Football Holds on to Beat Newberry
NEWBERRY, S.C. - The Mars Hill Lions converted on two short field opportunities early in the game and held off a second half charge from the Newberry Wolves to emerge from Setzler Field with a 23-21 South Atlantic Conference victory on Saturday afternoon.
Jonas Randolph had 43 carries for 221 yards and a touchdown to lead MHC. Jon Richt was 13-of-30 passing for 140 yards and a touchdown. Joshua Young led the Lion receivers with six catches for 43 yards. Kevin Johnson was the leading tackler with 10 stops. Troy Harris had nine tackles with a sack. Rudy Cabral also had nine tackles, six solo and two for loss.
With the loss, Newberry falls to 2-3 overall and 2-1 in SAC play, while the Lions are now 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the league. Newberry is off next week, while Mars Hill hosts Wingate in a battle of 2-0 SAC teams.
On Newberry's second drive of the game, a bobbled snap was recovered by Mars Hill at the Newberry 26-yardline. The Wolves' defense held the Lions to a 47-yard field goal attempt, which Michael Pinkerton converted to make it 3-0.
Newberry quarterback Bryan Ehrlich had a tipped ball intercepted by Marvin James on the next drive. James returned the ball to the 20-yardline and Mars Hill needed just four rushed by Jonas Randolph to find paydirt and take a 10-0 lead.
A huge completion on the first drive of the second quarter from W.T. Murden to Treginald Wilson went for 48 yards on a third-and-6, setting up an Alkeem Sherman touchdown run from two yards out to cut the lead to 10-7.
On the ensuing drive, Mars Hill used a heavy dose of Randolph capped off with a 21-yard touchdown scamper by Shaikel Davis to push the lead to 17-7 with 9:32 left in the half. After three series of punts, Mars Hill capped the first half scoring with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Jon Richt to Dimitri Holmes with 58 seconds before the half.
Newberry's defense buckled down in the second half and the Wolves took their opportunities on offense. Jason Livingston returned a Mars Hill punt down to the MHC 23-yardline. An Ehrlich 9-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Bostick made it a 23-14 game 4:27 left in the third.
On Mars Hill's first drive of the fourth quarter, a Richt pass was deflected and picked off by Mike Hopkins at the Newberry 47-yardline. Eight plays later, Ehrlich found Jordan McDonnell for a 2-yard touchdown pass to make it 23-21 with 11:42 remaining.
After the teams traded punts, Mars Hill chewed up nearly seven minutes of clock driving into Newberry territory, but Randolph was stopped short on a fourth down attempt to give Newberry the ball with 2:37 to go.
The Wolves converted on one fourth down attempt and got down to the Lions' 38-yardline, but passes on third and fourth down fell incomplete, snuffing out the comeback attempt.
Ehrlich was 11-of-27 passing for 112 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, while 10 different Wolves caught passes. Wilson and Livingston each had 48 yards receiving. John Gadson was the leading rusher with 32 yards.
Defensively, Arterio Arnold led all tacklers with 11 stops, two sacks and a forced fumble. Dominique Walker had 10 tackles. Josh Stinson and Dominique Jacobs also had sacks.