SAC Football Notes, November 9, 2008
Game notes and recaps from around the SAC for games of Saturday, November 8:
BREVARD - The Brevard College men's football team left it all out on the field in their 2008 season finale on Saturday afternoon, as Coach Hamilton's squad fell to Newberry College 17-0 at Brevard Memorial Stadium. Brevard College finished the season 1-9 overall and 0-7 in the SAC in their first full season as NCAA Division II and South Atlantic Conference full members … With the win Newberry finished the year 6-4 overall and 5-2 in the SAC, giving them a share of the regular season SAC Football Championship … The Tornados honored their five seniors - Joshua Durm, Luke Lovelace, Zac McAlister, John Taylor and John Wernquist - prior to the contest as it was the final time in which the seniors would suit up in their careers … The game proved to be a defensive contest, as the two teams combined for only three points in the first 30 minutes of play. The lone score of the opening half came early in the second quarter as place-kicker Britt Blackmon capped an eight-yard, 67-yard drive with a 30-yard field goal with 12:18 left in the opening half … The first touchdown of the game came by way of the Newberry defense, as senior defensive lineman David Harris scored with 12:22 left in the third quarter, when he returned a Trey Wilborn fumble 45 yards for a touchdown to give Newberry a 10-0 lead … Newbery's Lyndon Ingram finished off the scoring with 6:39 left in the third quarter with a 9-yard touchdown run. The Tornados held Newberry to 257 yards, while also forcing one fumble and picking off one pass from quarterback Eric McCollom on the game … Freshman safety Michael Gist had eight total tackles and the interception which he stopped the Newberry drive at their own 2-yard line … Junior linebacker Stanley Jones led the Tornados with 10 total tackles, giving him 98 on the season, two shy of 100 on the year. Fellow linebacker Ricky Morton had nine tackles on the game, including a sack and another tackle for a loss … The Brevard offense moved the ball well on Saturday afternoon, collecting 236 yards on 62 total plays from the line of scrimmage, eight more plays then the Newberry offense … The Tornados also controlled the clock for most of the game, as the BC offense had the ball for 34:40 minutes throughout the game. However, Brevard just failed to get the ball in the end zone, as the Tornados were 0-2 in the red zone and 3 of 13 on third down attempts … Wilborn led the offensive attack for Coach Hamilton's squad, as he rushed for 80 yards on 19 carries. In his last collegiate game, Taylor gained 60 yards on only nine carries, while junior fullback Desmond Wilson had 10 rushing attempts for 34 yards … Junior quarterback Matthew Gaines was 3-of-7 through the air on the day, passing for 24 yards … Although the Tornados did not post a win in the SAC this season there are high hopes, as the Tornados are losing only five seniors from what is a very young team … BC improved week in and week out in 2008, and will look to turn heads and win their first conference game come next season in 2009.
CARSON-NEWMAN - The 15th-ranked Carson-Newman Eagles saw their four-game winning streak against in-state foe Tusculum snapped on Saturday afternoon with a 45-44 loss to the Pioneers in Greeneville, Tenn...The Eagles scored on a 43-yard reception by Otis Miller with 1:49 remaining, but a high-snap gave TC the chance to block Joey Scribner-Howard PAT attempt, resulting in the game's final margin...C-N failed to recover from an early 10-0 Tusculum lead, tying the game at 38-38, but never taking the lead...The Eagles fumbled twice in the loss, both lead directly to Tusculum scores, including one by junior Alex Good, which the Pioneers returned 55 yards for what proved to be the deciding score...Good led the Eagles to nearly 600 yards of offense on the day...C-N piled up 576 yards of total offense and nine yards per play on the day...Good finish 11-of-21 through the air for 224 yards with two touchdowns and an interception...Both were season highs...He ran for 169 yards and four touchdowns on 22 carries...Senior Dwayne Mims added 103 yards on just 10 carries, including a 62-yard run in the third quarter... Otis Miller had a season-high five catches for 78 yards, including the would-be game-tying 43-yard touchdown with just under two minutes left....Junior Brian Brown led the Eagles with nine tackles, with two for a loss...Ben Miller added three tackles for loss on three stops...Sophomore Revel Coffey forced the Eagles only takeaway of