Weekly SAC Football Notes, September 23, 2007

Game notes and recaps from around the SAC for games of Saturday, September 22:

BREVARD - The Brevard College picked up their first win of the 2007 season on Saturday afternoon, as they defeated the Chowan Hawks 45-7 on Family Weekend at Brevard Memorial Stadium … The Tornado offense struck early and often, as they posted a total of 409 yards of offense, a season high, led by the rushing game which compiled a total of 257 rushing yards on 44 carries. The 257 rushing yards is also a team game high this season for BC … Like their previous three games, Brevard struck first and got out to an early 7-0 lead. Running back John Taylor finished off a five play, 35 yard drive, with a four-yard touchdown run through the middle of the Hawks defense putting the Tornados on the board first midway through the first quarter … Fullback Derek Church made good on his only carry of the game, as early in the second quarter he punched the ball into the end zone from two-yards out to give BC a 13-0 lead. The BC touchdown was set up by a 48-yard pass completion from quarterback Colby McCoy to receiver Michael Turner, putting the Tornados inside the Hawks 10-yard line … Kicker Chase Henry added the point-after-attempt to give the Tornados a two-touchdown lead at 14-0 … On Chowan's very next offensive possession, the Tornados defense stepped up as linebacker Stanley Jones intercepted a Marcus Brown pass at Chowan's own 32-yard line and returned it for a touchdown giving BC a 20-0 lead. Once again, Henry added the extra point, giving the Tornados a 21-0 lead, their biggest lead of the season … However, with 5:40 remaining in the first half, BC would score again but this time through the air. Quarterback McCoy hit an open Jeffrey Adams who cut through the Hawks secondary and scampered into the end zone for a 47-yard touchdown pass … The 47-yard touchdown pass was both the first and the longest touchdown pass of the season for the Tornados … BC's point after attempt would be good, as the Tornados would take a 28-0 lead into the half … The Tornados would add 10 points to their lead in the third quarter as Henry would put a 40-yard field goal attempt straight through the uprights with 8:33 remaining in the third, while Taylor would run for a 10-yard touchdown scurry with 5:02 left to push the BC lead to 38-0 … Chowan would not give up as they found the end zone midway through the fourth quarter, when receiver Anthony Hinton caught a 13-yard touchdown pass in the end zone from Brown, putting the Hawks on the board … Kicker Cory Cline would make good on the extra point, spoiling the Tornados hopes of a shutout and making the score 38-7 … With BC attempting to run out the clock late in the fourth quarter, running back Tyrone Arrington broke through the middle of the Hawks defense and ran for a 44-yard touchdown run capping off a seven-play, 72-yard drive, and finalizing the score at 45-7 … Leading the way for BC was Arrington who rushed 12 times for 117 yards and one touchdown. It was the sophomore's first ever 100-yard game … Not to be outdone, running back Taylor ran for 76 yards on 15 carries, scoring twice for the Tornados … After returning to the starting line up, sophomore quarterback McCoy completed 10 of 17 passes for 152-yards, including one touchdown pass and one interception … Freshman Christian Lumbu led the way for the BC defense, posting six solo tackles, four tackle assists and one sack. Lumbu also had a team high 4.5 tackles for 19 yards … Linebacker Stanley Jones posted seven total tackles to go with his interception which he returned 32-yards for a touchdown … For Chowan, running back Kenny Royster rushed 18 times for 100 yards, while backup quarterback Josh Price completed 13 of 18 passes for 97-yards. Starting quarterback Marcus Brown passed for the lone Hawks touchdown on the day … The Brevard College Tornados (1-3) will look to carry over the momentum from this week's win, when they will travel to Hickory, N.C. to face off with SAC member Lenoir-Rhyne. The kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

