L-R, Catawba salvage weekend for area colleges
(cover photo: Lenoir-Rhyne's Mikel McClellan (12) celebrates after a touchdown ... photo courtesy of Lenoir-Rhyne)
Where did that come from?
On a weekend that was, frankly, a bit tough for most Charlotte-area college football teams, Lenoir-Rhyne made some noise. Some big noise.
The Bears opened their season Friday night by drubbing the nation’s 14th-ranked NCAA Division 2 team, Virginia Union, by a score of 45-3. Coach Doug Socha’s team scored early and often, making a statement about the possible pecking order among the Carolinas’ non-FBS schools this season.
On Saturday, Catawba opened its season by getting past host Ferrum 13-7.
Johnson C. Smith, meanwhile, had a disappointing 32-10 loss at Benedict. The Golden Bulls were among four area teams opening with a loss. They joined Davidson, Wingate and Gardner-Webb, each of which lost Thursday night.
Playing before an enthusiastic crowd of 5,202 at Moretz Stadium, Lenoir-Rhyne dominated Virginia Union, which was 10-2 last season, reached the NCAA Division 2 playoffs, and was the preseason CIAA favorite.
The Bears held the Panthers to 183 yards’ total offense, and much of that came in the latter stages of the game. Lenoir-Rhyne forced two turnovers and held Virginia Union to 0-of-10 on third-down and fourth-down conversions.
“I’m super-happy for our guys,” Socha said afterward. “The focus and preparation paid off.”
The Bears got the opening kickoff and went 69 yards in seven plays, scoring on Eddie Clarke’s 13-yard run. They made it 14-0 late in the first quarter on a 94-yard drive that took 13 plays and ended with L.J. Turner’s 2-yard scoring run.
The Bears added 17 points in the second quarter, on a 4-yard run by Turner; a 33-yard pass from redshirt freshman quarterback Wells Bettenausen to Jerrod Mewborn; and Daniel Deneen’s 45-yard field goal that cleared the crossbar by 10-15 yards.
The Bears made it 38-0 in the third quarter on a 1-yard pass from Max Blanc to Carson Spoonts and got their final score in the fourth quarter on Mikel McClellan’s 14-yard run.
The Panthers avoided a shutout with 4:52 left, on a 41-yard Gage Miller field goal.
Johnson C. Smith falls
The Golden Bulls, who capped a storybook 2025 season by winning the CIAA championship and reaching the NCAA Division 2 playoffs, had a flat opening performance in Columbia.
Benedict scored the game’s final 16 points in downing Johnson C. Smith 32-10.
The Tigers took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on A’chean Durant’s 1-yard run and made it 10-0 on Zane Spires’ 20-yard field goal early in the second period.
Benedict built its lead to 16-0 at the 9:53 mark of the second quarter, on a 97-yard pass from Jett Preddy to Caleb Riggs.
Then the Golden Bulls battled back. Fabian Duncan dashed 64 yards for a touchdown, cutting the deficit to 16-7 at halftime.
Johnson C. Smith got within 16-10 early in the third quarter on Alexis Rosario-Beltran’s 42-yard field goal.
But the Tigers dominated from there, adding a touchdown and two field goals and pulling away.
Johnson C. Smith’s passing game looked sharp. Duncan threw for 194 yards, and backup Kamarro Edmonds threw for 109 yards. But the Golden Bulls totaled only 75 yards on the ground, and Benedict totaled 449 yards’ offense.
Catawba tops Ferrum
Mason Fortune connected with Mike Geter on a 42-yard touchdown pass midway in the third quarter, and Catawba held on for a 13-7 victory over host Ferrum.
The Indians led 7-0 in the first quarter on Fortune’s 6-yard pass to Henry Forrest, but Ferrum tied the contest near the end of the half on a 39-yard pass from Eli Foutz to Jycen Anciso.
Ferrum threatened in the game’s final minutes. The Panthers took possession at their 37 with 4:49 left in the contest. A long pass gave Ferrum a first down at the Catawba 29. The Panthers got to the Indians’ 21, but Jaylen Hinton sacked Foutz at the 30 on third down, and Cameron Daniels broke up a fourth-down pass.
