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Football Hawks garner No. 21 ranking in NAIA Top 25 Coaches Poll
By Matt Green
NAIA Football Top 25 Coaches Poll
KANSAS CITY -- The Shorter University football team occupied the No. 21 ranking in the latest NAIA Football Top 25 Coaches Poll, which was released by the organization on Monday evening.
The Hawks (1-0), fresh off a 42-10 upset of then No. 20-ranked Webber International in Lake Wales, Fla., are tied for the 21st slot with Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) and make their first appearance in the Top 25 since Oct. 5, 2009.
Shorter routed a ranked Webber squad for the second year in a row, this time behind a record-breaking performance from quarterback David Byrd and Mid-South Conference Player of the Week worthy efforts from safety Desmond Clark and return specialist Jonny Sitton.
Byrd set school records for single game passing yards and passing touchdowns after finishing 5 for 6 for 166 yards and three TDs. The senior, making his first career start, completed his first four passes and hit three different receivers -- Sitton, Caleb Collins and Gary Tiller -- with touchdown strikes.
Clark, a junior and former standout at local Rome High, set a school record with a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown with 49 seconds left in the first half that put the Hawks up 28-3. Clark, who led the Hawks with three picks last season, earned Mid-South Defensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career.
Sitton, a sophomore transfer from the University of South Florida, set up two Shorter touchdowns with kick returns of 71 and 70 yards and also caught two passes for 44 yards and a score as a slotback. Sitton picked up Mid-South Special Teams Player of the Week accolades after rolling up 168 return yards.
After just one game, Sitton leads the country in punt return average and ranks second in the nation in all-purpose yards.
The 21st-ranked Hawks host the University of Pikeville on Saturday at Barron Stadium at 1:30 pm. The Bears (2-0) are receiving six votes in the latest Top 25 Poll and have shown vast improvement following a 2-8 season one year ago. Shorter leads the all-time series with Pikeville 3-2 and has won three straight in the series.
