DeAree Rogers returned two punts for touchdowns, and Lenoir-Rhyne raced past Erskine 62-0 in South Atlantic Conference action Saturday in Hickory.
The Bears also blocked a punt for a score and got another touchdown on a 42-yard interception return by Percy King. Lenoir-Rhyne (3-0, 1-0) scored five touchdowns in the second quarter while building a 49-0 halftime advantage.
Rogers tied a school record for punt return TDs in a game and broke a single-game LR mark with 170 punt return yards. He also found the end zone on a punt return against St. Augustine’s in the opener.
Malakei Sumner got credit for the touchdown after James Ussery blocked an Erskine punt. Sumner also scored during the second-quarter salvo, turning a pass from Jalen Ferguson into a 68-yard score. Zayvion Turner-Knox put the final points on the board with a 43-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Sean White, Zyheir Dillard and Dwayne McGee each had short TD rushes.
The Bears only allowed Erskine to gain 56 yards of total offense and had 12 tackles for loss. The Flying Fleet went backwards in the run game — minus 21 yards on 18 rushes.
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Barton 28, UVA Wise 24
Barton squandered a 21-0 lead, and UVA Wise took a 24-21 lead with 3:44 left in the fourth quarter. But junior running back Jordan Terrell saved the day with a 63-yard score on the next offensive snap. The Bulldogs held on to improve to 3-0, 1-0 in SAC action.
Terrell had a monster day, earning 256 rushing yards and two touchdowns. His first trip to the end zone came on a 22-yard carry and put the Bulldogs ahead 14-0 late in the first half.
Kameron Johnson scored on a 69-yard pass from Jaquan Lynch in the opening period. Lynch plunged in from the 1 with 13:21 to go in the third for the 21-0 advantage. At that point, Barton seemed in complete control, but Wise battled back to create the tense finish.
Dorien Goddard and Jaevon Gillespie had big games for UVA Wise. Goddard caught eight passes for 128 yards and what was the brief go-ahead touchdown. Gillespie rushed for 125 yards and had a 52-yard TD run.
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Mars Hill 35, Catawba 20
Catawba’s Preston Brown picked up where he left off after last week’s five-touchdown performance against Livingstone. Brown completed a pair of touchdown passes to Bo Pryor covering 78 and 7 yards, and the Indians led 14-7 early. But Mars Hill answered with three consecutive touchdowns and never relinquished the lead.
Joe Taylor Jr. had a one-yard TD run to tie the contest 14-14. Simeon Thompson caught a 12-yard TD pass from JR Martin, then Taylor scored again from three yards out. That made it 28-14 Mars Hill.
Thompson recorded the longest TD of the game in the fourth period, a 79-yard reception from Malik Laurent.
Brown threw for a third touchdown to keep Catawba (2-1, 0-1) in contention but it would not be enough.
The Lions (2-0, 1-0) racked up 461 yards of total offense, a balance of 245 rushing and 216 passing. Jon Gullette galloped for 206 yards on 29 carries, averaging 7.1 yards per attempt and scoring once. Laurent caught nine passes for 99 yards. Thompson had 95 yards on three catches, two of which went for touchdowns.
Brown finished with 321 passing yards for Catawba. Pryor had 162 receiving yards.
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Tusculum 23, Wingate 21
The Bulldogs won 11 games a year ago but have started the new season with just one victory in three ties. Tyler Burke caught a 46-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Palazzo with 2:59 left to lift the Pioneers to their first win of the season. Wingate’s final heave to the end zone as time expired was intercepted.
Wingate outgained Tusculum 398-253 and dominated time of possession by more than 17 minutes. But two turnovers and a safety hurt the Bulldogs’ cause.
Marquise Fleming had 3.5 sacks for Wingate and added another tackle-for-loss. Orinthius Byrd and Tre Morrison each broke up three passes.
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