the day, stepping in front of a Corey Russell pass in the end zone...Carson-Newman finishes the regular season at 7-3 overall, 5-2 in SAC play, clinching a share of their 20th South Atlantic Conference title in 27 years...The Eagles will now travel to Valdosta State as the sixth seed in Super Regional Two...Next Saturday's first round game will be played at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium in Valdosta, Georgia...The winner of the first round matchup will travel to Florence, Alabama to face the University of North Alabama, the No.2 seed in the region, on November 22...On the opposite side of the Super Region Two bracket, fifth seeded Albany State, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference representative, will travel to Greeneville, Tennessee to face fourth-seeded Tusculum... The TC/ASU winner will travel to Delta State University to face the top-seeded Statesmen on Nov. 22...Carson-Newman and Valdosta have an extensive playoff history... The two teams have met four times in the postseason, splitting the meetings at two wins apiece... The Eagles beat the Blazers in both 1996 and 2003, with the second win coming in Valdosta... VSU would win the '02 and '04 meetings, with the second one coming en route to their first Division II National Championship...The Eagles have faced two teams in the D-II Playoff field, both in Super Region Two...C-N lost to North Alabama in September 20-13 in Jefferson City...With the postseason bid, the Eagles end a three-year postseason drought, the longest in Ken Sparks' 29 seasons at C-N...His team was 10-1 a year ago, but not receive a playoff invitation.
CATAWBA - Catawba closed its season with a 58-23 win at Lenoir-Rhyne that secured a 14th-consecutive winning season … senior Jamelle Cuthbertson put his stamp on the game, establishing several Catawba rushing marks … his career-high 223 yards pushed him to a school-record 1,411 yards on the season and he also set a standard with his seventh 100-yard game of the season … he also became the first Tribe back to run for 200 yards in a game twice in a career … he had 218 yards against Lenoir-Rhyne in 2006 … Catawba amassed a season-best 601 yards of total offense in the win on Saturday … quarterback Patrick Dennis threw for four touchdowns, completing 13-of-20 passes for 239 yards … Brandon Bunn had three catches for 68 yards, while Antwan Strong had two grabs for 66 yards … Bunn, Strong, Grayson Downs and Gerron Bryant had touchdown catches … Catawba ran for 362 yards against LR with Antonio Hall following Cuthbertson with 75 yards on eight carries … Cuthbertson finished his career in fourth place on the Tribe's all-time rushing list with 2,330 yards … freshman safety Tyon Bennett made 10 tackles and forced a fumble in the win, while Brandon Weedon blocked a Bear punt … Catawba will open its 2009 season on Aug. 29 at St. Augustine's.
LENOIR-RHYNE - The Lenoir-Rhyne University Football Team (3-8, 1-6) ended the season with a 58-23 setback to Catawba College (6-4, 4-3) Saturday evening in front of 4,756 fans at Moretz Stadium in Hickory, N.C., in a South Atlantic Conference game between the two-long time rivals … Catawba's offense proved to be too much for the Bears as the visitors rolled up 601 yards of total offense led by running back Jamelle Cuthbertson (21 carries for a career-high 223 yards and two touchdowns) and quarterback Patrick Dennis (239 yards passing and touchdown throws to four different receivers) … Catawba has now won 13 of the past 14 meetings between the two schools and leads the all-time series, 46-38-1 … The Indians have also won eight straight games at Moretz Stadium … Despite rushing for 292 yards and receiving a second straight 100-yard performance by redshirt freshman running back Byron Darby (Gastonia, N.C.), L-R couldn't stop Catawba, who scored on nine straight possessions … Darby scored one of three touchdowns for the Bears in the first half (a 53-yard touchdown run) but L-R still trailed 31-20 at intermission … Although Lenoir-Rhyne cut the margin to 31-23 with freshman placekicker Colin Corpe's (Ocala, Fla.) 22-yard field goal on the second half's opening drive, Catawba put the game away with four straight touchdowns finished off by Cuthbertson's one-yard touchdown run with 7:08 remaining … Lenoir-Rhyne ends the year with a six-game losing streak for the second consecutive season … The Bears averaged 259.3 yards rushing on the ground while 11 different players scored rushing touchdowns in 2008 … Lenoir-Rhyne also scored 276 points for the season (up from 156 in 2007).
