By air or by ground, football players from some of North Carolina’s top teams made huge gains this past weekend – and a handful of school records are under new ownership.
Here are our Best In State top offensive players for Week 5:
UNC Pembroke quarterback Colin Johnson and receiver Trey Dixon had a day for the ages in the Braves’ 41-20 win over Wheeling. Johnson threw six touchdown passes on 13 completions. Dixon caught four of those scoring throws and seven balls in all for 240 yards.
The duo etched their names into the UNCP record books as a result. Johnson, a redshirt junior from Sanford (Lee County HS) tied the school mark for most TD passes in a game, also held by Luke Charles. Dixon, a graduate from Gibson (Scotland HS) set new marks for touchdown receptions in a game and single-game receiving yards. Dixon was voted the Mountain East’s Offensive Player of the Week.
.
Western Carolina’s Desmond Reid earned that same honor from the Southern Conference after doing his own record-book editing. The sophomore tailback from Miami Gardens, Fla., rushed for a school-best five touchdowns in the Catamounts’ win at The Citadel. Reid rushed for 167 yards on 18 carries. All of his touchdowns came in two quarters.
Reid has won the SoCon’s weekly offensive honor twice this season. Teammate Cole Gonzales won it last week for Western Carolina.
Five quarterbacks threw for 300-plus yards this week: Appalachian State’s Joey Aguilar (335), UNCP’s Johnson (334), Chowan’s Rashad McKee (329), Greensboro’s Alec Williams-Carr (314) and Campbell’s Hajj-Malik Williams (302).
Campbell”s Williams tossed five touchdown passes. McKee, Livingstone’s Marcus Drish and Brevard’s Ethan Beamish had four apiece.
Lenoir-Rhyne running back Dwayne McGee picked up South Atlantic Offensive Player of the Week recognition following his 184-yard effort against UVA Wise. He found the end zone three times.
Davidson’s Mari Adams was the Pioneer Football League’s top offensive player of the week. He rushed for 169 yards and four scores.
.
Davius Richard of North Carolina Central has shown this season he can find the end zone with his arm or legs. The dual-threat quarterback rushed for four touchdowns this past week against Campbell, and threw for another score. He was named the MEAC offensive player of the week after rushing for 92 yards and throwing for 265.
In the midst of leading Central back from a 21-point deficit against the Camels — the Eagles won in overtime 49-48 — Richard broke the school record for most rushing touchdowns. He now has 33 rushing TDs for his career.
Barton’s Jordan Terrell got back to his usual ways after a sluggish game against Mars Hill on Sept. 23. Terrell rushed for 148 yards and a touchdown in a big win over Tusculum.
Corey Siemer had three touchdown runs for Wingate.
Davontay Deloatch had three touchdown receptions for Livingstone. Deloatch and Drish both earned CIAA offensive player of the week honors for their position.
Here is a more detailed list of the top offensive performers from North Carolina schools for week five, in table form:
.
| TOP PASSING YARDAGE | DIVISION | COMP | ATT | YARDS | TDS | INTS | LONG |
| Joey Aguilar (Appalachian State) | FBS | 27 | 39 | 335 | 3 | 2 | 52 |
| Colin Johnson (UNC Pembroke) | D2 | 13 | 28 | 334 | 6 | 3 | 75 |
| Rashad McKee (Chowan) | D2 | 23 | 37 | 329 | 4 | 0 | 75 |
| Alec Williams-Carr (Greensboro) | D3 | 22 | 37 | 314 | 2 | 3 | 42 |
| Hajj-Malik Williams (Campbell) | FCS | 20 | 26 | 302 | 5 | 0 | 70 |
| Ethan Beamish (Brevard) | D3 | 10 | 18 | 273 | 4 | 0 | 75 |
| Zachary Marquis (NC Wesleyan) | D3 | 20 | 45 | 273 | 1 | 3 | 53 |
| Davius Richard (NC Central) | FCS | 21 | 34 | 265 | 1 | 0 | 51 |
| Alex Flinn (East Carolina) | FBS | 21 | 44 | 246 | 0 | 1 | 34 |
| Cole Gonzales (Western Carolina) | FCS | 22 | 28 | 237 | 1 | 9 | 22 |
| Jalen Ferguson (Lenoir-Rhyne) | D2 | 13 | 18 | 234 | 3 | 0 | 59 |
| Marcus Drish (Livingstone) | D2 | 18 | 32 | 224 | 4 | 0 | 49 |
| JR Martin (Mars Hill) | D2 | 18 | 31 | 218 | 2 | 0 | 44 |
.
