H-SC Gets Its Fill Of Highfill In 31-13 Loss (Daily News-Record)

Daily News-Record - By Jeremy Cothran

BRIDGEWATER — Marty Favret has pulled the puppet strings as the Hampden-Sydney College football coach for eight seasons against Bridgewater, so he’s no stranger to seeing a fleet-footed Eagles quarterback turn his stomach inside-out with scoring scrambles.

On Saturday, Jeff Highfill did the honors in the Eagles’ 31-13 victory over the Tigers in front of 3,420 fans at Jopson Field.

“In the red zone,” Favret said, “they run the quarterback. They’ve been doing it since [Jason] Lutz and [Robbie] Jenkins. That’s just what they do. We got hurt on the boot. We have young guys out there, freshmen on defense, and they just got fooled.”

Highfill rushed for three touchdowns – including two game-clinching fourth-quarter dashes – to lead the Eagles to their eighth straight win over their chief Old Dominion Athletic Conference rival and to their 36th consecutive ODAC victory.

Senior tailback Winston Young had his second straight 100-yard game (20 carries, 107 yards) as he continues to recover from the bruised ribs he suffered in the season opener.

Highfill completed 12 of 16 passes for 168 yards on a mild Saturday afternoon, but his feet have been just as effective as his arm. The junior from Roanoke has rushed for seven touchdowns, including at least one in every game, to help the ninth-ranked Eagles improve to 5-0 overall, 1-0 in the ODAC.

Michael Clark said Highfill has the talent to match the all-time greats at BC.

“I really do believe that as [Highfill] gets better, as he matures as a player, he will have all the qualities of our [past] quarterbacks combined …” the 11th-year Eagles coach said. “We’ve got to get him more involved in the option game, because with him on the edge, that’s a big body running.”

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Highfill tied the game Saturday after Hampden-Sydney stormed to a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter. Two BC series later, Highfill capped a quick, four-play drive with a play-action QB boot, scurrying down the right side for the equalizer.

The Eagles pulled ahead 17-7 in the second quarter on a 41-yard field goal by Luke Taylor and a 3-yard touchdown run by junior tailback Phillip Carter, who was relegated to reserve duties – only nine carries, 33 yards – with Young starting to return to form.

Hampden-Sydney (1-3, 1-1) cut the lead to 17-13 in the third after senior receiver Drew Smith caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from freshman Craig Warnement, but it was the closest the Tigers would get as two Highfill scrambles in the fourth quarter (8 yards, 5 yards) iced the victory.

Just the sort of plays the BC coaching staff has been accustomed to seeing.

It might be too soon to break out a “Vanilla Vick” tag for the ex-William Byrd High School star, but Highfill succeeds with his scrambling because 1) he’s fast – timed around 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash – and 2) he’s absolutely fearless about taking a pounding.

“You’ll see,” Highfill said. “The faster I get up, that means the harder I was hit. But I’ve also been really lucky. I’ve never had a concussion. I mean, I do spend a lot of time in the weight room, as well.”

That much is evident.

With a prototype physique, Highfill certainly passes the eye-test when evaluating athletic quarterbacks. But he can also give an opposing defensive back or linebacker the slightest of shimmies — no ankle breaking stuff here — that allows him to pick up critical extra yardage.

“Oh, he’s got moves,” said junior wide receiver Brandon Copeland. “He’s got speed. Deceptive speed. He knows how to get guys to take bad angles on him. Plus he’s a big guy, you know, and nine times out of 10 he’ll just run you over.”

Hampden-Sydney had success with its own mobile quarterback Saturday, with freshman Bobby Owens (12 carries, 64 yards) spelling Warnement for certain series, giving the Tigers a tough fastball-changeup combination.

He certainly caused headaches for BC defenders.

“Oh man, No. 13,” senior defensive end Tony Burt said. “I don’t know his name, but he was tough. He was more mobile, while [Warnement] liked to drop back and throw.”

The Tigers never had a set rotation for the two QBs, with Favret calling his decision on when to alternate the pair a “feel thing.”

This game traditionally decides the league pecking order, and the Hampden-Sydney coach conceded that Bridgewater now had the inside track at an ODAC championship, but he suggested the road may be bumpier than usual.

“I think [Washington & Lee] and Guilford can play with the big boys now,” Favret said. “And, you know, those other teams got great defenses, so it’s not over. They’re going to have to play a great stretch of football.”