MARS HILL - Mars Hill College freshman quarterback Luis Cruz (Anaheim, Calif.) completed seven strategic passes for 259 yards and three touchdowns as the Lions rallied from a 13-point first half deficit en route to a 45-42 South Atlantic Conference football victory over number 22 Wingate University Saturday afternoon at Irwin Belk Stadium and John R. Martin Field on the Wingate campus … Mars Hill finishes the 2008 campaign 7-4 overall and 4-3 in the SAC. George Washington (Warner Robbins, Ga.) rushed 14 times for 122 yards and one score while John Brown (Homestead, Fla.) caught four passes for 126 yards and two scores. Brown also returned three kickoffs for 91 yards … Keadran Pinckney (North, S.C.) and Zach Johnson (Newland, N.C.) each tallied 10 tackles. Maurice Harris (Hendersonville, N.C.) recorded three sacks and four solo tackles.
NEWBERRY - The Newberry College football team clinched a share of the South Atlantic Conference Football Championship on Saturday afternoon with a 17-0 shutout of the Brevard College Tornados at Brevard Memorial Stadium on Saturday evening … Newberry finishes the season with a 6-4 overall record. The winning season is Newberry's fourth straight … The game was tight throughout the first half, as Newberry only took a 3-0 lead into the locker room. Britt Blackmon (Kershaw, S.C.) capped an eight-yard, 67-yard drive with a 30-yard field goal with 12:18 left in the second quarter … Senior defensive lineman David Harris (Ninety Six, S.C.) scored the game's first touchdown with 12:22 left in the third quarter, when he returned a Trey Wilborn fumble 45 yards for a touchdown to give Newberry a 10-0 lead … Lyndon Ingram (Columbia, S.C.) finished off the scoring with 6:39 left in the third quarter with a 9-yard touchdown run … Newberry held Brevard to 246 yards of offense, while the Tornado defense had an admirable effort in limiting the scarlet and gray to 257 yards of offense. Ingram led Newberry with 73 yards rushing on seven carries. Defensively, Will Newell (Irmo, S.C.) was Newberry's leading tackler with 10 total tackles, bringing his career total to 338, which will put him at fifth all-time at Newberry.
TUSCULUM - The Tusculum Pioneers (8-3, 5-2 SAC) claimed a share of its second South Atlantic Conference championship, by defeating 15th-ranked Carson-Newman 45-44 in the regular season finale. With the win, the Pioneers claim a share of the title with the Eagles and Newberry… In one of the most thrilling games in the history of the rivalry, DB Jeremy Thompson recovered three Carson-Newman turnovers, including a 55-yard fumble return for the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter… C-N scored a touchdown with just under two minutes left in the game, but Brandon Kelley blocked the game-tying extra point as the Pioneers win their 11th-straight game at home and post their first win over the Eagles since 2003… That was also the last time Tusculum won the SAC title… Thompson recovered two fumbles and recorded an interception… Both fumbles set up touchdowns for the Pioneers… LB Justin Scott led Tusculum with 12 tackles, including one for loss, a pass break-up and two forced fumbles… It was his hit on C-N quarterback Alex Good that caused the fumble in the fourth quarter, which Thompson gobbled up for the game-winning TD… Only 15 players for Tusculum recorded tackles on the day… QB Corey Russell passed for 345 yards and two touchdowns… He also rushed for 43 yards and three scores… WR Ryan Tallent was his favorite target as he hauled in 11 catches for a career-best 138 yards and a TD… TE Jarrell NeSmith added eight receptions for 72 yards, while Nate Binder added six catches for 82 yards and a touchdown… Punter John Gregory averaged 44.5 yards per kick, including a season-high 71-yarder, the fifth longest punt in school history… Gregory's six punt attempts qualify him to be listed in this week's NCAA Division II national statistics… To qualify, a punter must average 3.6 attempts per game… His 44.2 average is presently a school record and listed second in the country… Russell established a new SAC single-season record with his 4,126 total offensive yards this year… That tally is also a new school record and the seventh most in NCAA II history… Russell, a region finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, has set new TC single-season marks for completions (251), passing yards (3513) and TD passes (31)… His 3,513 passing yards are also the third most in SAC history as are his 31 TD tosses… For his career, he is now third in SAC history with 10,534 total offensive yards (18th in NCAA II history) and fifth in career passing yards (9,303)… Justin Scott leads the Pioneers in tackles with 93 stops, including 10 more hits in four of his last five games… He is the career (49) and single-season (20 in 2008) tackles for loss leader at Tusculum… Scott now has 257 career tackles to his credit, which are sixth in TC history… His seven fumble recoveries are first in SAC history, while his eight forced fumbles are third all-time… Tusculum now awaits word of a potential berth, which will be announced on Sunday.
