Rucker sets SAC, school records versus Carson-Newman
Mars Hill senior wide receiver Craig Rucker sits atop the South Atlantic Conference and Mars Hill record books in career touchdown receptions (42) after his three touchdown performance Saturday afternoon versus Carson-Newman.
MARS HILL, N.C. - Mars Hill senior wide receiver Craig Rucker sits atop the South Atlantic Conference and Mars Hill record books in career touchdown receptions (42) after his three touchdown performance Saturday afternoon versus Carson-Newman. Rucker also set the school record for most career receptions (276) with 15 grabs on the day, recording 199 yards.
Jimmy Urzua threw for 314 yards and three scores on the day as the Lions were downed by a score of 48-21 at the hands of the Eagles. It was the first 300+ yard passing performance the Eagles have allowed since 2017, also against Mars Hill. Christopher Roberts recorded 72 yards rushing while Tyler Ferguson added 42 yards on four receptions. Jaden King led the Lions with 12 tackles (seven solo), followed by Boris Lewis and Landon Honeycutt's 11, respectively.
All six Carson-Newman rushing scores came from one-yard out.
Carson-Newman ended the first quarter up 10-0. With 4:41 elapsed in the frame, Nate Craft drove home a 50-yard field goal. With 3:33 left in the stanza, Derrick Evans punched the ball in from a yard out to cap off a 13-play, 88 yard drive.
The Lions, early in the second quarter cut the Eagles' lead back down to three as Rucker caught his first touchdown of the day. That reception set the school record while tying the SAC record. Craft, with 10:28 left in the half, hit a 42-yard field goal to build the lead back up to six. Another one-yard rush, this time from Sherron Jackson, put the Eagles up by double-digits with less than four minutes to play in the first half.
The Eagles scored four times in the third quarter with three rushing touchdowns from Antonio Wimbush. Wimbush ended the contest with 143 yards on the ground on 19 carries, averaging 7.5 yards per carry. The lone Mars Hill score was a 33-yard reception from Rucker, surrounded by Eagles' defenders. His second touchdown reception set the new standard for the South Atlantic Conference. His 41st of his career surpassed Newberry's Tymere Zimmerman's mark set from 2003-06.
Both Wimbush and Rucker scored their third touchdowns, respectively, in the fourth quarter. Rucker's school records were both previously held by Dimitri Holmes (2011-14). He ties his career-high in most touchdowns in a season with 13 and sits just two behind the school record for most in a season.
Mars Hill takes to the road for the final time in 2019 on November 9 when they square off against Tusculum. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
