CANTON, Ga. – Maryville captures two Southern Athletic Association honors after a big win over Trinity and Centre capture Offensive Athlete of the Week in Trimble.
Around the SAA:
SAA Football Schedule/Results
SAA Football Standings
SAA Football Stats
D3Football.com National Ranking
Athletes of the Week
Offensive:
Mason Trimble | Centre | FR | Prospect, KY – Mason Trimble had a career performance in Centre's 63-20 Homecoming victory against Rhodes on Saturday. In just one half of play, the freshman quarterback completed 15 of 19 passes for a career high 291 yards and seven touchdowns. Trimble spread the wealth, with all seven of his touchdown passes going to different receivers. Trimble is the first Centre quarterback to throw for seven touchdowns in a game since all-time passing leader Devin Hayes accomplished it in the 2016 season.
Defensive:
Jacquese Abner | Maryville | JR | Pike Road, AL – Junior defensive back Jacquese Abner delivered a game-changing performance in Maryville's 16-12 road victory over #6 Trinity, recording two interceptions, a pass breakup and three total tackles. Abner's biggest play came early in the third quarter when he intercepted a pass from Trinity quarterback Hondo Franklin and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown. The pick-six gave the Scots a 13-9 lead and proved to be a pivotal moment in the contest. Abner finished with 62 interception-return yards on his two picks, helping lead a Maryville defense that forced five turnovers and held the Tigers to 12 points despite allowing 336 yards of total offense.
Special Teams:
Jaxson Rutledge | Maryville | FR | Maryville, TN – First-year linebacker Jaxson Rutledge made a critical impact on special teams in Maryville's 16-12 victory over Trinity, blocking a field goal to help the Scots secure a key road win. Rutledge's blocked kick was part of a complete defensive effort by Maryville, which limited Trinity to 12 points and came away with a four-point victory. Rutledge also contributed defensively, recording one assisted tackle as the Scots improved to 4-0 in conference play. His ability to make a difference on a crucial special teams play helped Maryville preserve its advantage in a tightly contested matchup.
Notable Performances
Offense
- Andrew Hunter | Berry | SR | Huntsville, AL – A senior from Huntsville, AL Hunter led the Vikings offense going 12/17 for 135 yards passing while adding 8 rushes for 120 yards and 3 TD’s with a long of 58 yards for a total of 255 all purpose yards in a 34-6 win.
- Carl Reed Jr. | Millsaps | FR | New Orleans, LA – Millsaps football freshman quarterback Carl Reed Jr. had an outstanding afternoon, helping the Majors score the most points since 2010 by downing Sewanee, 62-14 on Saturday. The Majors set a program record for total offense with 670 yards of attack, while also tying the program record with seven passing touchdowns. Reed Jr. finished 15-for-19 passing, totaling 294 yards through the air, and 16 rushing yards. His five passing touchdowns tied for third-most by a Major signal caller all-time.
Defense
- Markell Kyer | Millsaps | JR | Spanish Fort, AL – Millsaps football junior defensive back Markell Kyer led the Major defense in a 62-14 win at Sewanee on Saturday. Kyer finished with seven tackles, two forced fumbles, a pair of pass breakups, and a tackle for loss.
Special Teams
- Dylan Gaiser | Centre | FR | Fort Wright, KY – Dylan Gaiser made the biggest special teams play by Centre all season long in the fourth quarter of Saturday's game against Rhodes. After a Rhodes score, Gaiser took the ensuing kickoff and raced 91 yards for a touchdown to put a capper on a 63-20 victory for the Colonels. It was the first kickoff return for a touchdown in the SAA this season.
2026 Football Report Archive (Offense/Defense/Special Teams)
Week One - Sept. 8: (Camerone Coleman, Berry/Myles Johnson, Millsaps/Jackson Runyan, Trinity)
Week Two - Sept. 14: (Barton Mixon, Sewanee/Zabian Boutan, Millsaps/Judson Crockett, Trinity)
Week Three - Sept. 21: (Barton Mixon, Sewanee/Diego Davila, Trinity/Miles Hamby, Berry)
Week Four - Sept. 28: (Jaxon Dabrowski, Maryville/Kylan Hall, Maryville/Grady Jones, Rhodes)
Week Five - Oct. 5: (Mushaba Zulu, Maryville/TJ Scannell, Trinity/Judson Crockett, Trinity)
Week Six - Oct. 12: (Carl Reed Jr., Millsaps/Delvin Gantt, Trinity/Brennon Saylor, Maryville)
Week Seven - Oct. 19: (Mason Trimble, Centre/Jacquese Abner, Maryville/Jaxson Rutledge, Maryville)
Week Eight - Oct. 26: (
For more information on all things SAA, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the SAA's home on the internet at
www.saa-sports.com. Be sure to stay up to date on all of your Southern Athletic Association news by following @SAA_Sports on Twitter (X) and @SAA_Sports on Instagram.