Football's Comeback Falls Short to Bears
The Lions’ football team lost to no. 24 Lenoir-Rhyne 27-20. Shaikel Davis ran for 213 yards on 19 carries averaging 11.2 yards per rush.
MARS HILL, N.C. – The Lions' football team lost to no. 24 Lenoir-Rhyne University 27-20, Saturday afternoon in the Ammons Family Athletic Center and Meares Stadium. Shaikel Davis ran for 213 yards on 19 carries averaging 11.2 yards per rush.
Davis who recorded his season high in rushing yards per game, also scored twice. Trent Miller was 21-39 for 207 passing yards. Dimitri Holmes caught eight passes for 95 yards and one score while Dominique Taylor caught a career high seven passes for 97 yards. Sammy Siasia led the Lion defense with his career high 26 tackles. Twenty-three of his stops were solo tackles. Troy Harris followed with 14 tackles and a tackle for loss.
Jarrod Spears and Miles Freeman led the Bears offense rushing for 138 and 137 yards, respectively. Michael Green led the Bears defense with eight tackles and an interception that sealed the win for L-R.
In the Lions' first possession, Davis ran 81 yards to put Mars Hill ahead 7-0 with 13:26 left in the first quarter. Freeman tied the contest with 3:32 left in the period on a two-yard score.
A six-yard pass from Greyson Wells to Freeman put the Bears ahead for good (14-7) with 12:12 left in the first half. Spears gave L-R a 21-7 advantage on a 24-yard scamper with 7:13 left in the second quarter. MHU had a chance to pull within a touchdown of the Bears but the Lions fumbled the ball on the Bears' 1-yardline. The Bears enjoyed a 21-7 lead at the break.
Zach Neumann nailed a 39-yard field goal with 3:23 left in the third frame to extend the Bears' lead to 24-7. MHU scored 14 unanswered points to come within four points of L-R. Davis had a 77-yard touchdown run with 3:05 left in the third stanza and then Holmes caught a 34-yard pass from Miller at the 14:54 mark of the fourth quarter.
Neumann hit a 38-yard field goal to end the Bears scoring with 4:05 left in regulation. MHU had their chances during the contest to tie or win the game but turnovers led to the Lions downfall. Mars Hill lost two fumbles and had the same number of interceptions that hampered any comeback attempt.
The Lions will play at SAC rival Catawba College on November 2. Kickoff in Salisbury, N.C., is set for 1:30 p.m.
