Former Piedmont Star Darnell Jackson Carries Lenoir-Ryne to 30-22 Victory
The Lenoir-Rhyne Football Team survived an upset bid from Fort Valley State on Homecoming for the Wildcats and come away with a 30-22 victory. The win extends LR’s winning streak to seven in a row since dropping the season opener at West Alabama on a last-second score.
STATS OF THE GAME:
• The biggest play of the game came from sophomore Xzavion Huff who returned a kickoff 90 yards for an LR touchdown. Fort Valley State had just grabbed their first lead of the game at 19-13 before Huff immediately answered and put LR on top for good.
• On top of his kickoff return, Huff also scored on a 54-yard rush to put the Bears up 13-7 early in the second quarter.
• Sophomore QB Grayson Willingham made his return to the lineup after missing two games. Playing through rain and wet conditions, Willingham went 9-for-23 for 123 yards but didn’t turn the ball over.
• Darnell Jackson led a Bear offense that rushed for 305 yards as the junior gained a career-high 109 yards on 16 carries. Jackson’s 9-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter capped a 14-play, 97-yard drive that put LR ahead 30-19.
• Ameen Stevens found the end zone for his conference-leading seventh rushing TD of the season.
• Jaquan Artis continued his outstanding junior campaign with 1.5 sacks, running his total to six on the season. Artis trails Dan Louba by half-a-sack for the team lead.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
• Huff’s special teams’ touchdown marked the third straight week LR had returned a kick for a TD. Kyle Dugger ran two punts back against Newberry and Juquay Mitchell had a punt return against Limestone. Huff also returned a kick for a touchdown last season, a 100-yarder against Catawba.
• The Bears have scored 30 or more points in every game this season and have rushed for multiple touchdowns in every contest this year.
• Camron Young had 20 tackles in a losing effort for the hosts and Lorenzo Smothers caught three balls for 140 yards and a touchdown.
RECORDS: Lenoir-Rhyne (7-1), Fort Valley State (1-7).
UP NEXT: LR will return to action on Saturday (October 27th) when they host UNC Pembroke at Moretz Stadium at 2 p.m.