By Tim Tassa — Daily Staff Writer

WINCHESTER — In football, five is seemingly a peculiar number — a field goal here, a two-point conversion or safety there.

For the Shenandoah Hornets, however, five points is the difference between their current 1-3 record and a possible 3-1 outburst.

The Hornets' three loses have totaled 15 points and their list of re-dos is growing: The failure to thwart a botched field goal against Catholic in Week 1, convert an extra point against Ferrum, and successfully convert the two-point attempt because of the first gaffe.

One hard-luck loss is difficult to overcome; the Hornets are having to manage two and three.

"It's tough — we're real close as a whole, as a team," linebacker C.J. Madison said. "I feel like a lot of upper-classmen and leaders — we take control of that — make sure we don't really separate."

"Losing — nothing good comes from a loss to be honest with you," Shenandoah head coach Paul Barnes said.

"We lost some close games and we've just go to take from those games and keep applying it and getting improvement."

Recent history suggests Christopher Newport, which visits Sprint Field at Shentel Stadium tonight, isn't an ideal opponent to reverse the Hornets' early season trend. The Captains (1-1) have won their lone close game of the season against Wilkes, 21-20, and own a 42-point defeat of Shenandoah last season.

Offensively, the Captains feature the power running of two larger backs, Mike Thomas (6-foot, 220 pounds) and Tunde Ogun (6-foot, 218 pounds), who leads the team with 197 yards rushing on 40 carries.

Quarterback Matt Long, a former defensive back, provides a dual-threat presence who is at his best when passing out on the edge.

"Their receivers are big-play guys, so they run, run, run, and then they'll hit you with the big play," defensive coordinator Brock McCullough said.

Added Barnes, "We got our hands full with CNU's offense because they can do multiple things, and when you can do multiple things then you have to prepare for them. They can go in a lot of different directions."

Despite the frequency of close losses this season, Barnes has taken respite in the experience his team has garnered in playing in tight contests. After all, the Hornets have constructed a positive list of their own: They battled back from 14 down against Catholic, protected a lead against Bridgewater and matched touchdowns with Ferrum.

Still, he looked to significant fourth-quarter penalties and mistakes against the Panthers that proved costly in getting the team its first USA South Conference victory.

"In key games like that, all that comes back to get you. And it did. And when we learn to put it all together we're going to be a really good football team," Barnes said.

"We're close now, I can see it. That was a tough three-game stretch, and we played hard and we played some really good football teams on the road, and I was very proud with the way we went out with the intensity and [physicality] of our team and we just grew as a team.

The Captains limited Shenandoah's power running game last season to just 64 yards on 34 carries, and quarterback Vern Lunsford believes CNU's two senior defensive ends — DeShaun Parker and Nate Williams — to be the strength of its team.

Running back Kevin Roberts said the Captains were more aggressive up front in last season's loss. Because of the Hornets' threat to pass this season, however, Roberts doesn't expect the line of scrimmage to be quite as stacked.

"It's vital as any other game. The front four at the line of scrimmage is always the most important thing, I feel, that needs to be taken care of first. As long as we open up the holes, the running backs can do their jobs because we did our jobs," right guard Sean McKenzie said.

Roberts rushed for 102 yards on 20 carries against Ferrum, and said the unit is one or two blocks away from breaking long touchdown runs. He has gained 393 yards on 98 carries on the season.

"You got to really come out, hit CNU in the mouth, let them know they're going to be in a fight the whole game," Roberts said.

"You come out softly against them, they're just going to take it to you."

* Contact Tim Tassa at ttassa@nvdaily.com