Football Rallies for Win on Senior Day

MARS HILL, N.C. – The Mars Hill University football team scored 22 unanswered fourth-quarter points Saturday, rallying for a 56-42 victory over Wingate University at the Ammons Family Athletic Center and Meares Stadium on the MHU campus. Lion quarterback Trent Miller set a school record with six touchdown passes as the two teams combined for 1124 total yards (MHU 628, WU 496).

With the victory, Mars Hill improves to 3-7 overall and 1-5 in the SAC. Wingate is 4-5 overall and 3-3 in the SAC. The Bulldogs return home next Saturday, hosting number 25 Carson-Newman for Senior Day. Kick-off is slated for 1:30 p.m. at Irwin Belk Stadium and John R. Martin Field. The Mars Hill Lions visit Tusculum the same day at the same time.

Miller completed 26-of-37 passes for 476 yards. The first-year starter had three TD passes in the first half and three scoring strikes in the second half. The old school record was held by Jon Richt for five TD passes against St. Augustine's in 2010. Wide receiver Dimitri Holmes caught 15 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Cameron Shuford snagged two TD passes in the first half and scored a game-tying (42-42), two-point conversion in the fourth quarter.

Wingate quarterback Robbie Nallenweg completed 34-of-54 passes for 460 yards and three scores. Wide receiver Jiwan Funderburk caught 11 passes for 114 yards, while Jordan Berry had six receptions for 130 yards and one TD. Running back Josh Covington had three rushing touchdowns.

The Bulldogs scored 21 consecutive points in less than eight minutes to take a 42-34 lead with 14:50 to play in the contest. Berry finished the flurry with a 52-yard TD reception from Nallenweg, concluding an eight-play, 81-yard drive (3:06 elapsed on the game clock). Placekicker Patrick Smith added the sixth of his six extra points with 10 seconds elapsed in the fourth quarter, making the score 42-34 Bulldogs.

Miller and Holmes sandwiched back-to-back scoring connections around a Wingate three-and-out to give the hosts the lead for keeps. Miller's first scoring strike covered 47 yards at the 11:48 mark. Shuford added the two-point conversion to tie the game 42-42 and end a six-play, 87-yard march.

The final Miller-to-Holmes pay dirt play covered four yards after an eight-play, 65-yard drive (3:30 elapsed). MHU placekicker Victor Yurco nailed the PAT to make the score 49-42 Lions with 6:13 remaining in regulation.

Three plays later, Mars Hill linebacker Johnell Tate intercepted Nallenweg at the Wingate nine-yard line. Tate returned the ball seven yards to the Bulldog two-yard line. On the next play, fullback Jamel Hall scored an insurance touchdown on a two-yard plunge. Yurco's extra point concluded the scoring.

Wingate trailed 27-21 at the break. After Wingate could not move the ball on its first third quarter possession, Miller took his troops 78 yards on six plays (2:55 elapsed) for his first TD pass to Holmes. The 19-yard scoring play and the subsequent Yurco extra point gave the Lions a 34-21 lead with 11:17 left in the third frame.

Covington scored two of his rushing touchdowns (two yards, three yards) on back-to-back Wingate possessions to give visitors a 35-34 edge with 6:10 to go in the third. The first TD ended a 10-play drive, while the second score followed a 46-yard Nallenweg-to-Berry pass play.

Shuford had a touchdown reception in each quarter as Mars Hill built its first half lead. His 66-yard catch-and-run from Miller gave the hosts a 19-7 lead at the 8:24 plateau of the second quarter. Covington scored his first TD and Nallenweg found wide receiver Tim Nalesnik with a four-yard TD pass to give the Bulldogs a 21-19 edge with 3:48 left in the second stanza.

Miller concluded the first half scoring when he hit redshirt sophomore running back Jeremy Hughes with a 42-yard touchdown pass with 69 ticks left on the second quarter clock. The two teams combined for 597 total yards in the first 30 minutes (MHU 363, WU 234).

MHU running back and SAC leading rusher Shakiel Davis rushed 12 times for 67 yards and one score before exiting the game due to injury. Fifty-six of his 67 yards came on the game's first TD at the 13:47 mark of the first quarter. Wingate tied the score on the next possession, as Nallenweg hit tight end Brandon Ellington with a 15-yard TD pass.

Mars Hill defensive back Robert Green, II had 16 tackles and one pass break-up. Linebacker Sammy Siasia had 12 tackles with eight solo stops, while defensive back Marvin James posted 10 tackles and three pass break-ups. The Lion defense had eight tackles for loss and six quarterback sacks.

Wingate defensive back Timmy Rogers had 10 tackles to lead the Bulldogs. Defensive back Jon Jimenez  had nine tackles and a 41-yard interception return. Bulldog defensive end Steven Jacobs had two tackles for loss, one QB sack and two QB hurries.

The 56 points equal the most points for either victorious team in the series, while the 98 combined points is a new series record. Wingate scored 56 points in a 56-35 victory on Nov. 7, 2009. Mars Hill has won three consecutive games in the series after Wingate won four of five contests (2006-10). Mars Hill is one of two teams (Lenoir-Rhyne is the other) Wingate has played every year since the institution revitalized football in 1986.

At halftime, MHU recognized the 2013 Athletic Hall of Fame inductees. Terry Casey and James Smith were the inductees.

Casey was the anchor of one of Mars Hill's most successful offensive lines. He is the only Mars Hill offensive lineman that was selected to the All-South Atlantic Conference first team three times. (1985, 1986 & 1987) He was a member of the 1985 SAC championship team.  Since graduating with a degree in Business Administration, Casey has served as a South Carolina Highway Patrolman and most recently with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

Smith was a two-sport athlete at Mars Hill from 1972-75.  He was a two-year letterman on the football team as a nose guard and a three-year letter winner in the baseball program as a center fielder. Smith was a member of SKL Social Club, Block M Club and the Physical Education Club at MHC. Smith graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Health and Physical Education in 1975 and later earned a Master's Degree in Education from South Carolina State University in 1982.  Since leaving Mars Hill, Smith has been a teacher and high school basketball coach for 36 years. He has won five South Carolina state championships at three different high schools and owns a career record of 425-160. He coached current NBA star Ray Allen. He was named Coach of the Year eight times. Smith was inducted into the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club Hall of Fame in 2011.