Mars Hill football has somewhat lived in the shadows of in-state rivals Wingate, Lenoir-Rhyne and Catawba in the South Atlantic Conference the past few years.
But the Lions issued an early season statement Saturday that they may be a team to contend with too in 2026.
The latest NC Football News Team of the Week rallied past Catawba 22-16 in overtime in a game that defied the typical box score.
Mars Hill survived giving up the game-tying touchdown in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, made a huge fourth-down stand in overtime and secured the victory when Rayvon Durant rushed for a 4-yard score on the Lions’ possession in OT.
Mars Hill improved to 2-0 on the season, 1-0 in South Atlantic play. The Lions shut out Winston-Salem State 17-0 in its first game over Labor Day weekend.
The Mars Hill side of the box score hardly looked like one produced by a winning team. . The Lions finished a only 1-for-14 on third-down conversions, turned the ball over twice and only managed 189 yards of offense.
Even after taking a 16-9 lead with 28 seconds to play on a Lukas Kachilo-to-Charlie Guinade touchdown pass, they surrendered the equalizing score 15 seconds later on a 65-yard pitch-and-catch between Mason Fortune and Jay Moore.
That play could have been a backbreaker for the Lions, swinging much of the momentum back to Catawba heading into the extra period.
But Mars Hill rose up in overtime, stuffing a fourth-and-short yardage run at the 16 yard line. Jamarion Farrior and Sammuel Rwibuka combined for the key tackle at the line of scrimmage.
Mars Hill only needed four plays to find the end zone on its OT possession. Kachilo completed a 21-yard strike to Guinade to put the ball at the 4. Durant did the rest, dashing into the end zone three plays later.
Kachilo, Guinade, Durant and Farrior have been prominent names for the Mars Hill lineup so far this season.
Durant has 225 rushing yards and three TDs so far after two contests. Guinade already has 13 catches for 122 yards and two scores. Farrior has 17 tackles and 2.5 tackles-for-loss.
It’s still way too early to declare Mars Hill a bona fide contender in the South Atlantic this season after the Lions were picked eighth in the preseason. But this was the kind of victory Kevin Barnette’s Lions needed to stay in the conversation. Plus, it’s always good to beat an in-state rival no matter the circumstances.
This Saturday will bring another in-state rivalry opportunity for Mars Hill to continue building its resume. Lenoir-Rhyne, coming off a win over defending champion Newberry, will host the Lions at Moretz Stadium. Kickoff is 6 p.m.
Honorable Mention Team of the Week | Week 2
- North Carolina Central: Beat rival North Carolina A&T 30-22 for its fifth consecutive Aggie-Eagle Classic victory, matching the longest winning streak by NCCU in series history.
- Lenoir-Rhyne: Upset No.11 Newberry to reclaim the Bishop’s Cup, jumping back into the D2Football.com Top 25 as another reward
- Johnson C. Smith: Cruised past Winston-Salem State 31-6 behind another 100-yard rushing performance from Fabian Duncan.
- Shaw: Continued its impressive start with a 34-28 victory over Ferrum, improving to 2-1.
- UNC Pembroke: Got two kick returns for touchdowns from Malik Brown – including on the opening kickoff – en route to winning its conference opener over Shorter, 31-24
- North Carolina Wesleyan: Shut out Apprentice School 42-0 for its second victory in as many tries
Past North Carolina College Teams of the Week
- Week 1: Campbell surged past Western Carolina in a game moved to Sunday morning due to weather and stadium electrical issues
- Week 0: Lenoir-Rhyne thumped CIAA powerhouse Virginia Union 45-3, dominated in all phases.
More North Carolina D2 Football
- View the 2026 Mars Hill football schedule
- Explore the South Atlantic Conference football standings
