CONWAY – Former Hendrix College standouts Max Cassidy and Dayton Winn will continue their football careers by playing professionally in Europe. Cassidy has already started playing for the Marsburg Mercenaries of the the German Football League. Winn will start with the Copenhagen Towers of the National Ligaen in Denmark this week.

Cassidy, a center from Plano, Texas, helped the Mercenaries to a 16-10 victory over the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns on Saturday. Cassidy was a three-time All-Southern Athletic Association Honorable Mention. He started all 41 games for the Warriors during his career. In 2016, Cassidy was a part of the offensive line that led the nation with 600 yards of total offense per game. 

Winn, a running back from Pea Ridge, Ark., was a two-time AFCA All-America First Team running back. He was also a 2016 D3football.com All-America First Teamer and a two-time member of the AP Little All-America teams. He won the SAA Offensive Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016 and was an all-conference First Team selection all four years. Winn was a semifinalist for the Gagliardi Trophy in 2015 and 2016 and participated in the 2017 Dream Bowl. He recorded 5,009 yards rushing with 85 touchdowns, another 1,221 yards and 10 touchdowns receiving and finished with 8,296 all-purpose yards for his career.

Teammate and quarterback Seth Peters signed with the Kuopio Steelers of the Finnish 1st Division of American Football earlier in the year.

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CONWAY, Ark. – Hendrix College senior running back Dayton Winn was selected to the American Football Coaches Association Division III All-America First Team on Monday.

Winn, from Pea Ridge, Ark., ran the ball 174 times of 1,372 yards and 22 touchdowns. He averaged 7.9 yards per carry and 137.2 yards per game. He also had 33 catches for 298 yards and a touchdown, 85 punt return yards, including a score, and 133 yards on kick returns. Winn scored 144 points on 24 TDs and averaged 188.9 all-purpose yards per game. He ranked second in the nation in yards per carry, third in rushing TDs and scoring, fourth in all-purpose yards per game and 12th in rushing yards and yards per game.

Winn also led the Southern Athletic Association in rushing yards, rushing yards per game, yards per carry, rushing touchdowns, all-purpose yards per game and scoring. He was the SAA Offensive Player of the Year, All-SAA and d3Football.com All-South Region First Team pick and a semifinalist for the Gagliardi Trophy

Winn was an AFCA First Team All-American last season as well.

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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.

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CONWAY – The Hendrix College football team broke the school record with 760 yards of total offense en route to a 52-28 victory over the University of Chicago at Young-Wise Memorial Stadium Saturday.

The Warriors (6-1, 4-1 Southern Athletic Association) set several individual records as well, led by freshman quarterback Miles Thompson’s 455 passing yards in his first career start. Junior wide receiver came up with a record 16 catches for 156 yards and a TD. Senior running back Dayton Winn had the longest rush in school history, an 85-yarder, which helped him to 186 yards and four touchdowns on 23 carries.

The Hendrix defense also came up with several big plays, tying the school record with four interceptions. Senior defensive end Tyler Clifton tied the record with two sacks.

Senior kicker Steve Crenshaw broke another record, connecting on seven extra point attempts.

The Maroons (3-4, 3-3 SAA) recorded 457 yards on 88 plays for an average of 5.2 per play. The Warriors ran 80 plays and averaged a school record 9.5 yards per play.

Hendrix Notes
– Thompson went 32-of-41 passing with three touchdowns.
– Along with a 64-yard pass from senior Taylor Tibbits, Hendrix set another record with 519 yards passing.
– Winn also had five catches for 79 yards.
– Sophomore Daylen Johnson had four catches for 79 yards, including a 59 yard touchdown in the first quarter.
– Freshman tight end Drew Smith had a 42-yard touchdown catch in the fourth.
– Junior linebacker Jake Brantley led the defense with 10 tackles, including one for a loss.
– Senior linebacker Ben Cunningham tallied nine tackles.
– Senior defensive end Gray Stanton had six tackles, including one for a loss.
– Clifton totaled five solo tackles, three for a loss of 15 yards.
– Senior Harrison Newton also came up with a sack.
– Kody Smith, Chad McGonigal, Chandler Marquardt and Cory McGonigal each recorded an interception.

Chicago Notes
– Quarterback Burke Moser was 32-of-53 passing with 344 yards, four TDs and 4 picks.
– Chandler Carroll rushed 28 times for 118 yards and had seven catches for 47 yards.
– Syd Reynolds came up with nine catches for 77 yards and a score.
– Dante Nepa had a pair of 25-yard TD catches and had 98 yards on seven receptions overall.
– Bill Rotnicki led the Maroons on defense with 13 tackles.
– Jackson Garrey came up with 12 tackles.

Up Next
Hendrix will face Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn. next Saturday.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Hendrix College football team remained undefeated with a 47-17 Southern Athletic Association victory at Birmingham-Southern College Saturday afternoon. 

The #24 Warriors (5-0, 3-0) tallied 614 yards of total offense with 366 through the air and 248 on the ground. They averaged 7.5 yards per carry, breaking the school record for the second time this season.

