CANTON, Ga. – Competition for the Southern Athletic Association football title is heating up with all eight teams in action last week. Conference leaders Berry and Centre picked up road wins to move to 2-0 in league play. The Vikings are on a three-game winning streak after a 42-13 triumph at Hendrix while the Colonels downed Millsaps 24-20 in Jackson. Trinity won over Sewanee 45-26 and Southwestern beat Rhodes 45-22.
Around the SAA:
Athletes of the Week:
OFFENSIVE:
Christian Lewis | Berry | Junior | Calhoun, Ga. – delivered a standout performance for the SAA leading Vikings in a 42-13 win over Hendrix. The junior went 17-of-25 passing for 250 yards and two touchdowns through the air while adding another score on the ground. Lewis had touchdown passes of six yards and 37 yards to go along with a one-yard TD run that got Berry rolling in the first quarter.
DEFENSIVE:
Evan Elder | Centre | Senior | Louisville, Ky. - had a breakout game for the Centre defense in Saturday's win at Millsaps. The senior linebacker finished with a game high ten tackles while adding 1.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks as the Colonels pulled off a 24-20 victory on the road.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
Cam Tegge | Centre | Senior | Prospect, Ky. - was perfect on all of his kicks in Centre's 24-20 win at Millsaps on Saturday, making one field goal and converting all three extra points. His 46-yard field goal at the halftime buzzer was the longest of his career. Additionally, all of Tegge's kickoffs pinned the Majors inside their own 20 in a game where field position was of prime importance.
Notable Performances:
- Will McDaniel (Centre) - had his best game of the season on Saturday as the Centre ground attack got going in the Colonels' 24-20 victory at Millsaps. McDaniel averaged six yards per carry, finishing with 96 yards on 16 rushes and helping Centre control time of possession and run out the clock in the fourth quarter.
- Kanyn Utley (Hendrix) - had a career day in the Warriors' loss to Berry on Saturday. The senior wideout caught 2 touchdowns, including a 65-yard touchdown reception, and recorded 176 yards on 7 receptions to set a new single-game career-high for receiving yards. Utley currently leads the SAA in receiving with 603 yards and 100.5 yards-per-game.
- Dyer Barnes (Sewanee) - led the Tigers’ offense with six catches for a career-high 167 yards and a touchdown on Saturday in Texas. His performance included a game-long 75-yard reception.
- Will Taylor (Trinity) - led Trinity to a 45-26 win over Sewanee on Saturday afternoon, picking up Trinity's first SAA win of the season and improving the team's overall record to 3-2. Taylor finished with four receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown to lead the Trinity passing attack that racked up 278 yards through the air in the game. Taylor's 60-yard touchdown reception opened the scoring for the second half and put Trinity in front 31-6 at the time.
- Michael Clark (Berry) - was huge on the defensive line for the Vikings. His two tackles, two tackles for a loss, and sack helped limit Hendrix. He was part of the machine behind holding the Warriors to -21 rushing yards in 25 attempts, a new school record for Berry.
- Nehemiah Coalson (Millsaps) - totaled 10 tackles in a narrow 24-20 defeat, hosting Centre College on Saturday. Coalson recorded six solo tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss.
- Cade Rabson (Trinity) - finished with a game-leading 11 tackles for Trinity, including 1.0 tackles for loss and a half-sack. Rabson and the Trinity defense held Sewanee to just 88 yards rushing for the game, and held a 24-6 lead at halftime. Rabson led a defense that forced four straight three-and-out possessions to start the game, and allowed just 103 yards of offense in the first half of play.
- Trey Richards (Berry) - went perfect on field goals going 2-for-2, including a 44-yarder. He was also perfect on extra points going 3-for-3 in between the pipes.
- Connor Babin (Millsaps) - aided the Majors in the battle for field position and nearly helped the Majors come back in a 24-20 defeat to Centre College on Saturday. Babin totaled four kickoffs for 214 yards (53.5-yard average).
2024 Football Report Archive (AOW Offensive/Defensive/Special Teams)
Sept. 9 – Aiden Huerta (Southwestern)/Tyson Cornett (Trinity)/Ethan Klapatch (Millsaps)
Sept. 16 – Jacorian Thomas (Sewanee)/Nick Grant (Centre)/Lamont Nickleberry (Trinity)
Sept. 23 – Brandon Cade (Berry)/Cade Rabson (Centre)/Jack Satterfield (Sewanee)
Sept. 30 – Cole Canetella (Millsaps)/Seth Hakanson (Hendrix)/Connor Babin (Millsaps)
Oct. 7 – Jack Gohmann (Centre)/Mario Brewer Jr. (Centre)/Tyler Huettel (Trinity)