Two Hampden Sydney Football players burned in a fire on campus.
By: Mark Bowes , Joe Macenka | Richmond Times Dispatch
Published: January 26, 2012 Updated: January 26, 2012 - 12:00 AM
HAMPDEN-SYDNEY --
Two Hampden-Sydney College star football players — both Hanover High School graduates — were burned, one seriously, in a fire at a campus residence before dawn Wednesday.
School spokesman Thomas Shomo said the more seriously injured student — identified as Kirk Rohle, 20, of Mechanicsville — was flown to VCU Medical Center in Richmond after the fire, which was reported at 4:12 a.m. in the Tiger Athletic Club House.
"The burns were not life-threatening," Shomo said, "but he was seriously burned."
As of Wednesday night, Rohle was in critical but stable condition, according to hospital officials.
The other student, identified as Benjamin Rogers, was among a group of TAC House residents who drove to the hospital to visit their seriously injured housemate. Rogers was treated for minor burns at VCU Medical Center and is listed in good condition.
Shomo said the TAC House, which he described as a sports-related theme house instead of a fraternity, was a total loss in the fire, which took about 90 minutes to bring under control. The TAC students will be given temporary housing in a former fraternity house on campus, he said.
Shomo said the house on College Road near the edge of campus had smoke detectors that functioned properly and alerted the residents. Eight of the nine residents were home at the time, he said.
College officials are investigating the fire, and Shomo said the Prince Edward County fire marshal will likely be consulted as well.
Shomo said early indications were that the fire may have started in furniture on the front porch, but he added that the exact cause or point of origin remained unclear.
"It's under investigation. We honestly do not know," he said. "But there's no sense it was a suspicious fire or anything like that."
Shomo said Rohle plays football for the all-male college in Prince Edward County. Rohle played baseball, football and wrestled at Hanover High School.
Rohle was a second-team all-Old Dominion Athletic Conference running back last season, helping the Tigers win the conference title. He rushed for 1,023 yards and 18 touchdowns and caught 62 passes for 547 yards and three touchdowns.
Rogers was named first-team all-ODAC as an offensive lineman and was named to the AFCA Division III All-America first team. He is the first four-time all-ODAC selection in Hampden-Sydney history.
The fire is among the worst in the Prince Edward County area since March 2007, when an apartment fire in Farmville took the lives of a Longwood University senior and a friend visiting from the Albemarle County area. A 21-year-old junior from Oak Hill, Timothy Cocrane, was celebrated as a hero in the blaze after he saved the lives of three residents.
By: Mark Bowes , Joe Macenka | Richmond Times Dispatch
Published: January 26, 2012 Updated: January 26, 2012 - 12:00 AM
HAMPDEN-SYDNEY --
Two Hampden-Sydney College star football players — both Hanover High School graduates — were burned, one seriously, in a fire at a campus residence before dawn Wednesday.
School spokesman Thomas Shomo said the more seriously injured student — identified as Kirk Rohle, 20, of Mechanicsville — was flown to VCU Medical Center in Richmond after the fire, which was reported at 4:12 a.m. in the Tiger Athletic Club House.
"The burns were not life-threatening," Shomo said, "but he was seriously burned."
As of Wednesday night, Rohle was in critical but stable condition, according to hospital officials.
The other student, identified as Benjamin Rogers, was among a group of TAC House residents who drove to the hospital to visit their seriously injured housemate. Rogers was treated for minor burns at VCU Medical Center and is listed in good condition.
Shomo said the TAC House, which he described as a sports-related theme house instead of a fraternity, was a total loss in the fire, which took about 90 minutes to bring under control. The TAC students will be given temporary housing in a former fraternity house on campus, he said.
Shomo said the house on College Road near the edge of campus had smoke detectors that functioned properly and alerted the residents. Eight of the nine residents were home at the time, he said.
College officials are investigating the fire, and Shomo said the Prince Edward County fire marshal will likely be consulted as well.
Shomo said early indications were that the fire may have started in furniture on the front porch, but he added that the exact cause or point of origin remained unclear.
"It's under investigation. We honestly do not know," he said. "But there's no sense it was a suspicious fire or anything like that."
Shomo said Rohle plays football for the all-male college in Prince Edward County. Rohle played baseball, football and wrestled at Hanover High School.
Rohle was a second-team all-Old Dominion Athletic Conference running back last season, helping the Tigers win the conference title. He rushed for 1,023 yards and 18 touchdowns and caught 62 passes for 547 yards and three touchdowns.
Rogers was named first-team all-ODAC as an offensive lineman and was named to the AFCA Division III All-America first team. He is the first four-time all-ODAC selection in Hampden-Sydney history.
The fire is among the worst in the Prince Edward County area since March 2007, when an apartment fire in Farmville took the lives of a Longwood University senior and a friend visiting from the Albemarle County area. A 21-year-old junior from Oak Hill, Timothy Cocrane, was celebrated as a hero in the blaze after he saved the lives of three residents.
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