CANTON, Ga. - The first conference game of the season and the SAA-ODAC Crossover highlighted week three football action around the Southern Athletic Association. Berry picked up one of the most impressive wins of the early season, going on the road to beat ninth-ranked Randolph-Macon 28-24. Trinity was also a winner in the Crossover, defeating Washington & Lee in a defensive battle, 16-10. Hendrix grabbed first place in the SAA standings, beating Southwestern 35-20 in the league opener.
Around the SAA:
Athletes of the Week:
OFFENSIVE:
Brandon Cade | Berry | Senior | Duluth, Ga. – On the national stage Saturday afternoon, Cade led Berry to a 28-24 road win over No. 9 Randolph-Macon, scoring the winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter. The senior rushed for 60 yards and two touchdowns to go along with two receptions for 18 yards and a third touchdown. The Vikings trailed saw the Yellow Jackets take a three point lead with five minutes left until Cade’s one-yard TD run with 1:16 left lifted Berry to a marquee win.
DEFENSIVE:
Cade Rabson | Trinity | Fifth-Year | The Woodlands, Texas - led a dominant Trinity defense that held Washington & Lee without an offensive touchdown in a 16-10 win for the Tigers on Saturday afternoon. Rabson posted a career-high 12 tackles and a career-best 2.5 tackles for loss to lead the Tigers in both categories. The only score allowed by Trinity in the first half came on an interception return for a touchdown. Rabson and the defense held Washington & Lee to just 27 yards in the first half and the team took a 16-7 lead by halftime. The Trinity defense allowed more yards in the second half, but limited the Generals to just one fourth-quarter field goal while forcing three second-half turnovers.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
Jack Satterfield | Sewanee | Senior | Murfreesboro, Tenn. – delivered a standout punting performance, averaging 50.6 yards on five punts. Four of his punts traveled over 50 yards, with a long of 53 yards. Satterfield also placed one punt inside the 20-yard line, consistently flipping the field for the Tigers and playing a key role in the team's field position battle.
Notable Performances:
- Jacob Buniff (Hendrix) - tossed four touchdown passes and threw for 389 yards in Hendrix's 35-20 SAA win over Southwestern. He connected on 26 of 37 passes and engineered a Warriors' offense that totaled over 500 yards of total offense. All four of Bunniff’s TD passes were over 20 yards, including a 37-yard strike in the fourth-quarter that made it a two-score game.
- Cole Canatella (Millsaps) - Millsaps freshman quarterback led the Majors offensively with 231 all-purpose yards (181 passing, 50 rushing), while completing 12-of-29 passes and rushing for two scores on the ground. Millsaps was bested 28-14 by Bridgewater at Harper Davis Field on Saturday.
- Johnny Milo (Trinity) - scored the only touchdown of the day as the Trinity Tigers earned a 16-7 win over Washington & Lee University on Saturday. Milo finished with 44 yards rushing on just seven carries, leading the team with 6.3 yards per rush in Saturday's win. His six-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter put Trinity in front for good (13-7 at the time).
- Luke Carlton (Berry) - helped the Vikings in a tremendous way on the defensive side of the ball. Carlton's forced fumble late in the fourth quarter ensured a Berry win, with the No. 10 Yellow Jackets on the final drive of the game, Carlton took matters into his own hands and forced a fumble that the Vikings recovered to be able to run out the clock offensively and secure the win against the top ranked team. Luke also accumulated two solo tackles, three assists, a QB hurry, and 1.5 sacks.
- Nathan Hahn (Hendrix) - was all over the field in the Warriors' 35-20 win over Southwestern. The graduate student racked up 8 total tackles, including 5 solos. Hahn spent a lot of time in the Pirates' backfield, recording 2.5 tackles-for-loss and getting in on a sack. He spearheaded a Warriors' defense that allowed under 250 yards of total offense.
- Jamison Rankins (Millsaps) - led the Majors with 12 total tackles (eight solo) alongside a quarterback hurry as the Majors narrowly fell to Bridgewater, 28-14 on Saturday.
- Erik Jensen (Berry) - served a key role on special teams in the Vikings defeat over No. 10 Randolph Macon. In the fourth quarter, Jensen found his way around the offensive line to block a punt that then led to the game winning touchdown to give the Vikings to the lead.
- Joshua Gill (Hendrix) - punted three times in the Warriors' 35-20 win over Southwestern with a long of 43 yards. The Pirates totaled just under 250 total yards, thanks in large part to Gil pinning them deep as he landed two of this three punts inside the 20 yard line. He also kicked off four times and recorded a touchback.
- Ethan Klapatch (Millsaps) - recorded six punts for 270 yards in a narrow 28-14 defeat to Bridgewater College on Saturday. He averaged 45 yards per attempt with two exceeding 50 yards, including a long of 58 yards.
- Tyler Huettel (Trinity) - tied his career-high with three field goals in a 16-7 victory for the Trinity University football team against Washington & Lee University on Saturday afternoon. Huettel knocked in a pair of short field goals on the team's first and last scoring drives of the first half, but also had a season-best 45-yard field goal early in the second quarter. He also punted three times for 118 total yards, averaging 39.3 yards/punt, and kicking a season-long 47-yard punt as well. Huettel had four touchbacks among his five kickoffs, averaging 64.8 yards/kick.
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)