Meanwhile, the defense limited the Panthers (1-5, 1-3) 320 total yards.

Hendrix opened the game with 17 points in the first quarter. Senior Steve Crenshaw booted a 24-yard field goal on their first drive. Senior quarterback Seth Peters connected with junior Nate Hodapp for a 65-yard touchdown. Senior tailback Dayton Winn punched another score in from the one to give the Orange & Black a 17-0 lead.

BSC opened the second quarter with a 34-yard field goal from Ryder Andrews. Winn scored an 48-yard run and Crenshaw hit a 28-yard field goal to give Hendrix a 27-3 advantage at halftime.

The Panthers scored at the 6:34 mark in the third when Kerrigan Pennington threw a three-yard pass to Jonathan Scaringe. The Warriors answered with a Peters one-yard scramble to make the game 34-10 headed into the final period.

In the fourth, junior running back Mason Millsaps ran for a 13-yard TD. After another Panther scored, Hendrix added the final nail with a 24-yard pass from freshman Miles Thompson to freshman Dustin McNeely.

Hendrix Notes
– Winn finished with 10 carries for 126 yards and two touchdowns.
– Millsaps added seven carries for 56 yards and a score.
– Peters went 20-of-32 passing for 396 yards and a TD, along with one touchdown rushing.
– Thompson finished 4-of-6 for 70 yards and a touchdown.
– Hodapp tallied six catches for a career-high 152 yards and a score.
– Junior safety Michael Kramer led the Warrior defense with eight tackles.
– Junior linebacker Jake Brantely adds six tackles, including a sack.
– Senior defensive end Harrison Newton had five tackles, including one for a loss.
– Senior defensive end Gray Stanton also had five tackles and two pass breakups.
– Freshman Aric Sislo recorded a sack.
– Freshman twin brothers Cory and Chad McGonigal each had an interception. Cory ran his back 25 yards.

Birmingham-Southern Notes
– Pennington threw for 118 yards and two touchdowns on 10-18 with one interception.
– Samir Usman ran 16 times for 84 yards.
– Scaringe had five catches for 63 yards and a touchdown.
– Matthew Byers led the Panthers with nine solo tackles.

Up Next
Hendrix will return home for a conference game against Berry College next Saturday.

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The Hendrix football program won three games in 2013, its first season back on the field following a hiatus of more than five decades. There was improvement to that record in each of the following seasons. Hendrix also earned a trip to the D-III playoffs. With 23 seniors on the roster in 2016, the setup seems to be one laid out for the Warriors to make a deep playoff run.

OFFENSE

The only player on the HC roster currently listed as solely a QB, Seth Peters looks to follow a first team All-SAA performance and should break the 10,000-yard mark in passing yards before his senior year is done in 2016. The backfield is highlighted by senior Dayton Winn, who owns numerous school offensive records, was named an AP Little All-American last season and led D-III in all-purpose yards (248.4 ypg). The top five receivers from ’15 are all back, including junior Ben Leudtke, who had 720 receiving yards on 46 receptions. The offensive line is anchored by all-conference performers Brook Billings and Trent Middleton.

DEFENSE

The defense looks to replace key players from last year’s squad. Any depth on the defensive front will be coming from young players. Junior linebacker Jake Brantley and senior defensive back Shaquille Grant tied for second on the team last year in tackles with 67 apiece and each return.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Winn also took care of business on punt return and kickoff return duty in 2015. Senior Steve Crenshaw was 6-for-13 in field goal attempts last season and made 47 of 54 PATs.

OUTLOOK

The schedule favors the Warriors as both teams that beat them in 2015 (Austin and Berry) come to Conway this year. Peters should be at full strength and Winn looks to shine in his senior year. The goal for this team won’t be just to make the playoffs, but to play for a title.

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Bryan Allen, Arkansas Tech, RB, sophomore
Allen’s freshman season was stellar. His 1,150 yards rushing for the season is the third most in ATU history and his 279 against Ouachita is the second-highest single game total. The backfield is full once again with junior Brayden Stringer and fellow sophomore Kristian Thompson, but there should be plenty of opportunity for Allen to shine this season.

Trevon Biglow, Harding, DL, senior
The senior can get into the backfield quickly. Biglow had 9.5 tackles-for-loss last year and all of them were sacks. He is now fourth on the HU list in sacks (17.0) since 2000 and at his current pace could be at the top of that list by midseason. One of three of last season’s starters on the defensive line returning for their senior campaigns, the Bisons’ front line of defense should be formidable.

Michael Bowles, Lyon, RB, senior
As a junior, Bowles racked up 1,431 yards (third in the NAIA) and averaged 4.9 yards per carry. He was also in the top 15 in the country in all-purpose yards. Bowles is one of a very small group of seniors on the squad and will definitely be one of the leaders on the team.

Harding’s Trevon Biglow wraps up the ball carrier. Photo courtesy HU Sports Info.

