Tusculum’s Cordell, Rowlands, Mars Hill’s Harris Named Football Players Of The Week

ROCK HILL, S.C. --- The South Atlantic Conference Football Players of the Week have been announced for the week ending October 25, 2009. Tusculum College quarterback Bo Cordell was named Offensive Player of the Week, Mars Hill College defensive lineman Maurice Harris was named Defensive Player of the Week, and Tusculum College placekicker Gareth Rowlands was named Special Teams Player of the Week.

Cordell, a freshman from Cincinnati, Ohio (Indian Hill HS), passed for 277 yards and three touchdowns as Tusculum rallied from a 14-point deficit to post a 34-31 South Atlantic Conference win at Newberry. Cordell went 18-for-30, including 11-of-15 in the second half as he passed for 195 yards in the final 30 minutes. He completed scoring tosses of 32, 39 and 5 yards, the last coming with 12:26 remaining in the contest to Nate Binder to tie the game at 31-31. On the year, Cordell has passed for 2,568 yards, which are the fourth most in a season in TC history. He has thrown for 17 touchdowns (T3rd in TC history), while posting a completion percentage of .617 (4th in TC history).

Bo Cordell

Maurice Harris

Gareth Rowlands

Harris, a junior from Hendersonville, N.C. (Brevard HS), led a solid defense that held the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears to 220 yards of total offense. Harris totaled five tackles, two tackles-for-loss, one forced fumble and a sack. Lenoir-Rhyne managed only 74 yards rushing in the game.

Rowlands, a junior from Wales, Great Britain (Kings Academy), was perfect on his six kicks, including his game-winning 44-yard field goal in the Pioneers' 34-31 victory at Newberry. Tusculum rallied from a 14-point deficit, outscoring Newberry by a 20-3 margin in the final 31 minutes of the game.

Rowlands went 4-for-4 on his extra-point attempts and 2-of-2 on field goals, covering distances of 49 and 44 yards. His 49-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, sparked TC's rally. That field goal was the fifth-longest in school history (He established the longest field goal in TC history earlier this season, a 52-yarder at Elizabeth City State). On the night, he finished with 10 points, giving him 146 for his career, making him Tusculum's all-time leader in kick scoring. In 2009, Rowlands leads the Pioneers in scoring with 53 points going 20-for-21 on his PATs and an amazing 11-for-13 on field goals. He is also a peferct 8-of-8 from from 40 yards and beyond.