Box Score            PHOTO GALLERY

Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University redshirt junior quarterback Robbie Nallenweg (Asheville, N.C.) found redshirt sophomore wide receiver Bryan Caffrey (Bayside, N.Y.) with the winning touchdown pass in overtime, helping the Bulldogs outlast Catawba College for a 34-28 South Atlantic Conference victory Saturday at Irwin Belk Stadium and John R. Martin Field.
 
With Lenoir-Rhyne’s 34-21 triumph over Mars Hill, Wingate (5-3 overall, 4-1 SAC) is tied with the MHC Lions (5-3, 4-1) for first place in the league standings. The L-R Bears (5-2, 3-1) are one-half game back. Catawba (3-5 overall, 1-4 SAC) loses its fourth game in a row. 
 
The Nallenweg twins had a hand in each Bulldog touchdown. Robbie Nallenweg was 37-of-58 for 385 yards and two touchdowns. Senior running back Andrew Nallenweg (Asheville, N.C.) had three first-half rushing touchdowns as the hosts built a 21-14 lead at intermission. On the day, Wingate compiled 533 yards total offense.
 
Caffrey caught 13 passes for 133 yards and the crucial game-winning score. Senior wide receiver Chris Bowden (Forsyth, Ga.) caught 10 passes for 120 yards and one TD. Bowden set Wingate’s record for career receiving yards (3,360) in the victory. Sophomore running back Nestor Lantigua (Wellington, Fla.) rushed 20 times for 84 yards. Senior linebacker Robert Fletcher (Lancaster, S.C.) had 10 tackles.
 
For Catawba, freshman running back Xavier Bond (Smiths Station, Ala.) carried 23 times for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Indian redshirt freshman quarterback BJ Sherrill (Cleveland, N.C.) completed 16-of-28 passes for 196 yards. Sherrill matched Bond with two rushing TDs. Junior wide receiver Nate Charest (Charlotte, N.C.) caught five passes for 70 yards. Catawba senior linebacker Cory Johnson (Fayetteville, N.C.) led all defenders with 20 tackles (four solo, 16 assists). Johnson added a forced fumble and a pass break-up to his statistical ledger Saturday. 

Bond’s second touchdown (a five-yard burst) gave the visitors at 28-21 lead with 14:56 to play in the fourth quarter. Freshman place kicker Chad Hollandsworth (Kernersville, N.C.) added the PAT, completing Catawba’s longest drive (eight plays, 74 yards, 4:01) of the day.
 
Wingate answered, as the Bulldogs marched 82 yards on 16 plays. Robbie Nallenweg sealed the deal with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Bowden. Senior place kicker Paul Grammaticopoulos (Paris, France) booted the extra point, tying the score at 28-28 with 8:34 remaining in regulation.
 
Catawba’s next possession was a three-and-out, giving Wingate good field position at the visitor’s 45-yard line. The Bulldogs advanced to the Catawba 23-yard line, but Indian junior defensive back LJ McCray (Charlotte, N.C.) thwarted the potential scoring drive with an interception at the Catawba 13-yard line.
 
The Bulldog defense forced another three-and-out, allowing the offense to start a last-chance drive at the Wingate 48-yard line. Robbie Nallenweg moved his troops to the Catawba four-yard line, but Grammaticopoulos’ 21-yard field goal was wide right with 10 seconds to play. Catawba took a knee, setting the stage for overtime.

Wingate won the toss and elected to play defense. Bond rushed for three yards each on first down and second down. Sherrill’s third-down pass to Charest was incomplete, thanks in large part to a quarterback hurry by Bulldog redshirt senior defensive lineman Josh Patch (Salisbury, N.C.). Hollandsworth entered to try a 37-yard field goal, which he missed wide left.
 
Two Wingate plays (one run, one pass) moved the ball to the Catawba 21-yard line. On third down and six yards to go, Nallenweg found Caffrey on a 21-yard scoring connection. On the season, Caffrey has 57 catches for 625 yards and six touchdowns. He is second to Bowden (76, 1000, eight) in each category.
 
Andrew Nallenweg finished three-of-three Wingate scoring drives in the first half with TD runs of two, one and one yards. His third touchdown completed a 14-play, 80-yard drive (5:54), giving Wingate a 21-7 lead with 1:40 to play in the second quarter. Sherrill scored his second rushing TD 38 seconds later, completing the first half scoring.
 