CARSON-NEWMAN - The Carson-Newman Eagles defeated Dixie State, 35-13 Thursday night to remain undefeated in the 2007 season … Carson-Newman (4-0) set the tone offensively and defensively. After the Eagle offense went three-and-out on their first offensive series, Otis Ballard gave the Eagles a boost. On third and 10, Ballard intercepted a Skyler Ence pass and returned it 52 yards for the first C-N touchdown of the night … Andre Reese forced an incomplete pass on Dixie State's next drive and sacked Ence for a 15-yard loss on third and eight. The Eagle special teams blocked a 42-yard field goal to preserve the first quarter shutout … From there, Buck Wakefield ignited the Eagle ground attack. With less than a minute remaining in the first quarter, Wakefield raced 84 yards to the end zone for a 14-0 Eagle lead. Wakefield had six carries on the night for 97 yards … After the Eagle defense forced a Dixie State punt to start the second quarter, Alex Rouse found James Banks for a 46-yard TD catch to increase the C-N lead to 21-0 at halftime … In the third quarter, Anthony Toribio and Elliott Tarplin had consecutive tackles for loss on third and fourth down, respectively, to set the Eagle offense at the Dixie State three-yard line. Two plays later, Tony Richardson scored from two yards out for a 28-0 Eagle advantage … Later in the third quarter, Dixie State drove to the Carson-Newman 27 yard-line, but Ballard snuffed any hope of a comeback with his second interception of the night. From there, Alex Good directed a 13-play, 79-yard drive capped by Banks' second TD reception, a 36-yard catch, for the Eagles' final points of the night … Dixie State added two late touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but failed to convert the extra point on their second score to make the final tally 35-13 … The Eagles now set their sights on South Atlantic Conference play by hosting defending SAC champion Newberry College at Burke-Tarr Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.

CATAWBA - The Catawba Indians had the week off. This week, Catawba hosts Mars Hill College in their conference opener. The game is set for Thursday night. The game will be televised nationally on CSTV and Fox Sports South.

LENOIR-RHYNE - The 2007 Lenoir-Rhyne College Football Team (1-3) won its first game of the year Saturday, 38-13 over Benedict College (1-4) in front of 6,257 fans at Moretz Stadium … In addition, L-R snapped a five-game losing streak dating back to last season and the victory was the first for Head Coach Fred Goldsmith as Bear mentor … Lenoir-Rhyne rushed for 291 yards on 60 carries and finished with a season-high 437 yards of total offense … L-R's defense also scored 10 points off of four Benedict turnovers and limited the Tigers to just 52 yards of total offense in the second half (232 total) … With the score tied at seven after one quarter of play, L-R took controlled with 17 consecutive points on three straight possessions for a commanding, 24-17 advantage midway through the second quarter … Junior wideout Pete Goodman's (Charlotte, N.C.) 15-yard touchdown catch from Daniel Anderson (gave Lenoir-Rhyne the lead for good …Although Benedict cut the margin to 24-13 at break, L-R put the contest away with a touchdown in the third and fourth quarters, respectively … Freshman running back Andrew Courman (Beaufort, N.C.) led all rushers with 112 yards, his second consecutive game over 100 yards, while freshman tailback James Pone (Wilson, N.C.) added 89 yards on the ground … Both Courman and junior fullback Chris Durm (Franklin, N.C.) both two touchdowns apiece while Anderson added 146 yards passing and one score … Anderson, who was making the third start of his career, has not thrown an interception in 59 attempts … Lenoir-Rhyne looks for consecutive wins for the first time since the 2005 season when it hosts Brevard (1-3) on Saturday at 7 p.m. … The Bears and the Tornados will be meeting for the first time ever.