WINGATE - Mars Hill College rallied from a 13-point first half deficit en route to a 45-42 South Atlantic Conference football victory over number 22 Wingate University Saturday afternoon at Irwin Belk Stadium and John R. Martin Field on the Wingate campus. The contest concludes the 2008 season for both teams. Wingate finishes the 2008 campaign with an 8-3 overall record and a 4-3 SAC ledger … Prior to the contest, the Bulldog athletic department recognized 10 seniors who played their final game Saturday: Shawn Barrett, Michael Crutchfield, Kameron Kranz, Cam LeGrand, JD Moore, Shelton Nelson, Andrew Nidiffer, Samuel Pittman, Jordan Softcheck and Dietrich Wright. The group equals a school record for most victories by a senior class, as the 10-member group won 28 games during their time in the Wingate blue-and-gold … Wingate redshirt sophomore tailback Nelson Woods had a huge day for the hosts. The 2007 SAC Freshman of the Year, Woods rushed 30 times for 205 yards and three touchdowns. Both the rushing attempts and the rushing yardage obliterated his previous career highs … Woods tallied the second of his three touchdowns with 10:48 to play in the second quarter. Bulldog redshirt senior Michael Crutchfield added the PAT to give Wingate a 27-14 lead. Mars Hill responded with 17 unanswered points to take a 31-27 lead early in the third quarter … The Bulldogs regained the lead on the next possession, as Woods capped a seven-play, 57-yard drive with a 29-yard touchdown scamper. The Crutchfield extra point gave the hosts a 34-31 advantage with 11:13 to go in the third frame. Mars Hill senior running back George Stripling gave the Lions the lead for good with back-to-back fourth quarter touchdown runs. His second TD put Mars Hill up 45-34 with 9:40 to go in regulation … Wingate scored on the next drive, as Bulldog redshirt senior quarterback JD Moore marched his troops 70 yards on seven plays. Moore found junior tight end Ryan Webber with a three-yard scoring strike with 5:59 remaining. Moore connected with redshirt senior wide receiver Shawn Barrett on the two-point conversion, making the score Mars Hill 45, Wingate 42 … The Bulldog defense held the Lions three-and-out on the next possession, giving the hosts an opportunity to take the victory. Moore and the Wingate offense drove to the Mars Hill three-yard line. Woods contributed 35 hard-earned rushing yards to the final push. The Bulldogs missed a 20-yard field goal with 1:21 left on the game clock. Mars Hill ran out the remaining time to take the victory … Wingate gave the capacity crowd its money's worth from the opening kick-off, as sophomore running back Patrick Pinchinat posted a 98-yard kick-off return for a TD. An electrifying performer, Pinchinat has two kick returns for touchdowns this year. He led the Bulldogs with 1333 all-purpose yards in 2008 … Moore completed 18-of-31 passes for 201 yards and one TD. Barrett led the Bulldog receiving corps with nine catches for 104 yards. Crutchfield had seven punts for an average of 40.7 yards per boot … For the Bulldog defense, senior safety Dietrich Wright had six solo tackles and four assists for 10 total stops. He had 1 1/2 quarterback sacks. Wingate junior safety Tylan Merkerson recorded an interception for the Bulldog secondary.