Football

SAA Football Report - Sept. 8, 2026

CANTON, Ga.  – The Southern Athletic Association opened up the 2026 Football season this past week with Berry, Millsaps, and Trinity bringing in week one honors.
 
Around the SAA:
SAA Football Schedule/Results
SAA Football Standings
SAA Football Stats
D3Football.com National Ranking
 
Athletes of the Week

Offensive:
Cameron Coleman | Berry | JR | Palmetto, GA – A junior from Palmetto, GA Coleman led the Vikings at receiver with five catches for 126 yards in a 50-20 win over Huntingdon to open the season.
 
Defensive:
Myles Johnson | Millsaps | JR | Maurice, LA – Millsaps football junior defensive tackle Myles Johnson had a terrific season opener, helping the Majors better Belhaven, 36-20 in the Riverside Rumble on Thursday. Johnson totaled six tackles, including a sack, two quarterback hurries, and forced a fumble. The fumble helped seal the game, with the Majors leading 30-20 with 2:15 remaining.
 
Special Teams:
Jackson Runyan | Trinity | JR | Frisco, TX – Runyan scored 12 points in #14 Trinity's season-opening 36-14 win over Texas Lutheran University on Saturday night. He kicked three short field goals and connected on 3-of-4 extra point attempts, with the only miss coming on a blocked kick.
 
Notable Performances
 
Offense
  • Na'Zaiyah Holman | Sewanee | JR | Dechard, TN – Na’Zaiyah Holman delivered a standout performance in Sewanee’s season opener against Bethany, recording three receptions for 97 yards and two touchdowns. Holman provided a consistent big-play threat for the Tigers, with both of his touchdowns coming on passes of 38 and 41 yards. His two-touchdown performance helped fuel Sewanee’s second-half comeback, as the Tigers rallied from a 24-point halftime deficit to pull within three points late in the fourth quarter.
  • Welker Horn | Trinity | SO | Lubbock, TX – Horn led 14th-ranked Trinity in both passing and rushing in Saturday's season-opening 36-14 win over Texas Lutheran University. The game was his first career start for the Tigers and he completed 11-of-17 passes for 199 yards and a pair of scores. Horn also rushed 13 times for 48 yards and a rushing touchdown that put Trinity in front for good early in the third quarter. His first TD pass of the game came in the final minute of the third quarter and put the Tigers in front 19-7, then he added another score less than five minutes into the fourth quarter to essentially put the game out of reach.
 
Defense
  • Gabe Bauman | Berry | SO | Richmond, Hill, GA – A linebacker from Richmond Hill, GA Bauman led the Vikings starting defense that allowed no points through the first two quarters as he recorded 10 tackles and three tackles for loss on only 36 defensive snaps.
  • Brody Sanderson | Sewanee | SR | Cumming, GA – Brody Sanderson anchored the Sewanee defense in the Tigers’ season opener against Bethany, finishing with none total tackles, including six solo stops and one tackle for loss. Sanderson also forced a fumble and broke up two passes, contributing in multiple areas throughout the game. Sanderson was key in helping the Tigers force three Bethany turnovers as Sewanee battled back from a 24-point halftime deficit and nearly completed the comeback.
  • Jameer Martin | Southwestern | SR | Cleveland, TX – Martin was all over the field as the Pirates defense caused five turnovers in a narrow loss to McMurry. Martin had 14 total tackles to lead the team along with an interception which helped keep the Pirates in the game. The senior is only two tackles shy of 200 for his career from the two-time team captain.
 
Special Teams
  • Will Boehm | Centre | SR | Louisville, KY – Will Boehm punted ten times for Centre in the 2026 season opener with an average of 43.1 yards per kick. Three of his punts traveled over 50 yards, with the longest one going 54 yards. Boehm also had three punts downed inside the 20-yard line. Only two punts were returned, yielding a net of zero return yards.
  • Connor Babin | Millsaps | JR | Fulshear, TX – Millsaps College football junior kicker Connor Babin had a memorable game on Thursday, helping the Majors better Belhaven, 36-20 in the annual Riverside Rumble. He netted his lone field goal attempt from 48 yards, moving into second all-time in the program record book for a made field goal. Babin also minimized Belhaven's return game by tallying 420 yards off seven kickoffs, averaging 60 yards a kick with four touchbacks. He also went 3-for-5 on PATs.
  • Na'Shawn Holman | Sewanee | JR | Dechard, TN – Na’Shawn Holman provided a major spark for Sewanee’s special teams in the season opener against Bethany, totaling 159 return yards. Holman returned two punts for 77 yards, including a 72-yard touchdown that helped ignite the Tigers’ second-half comeback. He also recorded three kickoff returns for 82 yards. His explosive punt return was a key moment in Sewanee’s 21-point second-half rally.
2026 Football Report Archive (Offense/Defense/Special Teams)

 
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.