MARS HILL - Demario Zachery (Atlanta, GA) caught a 69-yard pass from Ricky Spradling (Roan Mountain, TN) with 9:10 remaining in regulation to lead the Lions to a 28-23 victory over West Liberty State College Saturday afternoon at the Ammons Family Athletic Center and Meares Stadium … MHC remained undefeated (4-0) while WLSC suffered their first loss (3-1) of the season … The Hilltoppers wasted little time getting on the board as they drove 63 yards on nine plays in their first drive to take a 7-0 lead after Jake Myers ran in from six yards out. Bill Hager's PAT kick was good and the Toppers enjoyed an early 7-0 advantage with 11:04 left in the first frame … George Washington (Warner Robbins, GA) tied the contest at the 6:54 mark in the first quarter when he capped off an eight play, 52-yard drive with an eight yard scamper. Chase Harris' (Chiefland, FL) PAT kick split the uprights the game was knotted at 7-all … WLSC took a three-point lead (10-7) with 3:42 left in the opening quarter when Hager nailed a 45-yard field goal. Chappell Rose (Orlando, FL) gave the Lions a 14-10 lead with 9:13 left in the second quarter when he dove over the line of scrimmage at the one yard line. Harris' PAT kick was good … Almonzo Banks allowed the Toppers to take a 17-14 lead into the locker room at the intermission when he caught a 35-yard pass from Zach Amedro with 3:27 left on the clock in the first half of play. Zachery, who played such a key role in the Lions win this afternoon, threw a 71-yard touchdown strike to Tyrea Allen (Murphy, NC) with 1:23 left in the third stanza on an end-around fake run/pass. Harris once again split the goal posts on the PAT kick to put the Lions up 21-17 … WLSC would not give up. With 48 ticks left in the third quarter, Banks pulled in a 20-yard pass to give the Toppers a 23-21 lead. Hager's PAT kick was blocked by Marzarius Samon (Jacksonville, FL) … On second down and 12 yards to go at the MHC 31, Spradling hit Zachery for the game winning reception at the 9:10 mark to give the Lions a 28-23 lead they would not relinquish. Again, Harris split the uprights on the ensuing PAT kick … The Lions defense, who played well in the second half came up big on the Toppers' next possession. After driving 79 yards on 10 plays, WLSC quarterback Amedro fumbled at the Mars Hill four yard line and Jeff Pell (West Jefferson, NC) recovered the ball to stop an almost certain Hilltoppers score with just 4:47 left in regulation … After Washington had several strong runs, MHC was able to run out the clock and remain undefeated … Pell had two fumble recoveries on the day, his first ended a WLSC drive in the third quarter at the Mars Hill 30 yardline which may have halted another Topper score … MHC recorded a season high 464 yards of total offense, 282 yards in the air … Washington led the ground attack with 105 yards and one score on 26 carries. Spradling was 10-for-14 for 211 yards and one touchdown pass. Zachery caught three passes for 137 yards and the game winning score as well as throwing for 71 yards and one touchdown … Pell led the defense with six solo tackles, two fumble recoveries and a quarterback hurry. Nathaniel Smith (Georgetown, SC) recorded 10 tackles, a tackle-for-loss, a forced fumble, and a sack … Mars Hill will play at Catawba College on Thursday, September 27 at 8:05 p.m. The game will be televised live on national television on CSTV and Fox Sports South.

NEWBERRY - The No. 11 Newberry College Indians used an excellent mix of offense, defense and special teams to defeat the University of West Georgia Wolves, 64-9, on Saturday night… the Indians are now 4-0 after non-conference play for the second straight year… Senior running back Alex Haynes rushed for 150 yards on 20 carries, earning one touchdown, while catching two passes for 24 yards… Sophomore quarterback Brandon Gantt was 9-of-12 passing for 99 yards… The Indians special teams unit was stellar, as both Antonio Patton and Andre Moyd returned kickoffs for touchdowns and punter Bryant Blanton pinned the Wolves inside their own 20 on all three opportunities… With the return game clicking, West Georgia averaged minus-18.7 net yards per kickoff… Not to be left out of the fun, the Indians' defense forced five turnovers, and the team had 28 points off those turnovers… Defensive end Devin Robinson also sacked UWG quarterback Keats Baldwin in the end zone, giving the Indians their first safety since 2004… Chris Reed recovered two fumbles, while Stewart Good led the team statistically with six tackles (four solo, two assists), 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a pass breakup… Corky Howell and Tony Ransom also each had six tackles… The pass defense was on point as well, as the Indians broke up seven passes and tallied 10 quarterback hurries… Randy Moore and Temarcus Thompson each tallied interceptions… 10 different players recorded positive rushing yardage, with five players scoring touchdowns on the ground… Haynes, Hamilton Sims and Charles Brandon each scored once, while Derek Young and Tharry Salley reached paydirt two times apiece… All told, Newberry totaled 386 yards of total offense, which takes into account a minus-23 yard rush for a snap that flew over the punter's head for a safety in the final seconds of the game… The Indians were 7-of-7 on red zone opportunities… Newberry's defense held West Georgia to 287 yards of offense, while the Wolves had averaged 340 yards per game coming into the contest… The Indians now move to South Atlantic Conference play, as they travel to Jefferson City, Tenn., to face off against No. 8 Carson-Newman College in what should be a battle between top 10 squads following No. 7 Pittsburg State's loss on Saturday… Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. at Burke-Tarr Stadium… The game will be available for viewing on the NCAA's Division II webstream at http://www.cstv.com/ncaa/divii/ .

