- BEST IN STATE -

Record-setting Catawba QB headlines Best In State D2 honors list

Mars Hill DB, Shaw KR also earn weekly player honors

Published

September 12, 2023

Catawba quarterback Preston Brown set a school record with six passing touchdowns. Tristan Rankin (top left) notched the game-winner for Mars Hill last week on a fumble return for a touchdown. Shaw's Donte Lee Jr. returned a kick 98 yards for a TD. (Photos courtesy Catawba, Mars Hill and Shaw athletics).

Quarterback Preston Brown has been on a college football roster since 2020, but he never saw the field in his first three seasons. Now a redshirt sophomore at Catawba, Brown is making up for lost time.

The Charlotte native (West Mecklenburg HS) had an eye-popping performance in his second game as a starter on Saturday. He threw for 372 yards and a school-record six touchdowns, helping Catawba beat Livingstone 55-15 to retain the Mayor’s Cup.

For his efforts, Brown earned WePlayed Sports South Atlantic Conference offensive player of the week honors, announced Monday. He’s also our NC Football News Best In State offensive player of the week for Division II.

Brown’s third-quarter stat line alone would have been a solid day for a college quarterback. He threw for 219 yards and three touchdowns, including a 66-yard TD play to Bo Pryor and a 74-yard strike to Jordan Mitchell. Brown finished all four quarters having completed 24-of-30 throws. Catawba improved to 2-0 under first-year coach Tyler Haines and extended its all-time series lead over Livingstone to 17-0.

After two games under center, Brown has 575 passing yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions. According to Catawba stat-keepers, he leads the SAC in completions, completion percentage, passing yards and passing TDs. He’s also top 20 nationally in passing efficiency, points responsible for, total offense and yards-per-pass attempt.

Coming out of high school, where he was the SoMeck 7 Conference Player of the Year, Brown committed to the Charlotte 49ers. He did not appear in a game during the shortened 2020 season, nor in 2021. He transferred to Catawba for the 2022 season but did not play last year either.

Brown and his 2023 offensive mates will face one of the tougher defenses in the SAC on Saturday. Catawba hosts Mars Hill, which is coming off a 15-10 win over Wingate last Thursday. The Lions held the Bulldogs scoreless in the second half.

**Hickory High School product Tristan Rankin had the play of the game to lead Mars Hill past Wingate last week. (Graphic courtesy Mars Hill athletics)**

Which leads us to our Best In State Defensive Player of the Week: Mars Hill defensive back Tristan Rankin.

Another in-state product, the senior defensive back from Hickory (Hickory HS) helped fuel the Lions’ season’s opening win. He had seven tackles and two pass breakups. He also had the play of the game, scooping up a fumble in the fourth quarter and returning it 65 yards for a touchdowns and a 15-10 lead which held down the stretch.

The SAC named Rankin as its Defensive Player of the Week as well. Wingate came into last week’s game ranked No. 17 and No. 22 in the two major Division II national polls.

Rankin began the season on the D2Football.com Elite 100 Watch List First Team. He was also a preseason All-SAC player.

**Donte Lee Jr. returned a kick 98 yards for a touchdown and scored on an 85-yard pass play against Virginia Union. (Photo by Donald Watkins | courtesy Shaw athletics)**

Our Best In State Special Teams Player of the Week also set a school record on Saturday and posted two of the longest plays of the day by a player from a North Carolina school. Shaw redshirt freshman Donte Lee Jr. returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, setting a new return mark for the Bears. He finished with 115 yards in returns and caught an 85-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Silas Cruse to keep Shaw competitive against talented Virginia Union (26-13 loss).

The Baltimore, Md., product (Dunbar HS) collected the CIAA’s Food Lion Rookie of the Week award. He leads Shaw in receiving yards after two contests with 156. Lee, who missed most of last season due to an injury, will return to his home state this Saturday as the Bears visit Bowie State in CIAA action.

More D2 Week 2 Highlights

* Barton knocked off FCS Davidson 33-31 thanks to big games from quarterback Jaquan Lynch, running back Jordan Terrell, receiver Jacquez Durham and kicker Bear Huggins.

Lynch had 285 yards passing and one touchdown, while also rushing for 45 yards and two more scores. Terrell finished with 140 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. Durham hauled in 141 yards in receptions. Huggins averaged 46.6 yards on five punts, booming two kicks of 50-plus yards.

* Lenoir-Rhyne’s defense picked off four Fayetteville State passes in a 24-10 triumph. TJ Blanding returned one pick 55 yards. The Bears made nine tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

* Catawba kept kicker Bryson Sims busy. He made seven extra points in eight tries and kicked off 10 times (60.8 yard average, two touchbacks).

* Elizabeth City State’s defense held St. Augustine’s scoreless in the Down East Viking Classic. The Vikes made eight tackles for loss and allowed only 33 rushing yards. Offensively, Zechariah Adams-Duckson piled up 179 rushing yards on 33 carries in the 13-0 triumph, good enough for CIAA weekly honors.

* Brevin Caldwell of Johnson C. Smith hauled in 10 passes for 120 yards in a 14-9 loss to Walsh. Benari Black had nine tackles, three tackles-for-loss and a pass breakup.

* Winston-Salem State’s Justin Fleming returned an interception 33 yards, had a sack and recorded eight tackles against Ohio Dominican. Quarterback Daylin Lee threw for 278 yards and a touchdown.