Wingate won the time of possession battle 36:22 to 23:38. The Bulldogs converted 15-of-21 third downs and two-of-two fourth downs. Catawba was four-of-12 and zero-of-one in the same two categories. The Indians posted 300 yards total offense.
 
Bulldog senior defensive lineman Hamilton Bradley (Gastonia, N.C.) supported Fletcher’s efforts with three tackles, two quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery. Classmate and defensive line mate Malcolm Ricks (Pompano Beach, Fla.) also posted two QB hurries. Wingate redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Nick Napolitano (Shallotte, N.C.) had a quarterback sack, giving him a team-best 3.5 QB sacks on the season.
 
Three Catawba players had 11-plus tackles. After Johnson’s 20 stops, McCray had 13 tackles (eight solo, five assists) and the one interception. Sophomore linebacker Jason Taylor (Bahama, N.C.) had 11 tackles (two solo, nine assists) and one interception. Senior defensive back Scottie Floyd (Gastonia, N.C.) returned an interception 77 yards, setting up the first of two Bond touchdown runs.
 
Wingate hosts Lenoir-Rhyne University Saturday, Oct. 27. The homecoming game kick-off is slated for 1:30 p.m. Catawba returns home the same day, stepping out of the league fray to host North Greenville at 1:30 p.m.

    NCAA Division II Box Score (Final)

               Catawba vs Wingate (Oct 20, 2012 at Wingate, N.C.) 

Score by Quarters     1  2  3  4 OT   Score

-----------------    -- -- -- -- --   -----

Catawba.............  7  7  7  7  0  - 28       Record: (3-5,1-4)

Wingate............. 14  7  0  7  6  - 34       Record: (5-3,4-1)

 

Scoring Summary:

1st 09:39 WU - Andrew Nallenweg 2 run (Matthew Sierk kick)

    05:42 WU - Andrew Nallenweg 1 run (Matthew Sierk kick)

    02:23 CAT - BJ Sherrill 1 run (Chad Hollandsworth kick)

2nd 01:40 WU - Andrew Nallenweg 1 run (Matthew Sierk kick)

    01:02 CAT - BJ Sherrill 11 run (Chad Hollandsworth kick)

3rd 08:34 CAT - Xavier Bond 3 run (Chad Hollandsworth kick)

4th 14:56 CAT - Xavier Bond 5 run (Chad Hollandsworth kick)

    08:34 WU - Chris Bowden 16 pass from R. Nallenweg (Paul Grammaticopoulos kick)

OT  15:00 WU - Bryan Caffrey 21 pass from Robbie Nallenweg

 

                                    CAT       WU

FIRST DOWNS...................       16       34

RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............   29-104   43-148

PASSING YDS (NET).............      196      385

Passes Att-Comp-Int...........  28-16-0  59-37-4

TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS.....   57-300  102-533

Fumble Returns-Yards..........      1-9      0-0

Punt Returns-Yards............      1-6     2-17

Kickoff Returns-Yards.........    5-128     4-80

Interception Returns-Yards....     4-93      0-0

Punts (Number-Avg)............   6-36.0   1-37.0

Fumbles-Lost..................      1-1      3-1

Penalties-Yards...............     5-35     8-73

Possession Time...............    23:38    36:22

Third-Down Conversions........  4 of 12 15 of 21

Fourth-Down Conversions.......   0 of 1   2 of 2

Red-Zone Scores-Chances.......      4-5      4-6

Sacks By: Number-Yards........      0-0      1-7

 

RUSHING: Catawba-Xavier Bond 23-112; BJ Sherrill 3-5; Cary Littlejohn 1-0; TEAM

1-minus 3; Nate Charest 1-minus 10. Wingate-Nestor Lantigua 20-84; Mycah Gaylord 13-53; Andrew Nallenweg 7-10; Robbie Nallenweg 3-1.

 

PASSING: Catawba-BJ Sherrill 16-28-0-196. Wingate-Robbie Nallenweg 37-58-4-385;

TEAM 0-1-0-0.

 

RECEIVING: Catawba-Nate Charest 5-70; Gary Williams 2-36; Xavier Bond 2-35;

Tyler Hamilton 2-16; Jarrid McKinney 1-13; Vincent Beam 1-9; Nico Gianfrate 1-8; Cary Littlejohn 1-6; Joe Watson 1-3. Wingate-Bryan Caffrey 13-133; Chris Bowden 10-120; Josh Clawson 4-65; Tim Nalesnik 4-44; Mycah Gaylord 3-11; Nick Reddy 2-14; Nestor Lantigua 1-minus 2.