MARS HILL, N.C. – The Mars Hill University Football Team (4-3, 4-2 SAC) got out to a 17-0 lead midway through the second quarter and held on for a 31-23 South Atlantic Conference win over Emory & Henry University (7-2, 5-2 SAC) Saturday afternoon.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Mars Hill 31, Emory & Henry 23
LOCATION – Mars Hill, North Carolina
VENUE – Ammons Family Athletic Center & Meares Stadium
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (7-2, 5-2 SAC); Mars Hill (4-3, 4-2 SAC)
How It Happened
Both teams punted on their first two possessions of the contest. Mars Hill's third drive resulted in a 20-yard field goal by Lon Teachey to cap a seven-play, 82-yard possession which was highlighted by a 67-yard catch-and-run by Jon Gullette from J.R. Martin.
On Emory & Henry's next possession, the Lions' defense came up big with Neil Vertilus picking off a pass and returning it 55 yards for a touchdown and a 10-0 advantage. In the middle of the second, MHU recorded another defensive touchdown. This time Tristan Rankin snagged the interception and scored after a 58-yard return.
E&H got an interception of its own late in the second from junior defensive back Jarrell Harrison (Virginia Beach, Va.). The Wasps put together a quick strike, going 68 yards in three plays capped by a 31-yard touchdown catch by sophomore Cam Abshire (Roanoke, Va.) from sophomore quarterback Cole Lambert (Abingdon, Va.) for a 17-7 halftime margin.
The Wasps scored on the first drive of the second half to close the gap to 17-14. Junior running back Jordan Jackson (Richmond, Va.) rushed down the left side for a 61-yard score.
Mars Hill scored on its next two possessions to extend the lead to 31-14 with 1:21 left in the third. Martin rushed in from one and three yards, respectively to cap the drives.
Midway through the fourth, Emory & Henry got a 43-yard field goal from junior Trace Butcher (Dacula, Ga.) to make it a 14-point game. After forcing a three-and-out by the Lions, the Wasps went back on offense and pushed down the field. Lambert connected with sophomore wideout Jakari Mozelle (Hampton, Va.) for 27 yards as he squeezed inside the left-front pylon for the score. Butcher's extra-point attempt was blocked as the score sat at 31-23.
After the E&H defense forced another three-and-out, the offense began to move. Junior wide receiver Cam Peoples (Reidsville, N.C.) had a 13-yard catch for a fourth-down conversion, but MHU's Rankin came up with another interception to put the Lions back in control.
The Emory & Henry defense held again to force a punt but the return was muffed, giving Mars Hill the opportunity to kneel and seal the 31-23 win.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
Lambert went 14-for-24 through the air for 278 yards and two touchdowns but threw a pair of interceptions. He hit five different receivers on the day led by Abshire with seven catches for 163 yards and a touchdown. Peoples had five receptions for 35 yards while Mozelle made the most of his one catch, scoring from 27 yards out.
Jackson finished with 143 yards on 22 carries for a touchdown to lead the E&H ground game.
Defensively, junior defensive back Chendrick Cann (Pinellas Park, Fla.) led the way with six solo tackles while. Sophomore defensive lineman Ean Rhea (Glade Spring, Va.) had five tackles including 1.5 sacks for 19 yards while junior defensive lineman Elijah Harper (Anderson, S.C.) posted five stops with two behind the line of scrimmage. Fifth-year defensive back Addison Knicely (Mount Crawford, Va.) and junior defensive back Shawn Collins (Salem, Va.) also had five tackles as did junior defensive back Shawn Collins (Salem, Va.) and sophomore defensive lineman William Hamlin (Johnson City, Tenn.).
Mars Hill Individual Leaders
Martin threw for 235 yards on 15-for-24 passing, hitting seven different receivers. He also ran for 32 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Gullette caught three passes for 71 yards while Izaiah Jean-Baptiste hauled in three balls for 59 yards.
Rankin finished with four tackles, two interceptions for 69 yards and an additional pass defended while Vertilus had four stops and another break-up to go along with his interception. Steven Reid put up a game-high nine tackles with 2.5 behind the line while Dexter Fitzpatrick made eight stops.
A Deeper Look
Emory & Henry outgained Mars Hill by a 394-276 margin and picked up 21 first downs compared to just 15 for the Lions. The Wasps went for 277 yards through the air and 117 on the ground while the Lions had 235 passing yards and managed just 41 rushing.
MHU was 4-for-14 (29%) on third down while E&H managed to convert just 15 percent (2-for-13) of their third down chances. The Wasps, however, went 2-for-2 on fourth down.
Emory & Henry finished minus-three on the turnover battle, throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble. The Wasps were also penalized 11 times for 129 yards compared to seven penalties for 80 yards for the Lions.
Mars Hill finished with 11 tackles for a loss of 29 yards while E&H made seven tackles in the Lion backfield for 36 yards.
Up Next
Emory & Henry returns home next Saturday for Southwest Virginia Bowl VII, hosting the University of Virginia's College at Wise. Kickoff for the contest which will also serve as Senior Day and the Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
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