SEWANEE, Tenn. - Saturday was a day of great starts for the Sewanee football team, but standing out more was what it ended - a 19-game losing streak.
In the Tigers' first game under a new group of coaches, including Travis Rundle heading a program for the first time, they won 45-20 over visiting Kenyon with wonderful weather adding to the enjoyment for the home folks.
And a flock of freshmen had memorable moments in the season opener that began their college playing careers. Among those, Sewanee safety William Phillips made his first fumble recovery and his first return for a touchdown - taking that fumble forced by classmate Wesley Porter a school-record 98 yards just when the Lords appeared poised to take a two-touchdown lead early in the second quarter.
Instead, the Tigers grabbed the momentum and kept it until assuring the program's first victory since topping Kenyon on Sept. 5, 2015.
"That was my first college game, and I started it and had first-game jitters," Sewanee junior center John Gaither said Saturday. "This one is so much better. Coming off 19 games and two years of losing after that first win, it doesn't even compare to this one.
The Lords won the teams' season-opening matchup last year on their Ohio field.
Phillips also made his first two college interceptions, and Porter, Jackson Menefee and Walker Weatherly each registered his first. The Tigers allowed dangerous quarterback Thomas Merkle 33 completions and 300 passing yards - with Ian Bell totaling 17 catches for 156 yards and a touchdown - but got in the habit in the second half of ending Lords possessions with turnovers.
"We've worked very hard on liberating the ball," Rundle said.
And protecting it on offense. The Tigers' only turnover was Phillips' muff of a punt four plays before he atoned with his first interception. Sophomore quarterback Sam Hearn and freshman Alex Darras played equally, Hearn starting the game, and were 8-of-16 for 150 yards and 9-of-16 for 179, respectively, each with a touchdown pass.
Darras also had a 27-yard run. His first college TD throw, pushing Sewanee ahead 14-7 midway through the second half - less than three minutes after Phillips' scoring sprint - was the first TD reception for Calid Shorter, a 34-yard play. And freshman running back Sam Everette scored his first two college TDs on 2- and 3-yard fourth-quarter scores after senior starter Mikey Plancher ran 4 yards to make it 31-14.
Senior receiver Steven Hearn caught four passes for 82 yards, including a 25-yarder from his brother for a TD just before the end of the third period.
"As the game went along, our run game opened up," said Gaither, who's from Cleveland High School. "Our passing game was on point from the first."
Both quarterbacks benefited from good protection.
"If we don't do our job, nobody else's job gets done," Gaither said. "On offense and defense, it starts in the trenches."
He said he thought the Tigers eventually would have taken control of the game even if they had fallen behind 14-0, but Porter's and Phillips' combined heroics on the end-to-end fumble return made a huge difference.
"The defense definitely stepped up for us today," Gaither said. "And it feels so good."
Porter had eight solo tackles and four assists and Pierce Johnson and Lee Menefee totaled 13 and 12 tackles for the Tigers, Johnson with two for lost yardage.
"To win my first game as a head coach, it is exciting," Rundle said. "But I'm more excited for the players. Especially for the seniors and juniors, it's been such a long time since they won. But they all have worked so hard through the preseason."
Sewanee's next three games are away from home, beginning this Saturday at Washington & Lee.
Contact Ron Bush at rbush@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6291.