Football Loses to Carson-Newman
The Lions football team lost to no. 20 Carson-Newman, 43-27, Saturday afternoon at the Ammons Family Athletic Center and Meares Stadium.
MARS HILL, N.C. – The Lions football team lost to no. 20 Carson-Newman, 43-27, Saturday afternoon at the Ammons Family Athletic Center and Meares Stadium. Mars Hill fell to 1-4 overall and 0-2 in the SAC. The Eagles improved to 4-1 on the season and 2-1 in the league.
Shaikel Davis who is currently ranked sixth in the country in rushing was held to a season low 59 yards on the ground. He entered the contest averaging 150.8 yards per game. Trent Miller was 23-48 for 341 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Dimitri Holmes caught 10 passes for 191 yards and was on the receiving end of all the passing scores. Troy Harris led all tacklers with 16 stops, 12 solo, a forced fumble and one tackle-for-loss. Drew Martin and Chamarcus Pittard followed recording 11 and 10 tackles, respectively.
Turnovers and field position led to the Lions downfall. The Lions put the first points on the board when Victor Yurco hit a 33-yard field goal with 9:30 left in the first quarter. Andy Hibbett ran in from 5 yards out with 4:48 on the clock to give C-N a 7-3 lead after the Eagles obtained the ball on the Lions' 29-yardline after a bad snap led to an 11-yard net punt.
Mars Hill answered with a 66-yard touchdown strike from Miller to Holmes with 4:30 left in the first frame to give the Lions a 10-7 advantage. A 56-yard kickoff return led to a 31-yard field goal by Curt Duncan to tie the contest at 10-all at the 2:12 mark.
The Eagles outscored the Lions 16-3 in the second half to take a 26-13 lead into the locker room at the intermission. After Yurco split the uprights on a 33-yard attempt to give MHU their final lead of the contest (13-10) with 11:20 left in the first half, C-N marched 70 yards on 12 plays to take a 16-13 lead they would not relinquish. The PAT kick was blocked by Johnny Maxey. On the Lions' next possession, a bad snap on a punt attempt deep in Lion territory resulted in an Eagle touchdown that extended the Eagles' lead to 23-13 with 6:18 left in the opening half. MHU missed a 29-yard field goal before the Eagles drove 60 yards on nine plays to allow Duncan to hit a 37-yard field goal to end the first half with C-N leading 26-13.
The teams traded scores in the third quarter. Holmes caught an 8-yard pass from Miller to trim the deficit to six points (26-20) with 5:48 left in the period. Hibbert then found a seam and scampered 48 yards to give the Eagles a 33-20 lead to account for the third quarter scoring.
The Eagles outscored MHU 10-7 in the final stanza to seal the win. Duncan hit another 33-yard field to make the score 36-20. A Marcellas Pope 20-yard touchdown rush ended the scoring for the Eagles as they led 43-20 with 2:09 left in regulation. Miller found Holmes on a 14-yard touchdown pass with 49 ticks on the clock to make the final tally, 43-27 in favor of the visitors.
The Lions will play at SAC rival Brevard College on October 12. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.