Kentucky Christian Pulls Away from Bluefield on Senior Night
Photo courtesy of Bluefield University’s Athletic Communications Department.
Bluefield University’s football Senior Night ended in a close 34-24 loss to Kentucky Christian on Halloween night, Saturday, October 31, at Mitchell Stadium. The Rams held a second-half lead but could not maintain their momentum as the Knights scored 22 points in the final two quarters to secure the victory.
The game began with an early Kentucky Christian score after the Knights took advantage of a Bluefield turnover on downs, starting their drive at the Rams’ 26-yard line. Running back Jamareon Dale capped the two-play possession with a 26-yard touchdown run at the 10:01 mark. The extra point was unsuccessful, leaving Kentucky Christian ahead 6-0.
Bluefield answered in dramatic fashion on the final play of the first quarter. Defensive back Jamari Williams intercepted a pass and returned it 82 yards for a touchdown, giving the Rams a 7-6 lead after Isaiah Bandy’s successful point-after-try.
Kentucky Christian regained the lead early in the second quarter with a two-yard touchdown pass from Xavier Phillips to Isaiah Rigsby, with the two-point conversion being unsuccessful. Bluefield responded with a 29-yard field goal from Bandy, who is from local Richlands High School, after putting together a 10-play, 67-yard drive. The Rams entered halftime trailing 12-10, keeping the game within reach.
Bluefield came out of the break with its best offensive stretch of the night. The Rams put together a nine-play, 68-yard drive that ended with Marquavion Rosser scoring a three-yard touchdown run. Bandy’s extra point gave Bluefield a 17-12 advantage with 8:15 remaining in the third quarter.
However, Kentucky Christian responded with a safety off a blocked punt and a three-yard touchdown run by Amarion Grant to regain the lead, 21-17, before the end of the third quarter. The Knights added two more rushing touchdowns from Vaughn Johnson in the fourth quarter, as the Rams’ defense seemed to collapse, extending their advantage to 34-17.
Bluefield continued fighting late. Quarterback Brock Stomps connected with Semaj Jeffreys for a two-yard touchdown pass with 1:46 remaining. The four-play, 65-yard drive brought the Rams within 10 points, but the late score was not enough, as the ensuing onside kick from Bluefield was unsuccessful.
The Rams’ running game faced a significant challenge after standout running back Kyree Edwards suffered an injury and was unable to play. His absence had a noticeable impact on Bluefield’s ability to establish its ground attack and balance the offense. The Rams finished with just 45 net rushing yards on 26 attempts, averaging just 1.7 yards per carry. Rosser led the team with 31 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown, while Rayjuan Traynham added 30 yards on seven attempts. Stomps also finished with negative rushing yardage after losses on sacks.
With the running game limited, Bluefield relied more heavily on its passing attack. Stomps, playing in his second game since coming back from a torn ACL in the spring, completed 24 of 40 passes for 239 yards and one touchdown without throwing an interception, a notable performance for just his second game back. Cassius Harris, who was a standout receiver from local Tazewell High School and transferred from Division I school University of Richmond this season, led the Rams’ receivers with four catches for 64 yards, followed by Jordan Edwards with six receptions for 56 yards and Jamonta Chavis with five catches for 46 yards. Jeffreys recorded the team’s only receiving touchdown.
Defensively, Williams provided the game’s biggest individual play with his 82-yard interception return. Elijah Padgett, who is from local Princeton Senior High School, led Bluefield with 11 total tackles, while Dayson McMillian, who is from local George Wythe High School, added six tackles and two tackles for loss. Kentucky Christian finished with 348 yards of total offense compared with Bluefield’s 284 and recorded five sacks, one of which was from Malachi Elick, who is from local Graham High School, for the Knights.
The matchup also served as an opportunity to recognize Bluefield’s seniors, who were honored before their final home game of the season. Seniors Titus Holte, Koda Counts, Jamonta Harris, Isaiah Bandy, Kennison “Cowboy” Moore, Jyron Barley, Jeffrey Vargas, Dayson McMillian, Tajari Singleton, and Jordan Edwards were all recognized pregame for Senior Night.
Bluefield fell to 3-6 overall and 1-3 in Appalachian Athletic Conference play, while Kentucky Christian improved to 3-6 overall and 2-2 in conference action.
Box Score: Football vs Kentucky Christian on 10/31/2026 – Box Score – Bluefield University Athletics