SALISBURY, N.C. — The Catawba College football team leveraged two fourth-quarter touchdowns to defeat the Emory & Henry Wasps, 24-10, on Saturday night at Shuford Stadium, ending Family Weekend on a high note.
Catawba (2-2, 1-1 SAC) capitalized on red zone chances, going 3-for-3, and multiple Emory & Henry (1-3, 0-2 SAC) miscues to pull out the win. The Wasps led 370-290 in total offense with a 51-yard difference in the ground game while averaging three more yards per reception than the Catawba Indians. The home team's defense rose to the occasion, however, forcing the Wasps to cough up possession twice on fumbles and go 2-for-11 on third downs.
Mason Fortune hurled an 18-for-31 clip for 185 yards for the Catawba Indians, his lowest marks of the season due in part to having a season-low 59 offensive plays. Nick Venezia was his favorite target as the redshirt sophomore duo connected nine times for 126 yards, a stat line amplified by 84 yards after catch. Coen Sutton hauled in four completions for 31 yards as Mike Geter and Maurice Savage each pocketed a 10-yard reception. Saeed St. Fleur took eight carries for 36 yards in the rushing game, followed by Kevon Rivera who burst back onto the scene with seven attempts for 30 yards and a touchdown. Tareavion Mageo made his first two career rushes count, using a pair of two-yard rushes to get a first down and reach the end zone, respectively.
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Four Catawba Indians tied in the tackling standings with five apiece, a list anchored by Jymiek Sampson who totaled two tackles for loss including a sack that dealt a 15-yard loss. Kyiev Bennermon piled on three stops featuring 2.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles on the defensive line. Jy Favor paced the squad with three of the Catawba Indians' five QB hurries in the matchup. Elijah Barber notched his fourth pass breakup of the 2026-27 season.
After coming up empty on their first offensive drive, the Catawba Indians forced a shanked punt that Kyle Perry tracked down and took 56 yards to the end zone. Fumbles brought three of the next four drives to a speedy close as Bennermon was the common denominator on both Catawba forced fumbles. Early in the second quarter, Francisco Garcia Rodriguez drilled a 22-yarder to make it a multi-possession game. The Wasps took a chunk off with Dallas Chavis' 18-yard touchdown dash, cutting it to 10-7. E&H attempted to level the score using a 40-yard field goal, but the boot drifted too far left and kept the score at 10-7 heading into the locker room.
The Wasps drained the first five minutes of the second half with a lengthy march into scoring range. Again E&H set up for a 27-yard kick, but it doinked off the top of the right upright. The visitors' third field goal attempt was true from 38 yards, tying the ballgame at 10-10. The Catawba offense pushed well into Wasp territory as the quarter break stopped proceedings at the 2. On fourth down at the 1, Rivera muscled through the pile to score a TD and move the Catawba Indians back in front. Following an E&H punt, Catawba milked the clock with an 8:30 drive capped by a TD plunge by Mageo — his first career score. The Wasps' final offensive drive began with 2:21 left in the contest and concluded with a stop behind the line of scrimmage at the 4-yard line. One kneel later and Catawba celebrated the first home win of 2026 to get the squad back to .500 through four games.