| TOUCHDOWN PASSES | DIVISION | TDS |
| Colin Johnson (UNC Pembroke) | D2 | 6 |
| Hajj-Malik Williams (Campbell) | FCS | 5 |
| Ethan Beamish (Brevard) | D3 | 4 |
| Marcus Drish (Livingstone) | D2 | 4 |
| Rashad McKee (Chowan) | D2 | 4 |
| Jalen Ferguson (Lenoir-Rhyne) | D2 | 3 |
| Joey Aguilar (Appalachian State) | FBS | 3 |
| Alec Williams-Carr (Greensboro) | D3 | 2 |
| JR Martin (Mars Hill) | D2 | 2 |
.
| TOP RUSHERS | DIVISION | ATT | YARDS | TDS | YDS/CARRY | LONG |
| Dwayne McGee (Lenoir-Rhyne) | D2 | 17 | 202 | 3 | 11.9 | 52 |
| Chancellor Lee-Parker (Brevard) | D3 | 21 | 184 | 1 | 8.8 | 40 |
| Mari Adams (Davidson) | FCS | 14 | 169 | 4 | 12.1 | 66 |
| Desmond Reid (Western Carolina) | FCS | 18 | 167 | 5 | 9.3 | 23 |
| Jordan Terrell (Barton) | D2 | 32 | 148 | 1 | 4.6 | 53 |
| Coulter Cleland (Davidson) | FCS | 6 | 132 | 0 | 22.0 | 57 |
| Kenji Christian (NC A&T) | FCS | 15 | 118 | 2 | 7.9 | 34 |
| Kevin White (NC A&T) | FCS | 11 | 115 | 2 | 10.5 | 65 |
| Mason Sheron (Davidson) | FCS | 10 | 114 | 2 | 11.4 | 78 |
| Nate Noel (Appalachian State) | FBS | 18 | 109 | 0 | 6.1 | 35 |
| Asa Barnes (Winston-Salem State) | D2 | 19 | 104 | 1 | 5.5 | 25 |
| Colin Johnson (UNC Pembroke) | D2 | 13 | 94 | 0 | 7.2 | 20 |
| LJ Turner (Catawba) | D2 | 16 | 93 | 2 | 5.8 | 16 |
| Riley Leonard (Duke) | FBS | 18 | 88 | 0 | 4.9 | 33 |
| Davius Richard (NC Central) | FCS | 21 | 86 | 4 | 4.1 | 17 |
| Corey Siemer (Wingate) | D2 | 13 | 78 | 3 | 6.0 | 23 |
| Latrell Collier (NC Central) | FCS | 17 | 77 | 2 | 4.5 | 25 |
| Zayvion Turner-Knox (Lenoir-Rhyne) | D2 | 5 | 48 | 2 | 9.6 | 17 |
.
| RUSHING YARDS/CARRY | DIVISION | ATT | YPC |
| Coulter Cleland (Davidson) | FCS | 6 | 22.0 |
| Mari Adams (Davidson) | FCS | 14 | 12.1 |
| Dwayne McGee (Lenoir-Rhyne) | D2 | 17 | 11.9 |
| Mason Sheron (Davidson) | FCS | 10 | 11.4 |
| Kevin White (NC A&T) | FCS | 11 | 10.5 |
| Zayvion Turner-Knox (Lenoir-Rhyne) | D2 | 5 | 9.6 |
| Desmond Reid (Western Carolina) | FCS | 18 | 9.3 |
| Chancellor Lee-Parker (Brevard) | D3 | 21 | 8.8 |
| Kenji Christian (NC A&T) | FCS | 15 | 7.9 |
| Colin Johnson (UNC Pembroke) | D2 | 13 | 7.2 |
| Nate Noel (Appalachian State) | FBS | 18 | 6.1 |
| Corey Siemer (Wingate) | D2 | 13 | 6.0 |
| LJ Turner (Catawba) | D2 | 16 | 5.8 |
| Asa Barnes (Winston-Salem State) | D2 | 19 | 5.5 |
.
