Football Rally Falls Short in Season-Ending Loss

SALISBURY, NC -- Lenoir-Rhyne ran for 394 yards and held off Catawba to take a 16-13 win in South Atlantic Conference football action on Saturday afternoon at Shuford Stadium.  Both teams put a cap to their seasons with the Bears improving to 5-6 overall and 2-5 in the SAC and the Catawba Indians ending up 4-6 and 1-6.

Three Bears rushed for over 80 yards, led by Andrew Courman (Beaufort, NC), who had 89 on 12 carries.  James Pone (Wilson, NC) and Byron Darby (Gastonia, NC) each added 88 yards.  Lenoir-Rhyne held Catawba to a minus-3 net on the ground and recorded four sacks.  Patrick Dennis (Durham, NC/Cedar Ridge HS) led the Indians as he passed for 326 yards on 26-of-44 passing. 

After Keonte Davis (New London, NC) blocked a 39-yard field goal by Catawba on the first drive, Pone got the Bears rolling with a 52-yard run to the Tribe seven.  Colin Corpe (Ocala, FL) put the Bears on top with a 20-yard field goal.  Early in the second quareter Lenoir-Rhyne took advantage of a pair of fourth-down conversions to grab a 10-0 lead.  Major Herron (Kingsland, GA) ran in from two yards out on fourth down for the score.

The Bears added to its lead with 10:12 left in the third quarter as Darby scored on a 72-yard run, but the point-after missed.  Catawba’s defense brought the Indians to life as Melquan Fair (Raleigh, NC/E. Wake HS) forced a fumble on a sack that Terrence Porter (Roanoke Rapids, NC/Roanoke Rapids HS) took 36-yards for a score.  Catawba missed a two-point try to leave the Bears on top 16-6 with 5:54 left in the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Marcus Shuford (Newton, NC) ended one Catawba drive with an interception at the Bear 19.  Catawba moved the L-R 30 on its next possession, but a sack by Cle-Artiss Davis (Mirimar, FL) would force a punt.  The Indians pulled within one score with 3:03 remaining as Dennis threw a 25-yard scoring pass to Brian Terwilliger (Wilmington, NC/New Hanover HS).  The Bears recovered the ensuing on-side kick attempt and ran out the clock.

Michael Green (Kingsland, GA) had eight tackles and broke-up a pair of passes for Lenoir-Rhyne.  Demetrius Green (Cedartown, GA) had a key play in the third quarter as he stripped a Catawba ball carrier at the Bear 35.  Davis had a pair of sacks.  The Bears totaled nearly 35 minutes of possession time.

Eric Morman (Rockingham, NC/Richmond Senior HS) caught six passes for 64 yards for Catawba.  Gerron Bryant (W. Palrm Beach, FL/Boynton Beach HS), Travis Landrum (Inman, SC/Chapman HS) and Brandon Bunn (Virginia Beach, VA/Hargrave/VMI) each had five catches.  Cory Johnson (Fayetteville, NC/Britt HS) had a dozen tackles on defense, while Bryant Vennable (Gretna, VA/Gretna HS) made 10 stops.  Jaspen Gray (Advance, NC/Davie Co. HS) and Jumal Rolle (Wilson, NC/Beddingfield HS) each had interceptions.

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