Lions Win Season Opener
MARS HILL, N.C. - The Lions football team won their season opener 36-30 over North Greenville University Saturday afternoon at the Ammons Family Athletic Center and Meares Stadium. The Lions extend their winning streak over the Crusaders, 6-0.
Jon Richt (Watkinsville, Ga.) threw for 184 yards and two scores completing 10-22 passes to lead MHC offensively. P.J. Gore (North Myrtle Beach, S.C.) caught three passes for 118 yards while Joshua Young (Jacksonville, Fla.) returned a kickoff 90 yards for the Lions third score of the day. Rudy Cabral (Fairview, N.C.), Justin Payne (Columbia, S.C.) and Maurice Harris (Hendersonville, N.C.) led the Lions' defense. Cabral led all tacklers with 14 stops (10 solo) while Payne and Harris tallied 12 each. Cabral had a forced fumble that led to a 58-yard touchdown return while Harris notched a pair of sacks three tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries. Field position played an important role in the contest.
MHC began their average drive on their own 42 while NGU started their drives on their own 24 yardline. MHC punter B.J. Richmond (Belmont, N.C.) had a great day for the Lions averaging 40 yards per punt and placing four of his five punts inside the Crusaders 20 yardline. The Lions' first score of the game was a safety at the 7:34 mark of the first quarter. Three minutes later, Richt hit Allen Woerner (Tiger, Ga.) on a three-yard touchdown strike to put the Lions ahead, 9-0 with 1:44 left in the first period. On NGU's next possession, Michael Robinson (Flat Rock, N.C.) picked up a fumble caused by Cabral and ran 58 yards to give the Lions a 16-0 advantage at the 1:02 mark in the first frame. Freddie Martino scored the Crusaders first touchdown of the day when he scampered in from 13 yards out with 1:02 left in the opening quarter.
The Lions' first quarter scoring barrage was not over as Young found a seam and sprinted 90 yards for his first kickoff return for a touchdown in a MHC uniform with 49 seconds on the clock. The second quarter did not see either team score. Regginald Lewis ran in from a yard out with 9:24 left in the third stanza to cut the Crusaders deficit to 23-15 after a successful PAT pass from Reggie Lewis to Lawrence Chastang. Jonas Randolph (Daleville, Ala.) scored with 6:56 left in the third quarter when he dashed in from two yards out. After a successful PAT kick by Michael Pinkerton (Bogart, Ga.) the Lions led 30-15. Marcus Wilson brought NGU within eight points of the Lions with 1:31 left in the third period after he found the endzone from two yards out. Idris Anderson's three-yard scoring rush set up a successful PAT pass from Willy Korn to Martino to tie the contest at 30-all with 8:34 left in regulation. A gutsy fourth down and one yard to go call with 1:41 left in the game sealed the win for the Lions. Richt hit Woerner over the top for a 26-yard scoring pass as the Lions out lasted the Crusaders 36-30. The Lions's defense held strong in the final seconds of the contest allowing NGU to turn the ball over on downs at their own 47 with 11 seconds on the clock.
MHC will travel to the University of Charleston next week. Next week's contest will be the first meeting between the teams. Game time is set for 1 p.m. MHC will broadcast a live audio webcast of the game beginning at 12 p.m. at www.pennatlantic.com.