Jaquan Cole, Henderson State, RB, senior
The Reddies did not lose a single player on the two-deep of the offensive line to graduation. That means strength up from for Cole to run behind and then burst into the open field. The senior tallied 1,189 yards in 2015, fourth most in HSU history, and is poised to become the first Reddie back since Blake Christenson (2002, 2003) break the 1,000 yard barrier twice. He was last season’s Offensive Player of the Year in the GAC.

Josh Davis, Henderson State, LB, senior
Don’t forget about the Reddies’ defense, which was consistent throughout the season, holding nine of the 11 GAC opponents it faced to 17 points or less, and Davis is an anchor in the middle. In 2015, he was one of only two unanimously selected to the All-GAC First Team, recording 103 tackles, 15 tackles-for-loss, 1.5 sacks and he forced two fumbles.

Willie Duncan III, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, LB, junior
The Lions need a big performance from the defense and Duncan could be that leader in the middle, especially with the graduation of Jontrell Lockett. Duncan is solid against the passing game and led the team in tackles last season, averaging 10.7 per game.

Jeremy Jackson, Arkansas-Monticello, RB, junior
Jackson’s impact can be felt on any down. He was the team’s leading rusher in ’15 and picked up 5.2 yards per carry. He is also an able receiver and will get his offense good starting field position with consistency as he averaged 20.1 yards per return on kickoffs. Jackson’s role may increase in ’16 with a new signal-caller to work with as the Weevils to try improve offensive numbers this year.

Drew Morgan, Arkansas, WR, senior
The ground game will likely be a part of what is regularly a balanced offense in Fayetteville with Coach Bielema. But with graduations and injuries to the running back corps, the air attack shouldn’t go unnoticed and Morgan can be a big part of that. As a junior, Morgan led the team in receptions (63) and receiving yards per game (64.8) while hauling in 10 touchdown receptions as well.

Kris Oliver, Ouachita, RB, sophomore
The GAC was loaded with stellar freshman running backs in 2015, and Oliver may have been the best. He was named the Don Hansen National Freshman of the Year, running for 1,176 yards and 19 touchdowns (a school record for rushing TDs by a freshman) in 2015. Oliver is also a strong receiver out of the backfield and along with Pope (see below) make a solid one-two punch that goes beyond the numbers on their jerseys.

Park Parish, Harding, QB, senior
Parish is a versatile player, but then any quarterback in Coach Huckeba’s offensive scheme has to be. He rushed for 864 yards and 19 touchdowns last season, while passing for 783 yards and five more TDs, giving up only two interceptions. With two years as an understudy, Parish stepped seamlessly into the starting QB role in 2015 and was named to the First Team All-GAC as a utility player for his overall effectiveness.

Seth Peters, Hendrix, QB, senior
Peters has started in all but one of the games in which he has played during the last three years. He owns school records in pass attempts, completions, yards, touchdowns, completion percentage, efficiency and total offense yards. The Warriors have improved in each of those three years and Peters, along with 22 other seniors, would like to make a deep run in the playoffs. The potential and opportunity are there.

Ke’vontae Pope, Ouachita, KR, senior
Pope has been the ‘go-to’ guy for three years in Arkadelphia, leading the team in receptions and receiving yards in each of his seasons with the Tigers. Only Harding’s offense was more run-heavy (rushing to passing) in the GAC last season than Ouachita’s and with a focus on Oliver, Pope should be able to get free for catches and scores.

Hendrix running back Dayton Winn had the most rushing yards of any college back in Arkansas in 2015. Photo courtesy HC Sports Info.

Barrett Renner, Southern Arkansas, QB, sophomore
Renner was the All-GAC First Team quarterback as a freshman and named the league’s Freshman of the Year. With a strong arm and good decision-making ability he passed for an SAU single-season record 33 touchdowns and (in keeping with the ‘three is a magic number’ theme) 3,333 yards. Three starters on the O-line from 2015 have graduated, but there is strength coming up and four of the his top five receivers will be back this year.

Warren Wand, Arkansas State, RB, sophomore
Wand had a solid season in his freshman campaign, behind Michael Gordon, as the Red Wolves tore through the Sun Belt. But with the graduation of Gordon, the load of the ground game now falls to Wand and backfield mate Johnston White. Wand’s speed will be fun to watch and the running game could be big again to start the season as Arkansas State will have a new QB to lead the charge in 2016.

Jatavious Wilson, Central Arkansas, WR, junior
Wilson can catch, run and return and is useful to the Bears’ offense in multiple facets. He and Desmond Smith should see plenty of action. It was a balanced offensive attack in 2015, but with star running back Blake Veasley moving on, will the passing game play more of a role this year?

Dayton Winn, Hendrix, RB, senior
He topped the charts for college running backs in the state last season with 1,761 rushing yards, and topped the 100-yard mark in 10 of 11 games. That total was good enough for fifth in the nation in D-III. The 2,732 all-purpose yards was at the top of that list nationally. Throw in 22 touchdowns scored in various ways and Winn has to be one of the most difficult players for opposing defenses to plan for each week.

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