| RUISHING TOUCHDOWNS | DIVISION | TDS |
| Desmond Reid (Western Carolina) | FCS | 5 |
| Davius Richard (NC Central) | FCS | 4 |
| Mari Adams (Davidson) | FCS | 4 |
| Corey Siemer (Wingate) | D2 | 3 |
| Dwayne McGee (Lenoir-Rhyne) | D2 | 3 |
| Kenji Christian (NC A&T) | FCS | 2 |
| Kevin White (NC A&T) | FCS | 2 |
| Latrell Collier (NC Central) | FCS | 2 |
| LJ Turner (Catawba) | D2 | 2 |
| Mason Sheron (Davidson) | FCS | 2 |
| Zayvion Turner-Knox (Lenoir-Rhyne) | D2 | 2 |
.
| TOP RECEIVERS | DIVISION | NO. | YARDS | TDS | LONG |
| Trey Dixon (UNC Pembroke) | D2 | 7 | 240 | 4 | 75 |
| Jalen Kelsey (Campbell) | FCS | 7 | 172 | 2 | 70 |
| Deven Franklin (Chowan) | D2 | 6 | 137 | 2 | 61 |
| Matthew Henry (Livingstone) | D2 | 8 | 130 | 0 | 49 |
| Christian Horn (Appalachian State) | FBS | 6 | 124 | 2 | 52 |
| Zackary Orr (Brevard) | D3 | 3 | 120 | 2 | 67 |
| Kaedin Robinson (Appalachian State) | FBS | 10 | 112 | 1 | 16 |
| Kobe Christian (Catawba) | D2 | 2 | 110 | 0 | 55 |
| Chandler Brayboy (Elon) | FCS | 4 | 109 | 1 | 76 |
| DeAree Rogers (Lenoir-Rhyne) | D2 | 6 | 105 | 0 | 59 |
| Ah’shaan Belcher (Shaw) | D2 | 5 | 99 | 1 | 33 |
| Malik Laurent (Mars Hill) | D2 | 6 | 95 | 0 | 33 |
| Devin Smith (NC Central) | FCS | 5 | 90 | 0 | 51 |
| Brevin Caldwell (Johnson C. Smith) | D2 | 6 | 88 | 0 | 42 |
| Censere Lee (Western Carolina) | FCS | 6 | 83 | 0 | 19 |
| Dominique Marshall (Lenoir-Rhyne) | D2 | 3 | 82 | 1 | 56 |
| Jack Hestera (Charlotte) | FBS | 7 | 81 | 1 | 25 |
.
| RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS | DIVISION | TDS |
| Trey Dixon (UNC Pembroke) | D2 | 4 |
| Davontay Deloatch (Livingstone) | D2 | 3 |
| Christian Horn (Appalachian State) | FBS | 2 |
| Deven Franklin (Chowan) | D2 | 2 |
| Jalen Kelsey (Campbell) | FCS | 2 |
| RJ Mobley (Winston-Salem State) | D2 | 2 |
| Zackary Orr (Brevard) | D3 | 2 |
.
More Best In State football content
- Top returning QBs to watch in North Carolina this season
Twelve signal callers who could put up big numbers across all four NCAA divisions in 2024 - NFL Draft: Duke, NC State, UNC players picked early
Duke linemen, UNC quarterback, NC State linebacker get selected in rounds 1-3 - UFL rosters will feature plenty of North Carolina football talent
New spring pro league, a merger of the USFL and XFL, will kick off this weekend - Louisburg College puts 36 on academic honors list
Hurricanes enjoyed success on the field and in the classroom - Statewide Stats: Four rushers eclipsed 1,000 yards in 2023
All-American Jordan Terrell from Barton led the way with 1,732 over 11 games
