lancers' three shots on goal in a 2-1 soccer loss to Appalachian State.
Longwood's Stephanie Hicks (Louisa) tied for second with her 77-75-74-226, in leading the women's golf team to a fifth-place finish at the Lady Herd Fall Classic in Huntington, W.Va.
Bridgewater's Sarah Evans (Spotsylvania) netted her third and fourth goals of the season as the Eagles beat Sweet Briar 5-1 in their ODAC field hockey opener.
Virginia Commonwealth's Libby Little (Courtland) placed 20th out of 32 runners in the Carolina Challenge 5-kilometer race Saturday at Chapel Hill.
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