Mars Hill rolls past UVA Wise
Lions defense forces four turnovers in win over Highland Cavaliers.
WISE, Va. - The Mars Hill football team (3-3, 3-2 SAC) defeated UVA Wise (2-5, 2-4 SAC) by a score of 31-17 Saturday afternoon.
UVA Wise led 10-7 after the first quarter of play. Izaiah Jean-Baptiste was on the receiving end of a seven-yard strike from JR Martin.
Mars Hill took over in the second quarter, scoring 17 unanswered. Just 2:21 into the quarter, Jon Gullette scored gave the Lions their first lead of the game, scoring from four yards out. With 2:32 left in the half, Martin scored from one-yard out, extending the lead to 11. As the clock hit zero in the half, Lon Teachey sent Mars Hill into the half up 24-10 after hitting a 33-yard field goal.
The Highland Cavaliers scored in the third off of a Dejauvis Dozier 54-yard run, cutting the Lions' lead down to seven.
With less than two minutes left in the contest, Courtney Slocum punctuated the Lions' win with a 34-yard interception return for a touchdown. The pick was the Lions' fourth on the afternoon.
The Lions recorded 445 yards of offense, 318 in the air. Martin went 22-of-26 for 311 yards and one touchdown while adding 41 yards on the ground. Beau DeBerry hauled in seven catches for 116 yards. Jean-Baptiste caught five passes for 67 yards. Gullette led the Lions with 76 yards on the ground.
Steven Reid led the Lions with 10 tackles, two for loss. Dexter Fitzpatrick added nine on the day, including a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss. Slocum, Cherron Holt, Lovelle Williams, and Tristan Rankin each recorded one interception.
Mars Hill returns home on Saturday, November 2 when they face Emory & Henry in their final home game of the 2024 season. Senior Day kickoff is set for 1 p.m. with the Hall of Fame class being presented at halftime.