Hendrix tops Sewanee on Senior Day

From Hendrix Sports
Cody Usher, Sports Information Director

CONWAY – The Hendrix College football team closed out their 2016 campaign in dominant fashion, defeating Sewanee – The University of the South 62-14 at Young-Wise Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon.

The Warriors (7-3, 5-3 Southern Athletic Association) racked up 609 yards on 55 plays for a school record 11.1 yards per play. The Orange & Black defense limited the Tigers (0-10, 0-8) 340 yards on 79 plays, for a 4.3 average. The Hendrix defense also tied the school record with 13 tackles for loss.

Sewanee turned it over on downs on the opening drive of the game and Hendrix scored three plays on a Seth Peters pass to senior tight end Doug Phillips for 12 yards. The Tigers used a 13-play 74-yard drive capped by a three-yard keeper from quarterback Sam Hearn to tie it up.

The Warriors opened the second quarter with a five-yard pass to junior Nate Hodapp to take the lead for good. Senior defensive end Tyler Clifton sacked Hearn for nine yards and caused a fumble, which led the Tigers punt being blocked by freshman Trace Sugg, giving Hendrix just 30 yards to go for another touchdown. Back-to-back 15-yard passes to Hodapp resulted in the home team taking a 21-7 lead early in the second. Hendrix scored again on their next drive when Peters found junior Ben Luedtke for a two-yard score.

Sewanee punted to Dayton Winn who returned it for a 53-yard touchdown, the first punt return TD in school history to give Hendrix a 35-7 lead just before halftime.

The Warriors scored on the first drive of the second half when Hodapp caught a pass for a 36-yard score. Later in the quarter, sophomore Michael Spainhour found the end zone on a 26-yard pass from Peters to put Hendrix up 49-7. The Tigers’ ball was stripped by junior Jake Brantley and picked up junior Kody Smith who returned the fumble for a school record 47 yards. Two plays later Peters foundDayton Winn for a 47-yard pass to go up 55-7.

Sewanee made the game 55-14 early in the fourth quarter on a Allan Puri 11-yard pass to Steven Hearn. Hendrix tacked on their final score when Winn flicked a five-yard pass to Clifton with 8:32 left in the game.

The game was the final in the career of 28 seniors for Hendrix – Gray Stanton, Taylor Tibbits, Peters, Winn, Clifton, Phillips, Caleb Brake, Dillon Wade, Steve Crenshaw, Matt Ramirez, Ethan Hoppe, Ben Cunningam, Shaquille Grant, John Donald, Harrison Newton, Thomas Eddlemon, Alex Atchley, Trent Middleton, Max Cassidy, Jared Lincoln, Zach Tuttle, Brooks Billings, Spencer Smith, Mark Hickey, Jake Falleur, Stephen Stearman, student assistant Tyler Austin and student assistant Gregory Kelley.

Hendrix Notes
– The Warriors compiled 6,000 yards of total offense this season, averaging a new NCAA Division III record of 600 yards per game.
– Their 62 points was the most since bringing back the program in 2013.
– Peters went 23-of-27 passing for 414 yards and a school record seven touchdowns. He also set a school record with a 296.5 pass efficiency and 14.4 yards of total offense per play.
– Winn rushed 10 times for 65 yards, was 1-of-1 passing for five yards and a TD and had four catches for 77 yards and a touchdown.
– Hodapp finished with five catches for 91 yards and tied the school mark with three touchdowns.
– Hoppe had four catches for 114 yards.
– Stanton tied his career high with 10 tackles, 3.5 for a loss, and two sacks.
– Ramirez and junior linebacker Jared Goff each had nine tackles.
– Smith finished with eight tackles, as did Brantley and junior safety Michael Kramer.
– Clifton recorded seven tackles, 3.5 for a loss, a sack and a forced fumble.

Sewanee Notes
– Hearn went 16-of-24 for 146 yards.
– Mikey Plancher had 24 carries for 85 yards.
– Tony Dykes led the defense with nine tackles.
– Hayden Reece had eight tackles.