TUSCULUM - The Tusculum College football team was idle last week. The Pioneers will host nationally-ranked Wingate University this week at Pioneer Field. It will be the 12th overall meeting between the two teams and the eighth straight year as the league opener. Wingate leads the all time series 7-4 and have won the last three encounters. In SAC openers, Tusculum is 4-3 against the Bulldogs … Tusculum is coming off its biggest offensive game of the modern era as the Pioneers defeated Saint Paul's College 69-0 (Sep. 15). Saint Paul's is the only mutual non-conference foe for Tusculum and Wingate. The Bulldogs defeated Saint Paul's 26-7 in Wingate's season opener on Sep. 1 … Tusculum running back Patrick King needs two rushing yards to reach the 1,000-yard plateau for his career. TC junior quarterback Corey Russell enters this week's SAC opener third all-time at Tusculum with 3,728 passing yards in his 23 games at Tusculum. His 4,156 total offensive yardage is also third in school history. This will be Russell's second start against Wingate. He was sidelined with an injury in last year's 21-3 loss at Wingate … The last time Tusculum and Wingate played in Greeneville was a 10-7 Bulldog win. In that game, neither squad scored an offensive touchdown. Wingate's points came on a field goal and a fumble return. TC's lone score was a 62-yard punt return by Octavius Love. Tusculum is 3-2 during the Coach Frankie DeBusk era when coming off a bye week.

WINGATE - The Wingate University football team (4-0 overall) was idle Saturday, Sept. 22.
The Bulldog football team was ranked number 19 in last week's American Football Coaches Association NCAA Division II Coaches' Poll, released Tuesday (Sept. 18) from the AFCA headquarters … The Bulldogs moved up five spots from the previous week's number 24 listing. In addition, Wingate charted at number 23 in last week's D2Football.com poll. In addition to the AFCA and D2Football.com listings, Wingate was ranked number 32 in the Don Hansen's Football Gazette NCAA Division II Top 40 poll … Wingate's 4-0 start is one win shy of the best start in the school's senior college football history. The 2004 team and the 2005 team both started the season 5-0 overall. The 2004 Bulldogs are one of three Wingate senior college football teams to win eight games. The 1997 team and the 2006 team also accomplished the feat … The Bulldogs open SAC play at Tusculum on Saturday, Sept. 29. Wingate leads the series between the two schools 7-4. The Bulldogs won the first four meetings and the last three meetings between the two schools, while the Pioneers won four WU-TC series games in a row from 2000-03 … In the interesting statistical category department, Wingate and Tusculum share the NCAA Division II lead in fumbles recovered. The Bulldogs, the Pioneers and New Mexico Highlands University have each recovered eight fumbles during the 2007 season … In last year's battle between the Pioneers and the Bulldogs, Wingate wide receiver Dan Brooks caught three passes for a career-high 138 yards and two touchdowns as the Bulldogs opened South Atlantic Conference play with a 21-3 victory over Tusculum College Saturday afternoon, Sept. 30, 2006 at Irwin Belk Stadium and John R. Martin Field on the Wingate campus … On Wingate's second play from scrimmage, Bulldog quarterback Anthony Metzelaars found Brooks over the middle and the All-SAC standout rambled 84 yards for a touchdown to give the hosts an early lead. On the afternoon, the Bulldogs compiled 282 yards total offense against the Tusculum defense. The Bulldog defense held the Pioneers to 120 yards on 55 plays.