NEWS
Football Dazzles in Stadium Debut, Tops Catawba 49-14
Mason Sheron has the distinction of scoring the Wildcats’ first touchdown in their new stadium. It was the first touchdown by either team.
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Football dreams became reality in multiple dimensions for the Davidson Wildcats Saturday night in their debut of Davidson College Stadium.
Not only did the Wildcats festively roll out Field 76 like a red carpet; they played the game to match it, steamrolling to a 49-14 win over Catawba in front of a packed bowl.
“What an unbelievable night for our athletic department and our campus, our community,” said Davidson head coach Scott Abell. “I don’t think anybody could have ever imagined a Davidson football atmosphere that felt like tonight. So proud of everyone involved and grateful for them. Football’s exciting at Davidson. I’m extremely happy about that.”
The Wildcats played their familiar brand of football in their new home, rushing for 399 yards at 7.1 yards a carry, with 100-yard rushers Mari Adams and Mason Sheron leading the way. Touchdowns on the first three drives, including Sheron’s 79-yard gallop with 2:27 left in the first quarter, set the tone.
Once the Wildcats held Catawba scoreless on seven consecutive drives, they were well on their way.
“I am so excited for how we played,” said Abell. “We executed at a high level on offense, and we flew around on defense like I haven’t seen us fly around in a while.”
Davidson was methodical on its first drive on Field 76, fittingly marching 76 yards on 14 plays in 6:59 and capping it with a Sheron 8-yard touchdown run, his first of three. After he dashed 79 yards to push the Wildcats ahead 14-7, Luke Durkin connected on a 30-yard touchdown pass to Brody Reina in the second quarter to give Davidson its 21-7 halftime lead.
The Wildcats kept it up after the break and scored on four of five second-half possessions. Sheron added a 4-yard run, then watched Adams run for two, including a 75-yarder early in the fourth quarter. Backup quarterback LJ Phillips capped the scoring with a 3-yard plunge.
Safety Dominic Njoku led the defense with nine tackles, a tackle-for-loss, a forced fumble and an interception. Linebacker John Tessmann added six tackles to go with a sack and two tackles-for-loss on a night that included five Wildcat sacks.
Up Next
Davidson will conclude its brief homestand next weekend when Point University comes to town for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
Editor’s Note: See the News of Davidson album of photos and videos here.