From staff reports
Lionel Vincent intercepted three passes and D’Andre Hopper threw two touchdown passes to lead the Rowan Rampage to a 29-20 victory over the Iredell Warriors at Mooresville High on Saturday.
Former Livingstone standout Hopper was 14-for-26 passing for 244 yards and two touchdowns and also kicked a field goal and two PATs.
Hopper’s 62-yard pass to Antonio Sullivan set up Hopper’s 5-yard run for a 7-0 lead, and Hopper’s TD pass to Sullivan made it 13-0.
Steve Blanton’s sack and Vincent’s first interception led to Hopper’s 12-yard TD pass to Hakim Pearce for a 19-0 lead.
Rowan led 19-8 at halftime.
Hard runs by Willie Hosch and Brandon Walker set up a 28-yard field goal by Hopper for a 22-8 lead.
Iredell got within 22-20 in the fourth quarter, but Benji “Creed” Greene stopped a two-point conversion that would have tied the game.
Greene also tipped a pass that created Vincent’s second pick of the game.
With Rowan backed up on its own 4 in the fourth quarter, Hopper scrambled for 32 yards and a 15-yard facemask penalty was tacked on at the end of a run. Rowan finished the 96-yard drive with Hosch scoring behind a block by William Evans.
Vincent’s third interception sealed Rowan’s sixth straight victory.
Hosch and Walker combined for 73 rushing yards.
Vincent, Blanton, D.J. Parsons, Garette Knight, Ricky Muriel, Maurice Swaringen and Nichael Hill led the Rampage defense.
Rowan plays the Catawba County Hornets at Knox Middle School next Saturday.
– Catawba athletics
Catawba’s women’s cross country team finished seventh and the men were 19th in the Eye Opener Meet in Spartanburg, S.C., on Saturday.
Freshman Olivia Jacobs (South Rowan) was eighth in 20:16 to pace the women. On the men’s side, Clay Yarbrough was 49th in 29:18 on an 8K course.
* Jacobs was fourth in 20:37 at the Gamecock Invitational to open the season.
* Catawba’s volleyball team (3-4) was swept by St. Cloud State in Alaska on Saturday. Melissa Griffith had nine kills and 19 digs.
Catawba lost to Alaska-Fairbanks 3-1 despite 22 kills by Melissa Powers.
Catawba swept Ashland behind 13 kills and four blocks by Griffith.
* Catawba’s men’s soccer team (1-3) lost to Limestone 5-1 on Saturday.
* Catawba’s field hockey team lost to Kutztown 4-1. Dana Dolbow scored for the Indians.
* Catawba has had changes in the fall tennis clinics that will be held Monday (5-6:30), Friday (3:30-5), Saturday (9-10:30) and Sunday (2-3).
The cost of each clinic remains $10. The schedule can be found on the Catawba Athletics Web site under the camps/clinics link.
Contact Jeff Childress at 704-637-4265 or e-mail jchildre@catawba.edu.