Covenant football’s long wait is over.
“This is amazing, couldn’t be better,” said Covenant senior Stephen Wilder. “Couldn’t be better.”
The Eagles are playoff bound for the first time since the 2008 season, ending one of the area’s longest current playoff droughts after beating Randolph Macon Academy 42-27 Thursday afternoon on senior night for Wilder and his classmates, a group that had hung with a program that has struggled at times since the end of the Mark Sanford era which coincided with that last playoff appearance. Seeing those players earn a playoff berth was a special moment for second year coach Dave Hart.
“It’s amazing, these seniors have been through a lot in terms of this program so to see their commitment and their loyalty,” Hart said. “For them to get a chance to play in the playoffs, I’m just excited for them.”
Those elder statesmen got there with a lot of help from freshman Rick Weaver who rushed for 250 yards and scored four touchdowns including Covenant’s final two scores that extended the Eagles lead to eight and then 15 points. That last one came from 26 yards out and ended a clock-grinding drive that milked 7 minutes and 15 seconds off the fourth quarter clock.
“We’ve improved every day, we just work hard and keep going,” Weaver said. “I just believed in my line. I’m glad to see (the seniors get into the playoffs and end the drought). Words can’t explain that.”
Weaver’s strong outing came on the heels of a 308-yard outing against North Cross last week that signaled that the freshman is quite suddenly taking games over. He’s become the kind of bell cow running back that Covenant can lean on in its option attack. On several of his big runs he broke as many as three tackles, powering past RMA defenders repeatedly.
“I knew it was going to happen sooner or later,” Hart said. “As soon as he figured out that he was 250 pounds and ran a 4.9 40 and everyone else isn’t, I knew it was going to be trouble for the other team. And (quarterback) John Huemme is starting to get a grasp on the reads and that’s helping out too.”
Other young standouts also stepped up for the Eagles with Luke Sorenson picking off a pass with 10:28 left that shut down what had been a solid drive by the Jackets. It also set up that clock grinder of a drive that ended with Weaver’s final touchdown. Sophomore Jacob Smith also made a huge play with a leaping pass breakup as the Eagles’ secondary continued to emerge as one of Covenant’s big strengths.
“It’s been awesome, early in the season, Josh (Klein) and I were having to hold it down but now these freshmen, these sophomores are really stepping up,” Wilder said. “They’re making the big plays now.”
Wilder did a little of everything for Covenant Thursday, kicking extra points, returning kicks and making a slew of tackles on defense. It was a fitting performance in his final game at home after three years as a major contributor for the Eagles.
“We had a team dinner last night to honor the seniors and when I talked about Steven I said ‘he’s our Iron Eagle’,” Hart said. “He embodies everything we want in a Covenant football player. He goes hard all the time, he’s a man of integrity, he’s an excellent football player and to see the way he stepped up tonight and filled the roles he needed to fill tonight was great.”
In the first half, Covenant and RMA traded touchdowns early, leaving Covenant in a six-point hole at the break after a drive in the closing minutes stalled out in the redzone. But the second half was all Covenant essentially after a solid return on the opening kickoff set up Weaver for a 56-yard touchdown sprint that put the Eagles up. The Jackets answered that first score but then Covenant reeled off 21 unanswered points to close the game with Sam Lapage’s 11-yard score after a great return by Wilder putting Covenant ahead for good at 28-27 with 6:33 left in the third. Lapage rushed for 81 yards on just six touches.
Behind an effective offensive line effort, Covenant rushed for 468 total yards with John Huemme’s 117 yards combining with Weaver and Lapage for the bulk of the performance.
For Wilder and players like Jamison Steljes, the varsity squad’s lone fourth-year senior, the comeback was massive, ending years of frustration and late seasons swoons due to injuries and just exhaustion as Covenant battled depth issues. Those issues are still there in some form or fashion, but this year Covenant overcame those problems and changed the narrative.
‘This is everything,” Wilder said. “As you can see, we’re stepping in the right direction and we’ve got something rolling.”
