Sports provides many opportunities for redemption.
 
After a missed extra point earlier in the game, junior kicker A.J. Rhodes' 37-yard field goal as time expired gave the No. RV Ashland University football team (9-3) a 40-38 win at No. 6 Charleston (11-1) on Saturday (Nov. 23) afternoon.
 
The Eagles' fourth all-time NCAA Division II playoff win, and ninth win in the last 10 games overall, came following the sixth and final lead change of the afternoon.
 
Ashland quickly took advantage of a fumble recovery by sophomore linebacker Ben Holzopfel on the game's first drive, as senior quarterback Trevor Bycznski found senior wide receiver Tony Pannunzio for a 41-yard touchdown pass on the Eagles' first play from scrimmage.
 
Charleston was stopped on fourth-and-1 at the AU 33, and then the Eagles went down the field. Rhodes' first 37-yard field goal put Ashland up 10-0 after the game's first 11:17.
 
Early in the second quarter, Charleston took points off the board after an Eagle holding call on a made field goal. The Golden Eagles got on the board thanks to a one-yard TD run by fullback Niko Kausky.
 
Leading 10-7 and with Charleston driving, Ashland forced another turnover, a fumble which was recovered by sophomore safety E.J. Teah at the Eagle 2. The Golden Eagles, however, got the ball back and took the lead at 14-10 late in the first half when quarterback Ean Hamric connected with wide receiver Yves Bosmans on a 41-yard scoring strike.
 
When running back Chavon Wright went in on a two-yard scoring run with 9:51 to go in the third quarter, Charleston boasted a 21-10 lead.
 
The Eagles came back and cut the deficit to 21-17 after Bycznski went in from a yard out. Then, early in the fourth quarter, Bycznski threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end Brock Henne to put Ashland ahead, 24-21.
 
Hamric took the Golden Eagles back down the field, and scored himself on an 11-yard TD run, and at the 10:52 mark of the fourth, Charleston led 28-24. Bycznski kept the back-and-forth going, and the fourth lead change the in game was his 45-yard touchdown toss to sophomore wide receiver Jamari Croom.
 
The extra point was missed, but the Eagles led 30-28 with 9:25 left in regulation. Then, when Ashland needed it, and after not getting much in the running game all day, sophomore tailback Olando Kamara went 77 yards for the score which put Ashland ahead 37-28 with 5:28 left.
 
Kicker Levi Paxton hit a 42-yard field goal at the 3:08 mark to get Charleston closer at 37-31, then Hamric and Bosmans put the Golden Eagles ahead with a 44-yard bomb with 1:13 left following the extra point.
 
Bycznski, who narrowly missed setting a new program single-game passing yards record on Saturday, moved Ashland down the field with little time remaining but with all three timeouts – setting up Rhodes' heroics.
 
PANNUNZIO TIES EAGLE CATCHES MARK…AND THE REST OF THE STORY

• Bycznski was 28-for-42 for 435 yards and three touchdowns, and added the rushing TD.
• Pannunzio tied the Ashland single-game receptions record with 14, and gained 228 yards through the air.
• Rhodes became the first Eagle kicker in seven years to hit a game-ending, game-winning field goal (Aiden Simenc at home vs. Grand Valley State in 2017).
• The two teams combined for 78 points, 50 first downs and 1,134 yards of total offense on Saturday.

UP NEXT
A second-round D-II playoff game on Nov. 30 at No. 20 California, Pa. (9-2).