Johnson, Lions Rally to Defeat Lenoir-Rhyne

MARS HILL, N.C. - Gilbert Johnson's 16-yard touchdown reception with 1:35 remaining in the fourth quarter gave the Mars Hill football team a 41-37 victory over Lenoir-Rhyne in Meares Stadium and Ammons Family Athletic Center on Saturday. Mars Hill improves to 3-5 overall and 2-2 in the South Atlantic Conference while Lenoir-Rhyne falls to 4-3 and 2-2.

Matt Layman was 18 for 29 for 310 yards passing and three touchdowns along with an interception. Jamel Harbison ran 23 times for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson caught eight passes for 147 yards and three touchdowns. Keshaun Taylor caught 10 passes for 163 yards. Martay Mattox tied a school record with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Carl Mattox led the Lion defense with 16 tackles, 11 of them solo. Ricky Hawks made 13 tackles and also made 11 solo tackles. Trey Clark and Johnny Maxey each made 12 tackles, followed by Jerjuan Edwards with 11 tackles.

Kristaan Ivory ran for 143 yards and a touchdown. Tyler Williams ran for 67 yards and a touchdown. Ivory and Greyson Wells each threw a touchdown pass. Wells caught two passes for 30 yards and a touchdown. Evin Sims caught one pass for 11 yards and a touchdown while also running for 38 yards and a touchdown. Marcus Kincaid led the Bears with nine tackles. Kyle Dugger made three tackles and had an interception.

With the Lions trailing 37-34 and beginning a drive at their own 24-yard line with just over two minutes remaining in regulation, Layman completed a 23-yard pass and a 15-yard pass to Johnson to get the Lions to the Lenoir-Rhyne 38-yard line. A 22-yard completion to Taylor would get Mars Hill to the Bears 16-yard line with 1:40 to play. Following a timeout, Layman found Johnson in the left corner of the end zone for the game-winning touchdown. In the final L-R drive, the Bears would gain three yards on a Michael Patrick rush followed by three incomplete passes to seal the victory for Mars Hill.

The Bears took the opening kickoff and capped their first drive with a Sims two-yard touchdown run. Mars Hill answered with a Layman 14-yard touchdown pass to Johnson to tie the score at 7, which would be the score for the remainder of the first quarter.

Hunter Haire gave Lenoir-Rhyne a 10-7 lead following a 40-yard field goal with 14:55 remaining in the first half. Mattox would tie Khalid Abdullah for the longest return in school history, taking the ensuing kickoff 100 yards to give the hosts a 14-10 advantage with 14:33 to play in the second quarter. Lenoir-Rhyne took a 16-10 lead on a trick play as Wells threw to Sims for an 11-yard touchdown pass with just over 10 minutes to go in the half. The point after touchdown try was unsuccessful.

The combination of Layman and Johnson would put the Lions ahead again as the Lions decided to go for the touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the Lenoir-Rhyne 3-yard line. Johnson caught his second touchdown pass of the game for a 21-16 Lion lead with 7:58 remaining. Lenoir-Rhyne would take a 23-21 lead into halftime thanks to an Ivory 1-yard touchdown run late in the period which capped a 13 play, 63-yard drive.

Harbison's first rushing touchdown of the game, a 33-yard run, gave the Lions a 28-23 lead with 3:40 to play in the third quarter. Lenoir-Rhyne would again use a bit of trickery to retake the lead as Ivory threw a 26-yard pass to Wells for a touchdown with 36 seconds to play in the frame. Ivory's two-point conversion attempt was stopped, giving the Bears a 29-28 lead after three quarters.

Mars Hill used a two-yard Harbison rushing touchdown to claim a 34-29 lead with 4:32 to play in the fourth quarter. The Lions went for the two-point conversion, but a Layman pass to Johnson was batted away. Lenoir-Rhyne claimed a 37-34 lead on a Williams one-yard touchdown run followed by a successful two-point conversion with 2:17 remaining in the game, which set the stage for Johnson's late-game heroics.

Lenoir-Rhyne ran for 424 yards on the ground and had a total of 503 yards of offense. Mars Hill ran for 168 yards and threw for 310 yards for a total of 478 yards of offense. Lenoir-Rhyne led time of possession 41:40 to 18:20 but the Lions held the ball for 7:52 in the fourth quarter compared to 7:08 for the visitors.

Mars Hill travels to Tusculum on Halloween for a 1:30 p.m. contest.