Greetings from The Booth!

The visitors booth at Day Field in Ashland, Va., was not a fun place to be this past Saturday. The Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets used a familiar formula in soundly beating the Shenandoah Hornets 45-14 on Family Weekend at RMC. We’ve seen it all too many times: a ball control offense that possessed the football for over 44 minutes, an efficient passing game (on the rare occasions the Jackets threw the ball) featuring the tight end, and a dominating defense that completely shut down the Hornets. Simply, SU ran into a lemon and black buzzsaw.

No element of football is independent from another. Case in point, the Hornets offense never got anything going on Saturday. Thus, the defense was constantly on the field and eventually worn down by the constant pounding of the Yellow Jackets. Even when the Hornets were hanging in early, thanks to some special teams mistakes by RMC, there was never a feeling that Shenandoah was going to pull the upset, as they did the week before against D-2 Emory & Henry.

Sometimes the best lessons, albeit painful ones, come out of defeats like the one at RMC. The Hornets were riding high after their win against E&H , and rightfully so. But the Jackets showed Shenandoah what the upper echelon of the ODAC looks like. The Yellow Jackets are perennial contenders who have won 3 of the last 5 league titles. They are near the top in the nation in several categories, and they don’t beat themselves. And when they have you down, they don’t let up, usually. If not for a last-second Hail Mary by Washington & Lee, RMC would be undefeated. In short, SU got hit with a measuring stick last weekend, and it left a mark.

For the Hornets, it’s time to move on, because there are still some things to be accomplished. With a win this Saturday against Apprentice, Shenandoah would secure a winning season. And with a win against the Builders followed by a home win in the finale against W&L, the Hornets would finish at 7-3, their best season since the NCAA Playoff year of 2004. This is significant, because 7-3 is that next rung on the ladder that separates you from the middle of the pack, and puts you closer to the the league’s elites.

This season, that’s not quite close enough.

Catch the Winchester Printers Pre-Game Show from at 12:30 Saturday, followed by kickoff at 1. Until our next visit from the Booth…GO HORNETS!

RW