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Football captures third straight win with 31-10 rout of Faulkner
ROME, Ga. – One week removed from arguably the biggest win in program history, Shorter University faced unquestionably its most meaningful game of the season.
There would be no emotional let down for the Hawks on Saturday.
Kenny Foster rushed for 92 yards and a touchdown, Octavious Edge added 79 yards and another score and Shorter scored two touchdowns in the first five minutes of the game en route to a 31-10 victory over Faulkner University in each team’s Mid-South West Division opener at Barron Stadium.
Shorter won its third straight game after an 0-2 start to the season and improved to 3-2 overall and 1-0 in the Mid-South West.
“Certainly we are thankful to the Lord for having an opportunity to be here and be with these kids and be a part of their lives,” said Shorter head coach Phil Jones, whose Hawks improved to 3-0 all-time against Faulkner. “I thought early on that we would get things rolling, but to Faulkner’s credit, they did some things defensively to stop us that we hadn’t seen before this year.
“I’m just happy to get a win today and start our West Division play on a high note. This is big for us.”
The Hawks, still riding high off of an emotional 47-46 overtime win over perennial Mid-South and NAIA power Georgetown College last weekend, erased any doubt that they would suffer from a lack of focus against the Eagles.
Shorter took the opening kickoff and marched 51 yards in two plays – junior Antwon Appleton ripped off a 41-yard run on the Hawks’ first play from scrimmage – before Edge capped the 44 second drive with a 10-yard run for a 7-0 Shorter lead.
The Hawks forced a punt on Faulkner’s first possession, then used a 50-yard run by Brandon Morten to set up Foster’s 6-yard scamper that put Shorter ahead 14-0 with 10:36 still remaining in the first period.
“It was exciting for us to get off to a good start,” said Jones. “Faulkner had a big win last week [42-36 in overtime over Pikeville] and I felt like they would come in here and really get after us. We felt like we had to take away kind of confidence they might have and our kids executed that.”
For the second straight week, Shorter got major contributions from its defense. The Hawks picked off Faulkner quarterback Zach Tribble four times – the last of which was returned 22 yards for a touchdown by Shorter’s Daniel Hazard for a 31-3 Hawks’ lead with 12:10 remaining in the fourth quarter.
After giving up over 500 yards of offense to Georgetown last week, Shorter surrendered just 281 total yards to the Eagles while forcing five Faulkner turnovers. For the fifth straight week, Shorter did not allow a 100-yard rusher.
“I told the team today that I thought our defense was outstanding, especially in turning the ball over to the offense and playing all over the field,” Jones said. “I am really proud of them – they came in [last Sunday] very determined to improve and I feel like they did that.”
Grant Myers, Desmond Clark and Austin Ingram each recorded interceptions for Shorter and two of those three thefts led to Shorter points.
Myers’ interception of Tribble in the second quarter set up Shorter’s 10-play, 70-yard drive that was capped by a Ben Williams 1-yard plunge for a 21-3 Hawks’ advantage midway through the frame.
Ingram’s pick on Faulkner’s first possession of the third quarter led to a 27-yard field goal by Troy Postell that put Shorter up 24-3 with 7:34 left in the period.
Offensively, Shorter once again looked like a team on a mission.
The Hawks rolled up 323 yards on the ground, continuing its string of excellent rushing performances against the Eagles – the Hawks gained 515 yards rushing last season in Montgomery and 421 rushing yards in the teams’ first meeting back in 2008 in Rome.
Morten finished with 64 yards on four carries and Appleton added 46 on three totes. Lonergon Honore and Josh Gibson paced the Hawks defensively with eight tackles apiece.
Tribble completed 23 of 45 passes for 158 yards, one touchdown and the four interceptions for Faulkner. Triston McCathern led the Eagles’ ground attack with 14 carries for 62 yards.
Shorter next travels to Cumberland University (Tenn.) as part of a two-game Mid-South West road swing. Jones understands the importance of his team’s focus as it takes on two of the top teams in the division over the next two weeks.
“On a relative basis, our conference is like the SEC in that you don’t know until the end who will come out on top,” Jones said. “Somebody will, and I think that the team that plays with the most intent each and every day will be that team.
“That is what I’m going to try and get our team to do.”
