BATESVILLE – The Lyon College offense piled up 450 yards against defending Central States Football League champion Arizona Christian University Saturday night, but the Firestorm offense couldn’t be stopped, posting 683 yards to keep ACU (5-2, 4-0 CSFL) in first place in the conference standings with a 34-17 victory on Senior Day at Pioneer Stadium.

Lyon (3-5, 2-2 CSFL) once again put two backs over 100 yards rushing, as senior Michael Bowles ran for 150 yards on 20 carries to go over the 1,000-yard mark for the second consecutive season. He now has 1,065 yards and is averaging 133.1-yards per game and 7.1-yards per play with three games left in 2016. Quarterback Dwane Robinson added 106 yards and a score on 23 attempts, but left the game in the fourth quarter with a knee injury. His status will be evaluated in the first part of the week. He also completed 10-of-21 passes for 122 yards and a score.

This was the fourth time this season that at least two Lyon backs crossed the 100-yard rushing barrier, but the Scots dropped back into a fourth-place tie in the CSFL standings with two conference games remaining.

Lyon sophomore tight end Jonathan Hendrix set a school record with seven catches in the contest. He piled up 71 yards and scored a touchdown. Riley Caraway hauled in four passes for 81 yards, Bowles caught two aerials and Reace Kinley tallied one.

“I think you’re starting to see more of our offense now,” said Lyon head coach Kyle Phelps. “You’re seeing what happens when teams bring eight or nine guys in the box, because we’ve got some receivers who can make some plays and we’ll make them pay for that. That’s what we have to do; we have to run the football, but when they start stacking the box we’re going to have to hit (receivers) deep.”

Lyon was run-heavy again this week, rushing for 279 yards and adding 171 through the air. The Scots rolled up 124 yards on the ground in the first half and added 155 in the second half. Arizona Christian tallied 361 yards in the first half and then added 321 more in the second half, as the Firestorm fell behind 10-6 with 12:57 left in the third quarter, but outscored Lyon 28-7 over the final 25:28 of the game.

“We’ve been involved in some big games this season and some tight ones and this one was no different,” said Phelps. “I thought tonight we were battling and battling and it just kind of got away from us in the end.”

It was the Firestorm offense that kept answering the bell every time the Scots put the ball in the endzone. Damario Fair led three Arizona Christian runners with over 100 yards in the game, finishing with 139 yards and a score on only six attempts. Quinta Thomas posted 111 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, while Justin Carroll picked up 101 yards and a TD.

Veteran ACU quarterback Gerrit Groenewold was tough to contain, completing 20-of-30 passes (66.7%) for 283 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. Donovan Smith pulled in five passes for 50 yards, while Johnathon Parks caught four for 71 yards and a score.

The Firestorm, which was receiving votes this week for the NAIA Football Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, used the big play to take a 6-3 lead at the half and scored 21 points in the third quarter as it inched away in the second half. ACU had scoring runs of 95 and 85 yards in the game, to go along with a 64-yard scoring pass.

Penalties were also a big factor in the game. The Firestorm was flagged 18 times for 171 yards, while Lyon received 10 penalties for 123 yards.

“I’ve never seen that many penalties,” Phelps explained. “It’s not like we changed the way we coached or played this week. It just seemed like when we got a big play on offense or make a stand on defense we’d get a flag.

“It was a good game, with both tams going back and forth trading blows. Then the penalties started rolling up and it changed the momentum of both teams. It gave them some momentum sometimes and took some away from us. I was disappointed in the number of flags.”

Lyon fell being 6-0 with 8:35 left in the opening period when Carroll broke loose on a 95-yard scoring jaunt down the left sideline. The try for two failed.

Osvaldo Espericueta nailed a 28-yard field goal at the end of a nine-play, 52-yard drive in the second quarter to pull the Scots to within 6-3 with 4:16 left before intermission.

The Scots took their first lead with 12:57 showing on the clock in the third quarter. After driving 82 yards in six plays, Robinson connected with Hendrix in the right corner of the endzone. Espericueta’s point after gave Lyon its only lead, 10-6.

The lead didn’t last long. Groenewold hit Johnathon Parks for a 64-yard touchdown to put the Firestorm up for good, 13-10. Fair added an 85-yard scoring run on the Firestorm’s next scoring drive and suddenly with 8:01 still left in the third, ACU built a 20-10 lead.

ACU added another touchdown with 3:51 left in the third quarter to pad the lead to 27-10, before Robinson scored for Lyon at the end of an 11-play, 75-yard drive. The run was five yards, but it wasn’t enough for Lyon.

OTHER ACTION AROUND THE CSFL

The (RV) Firestorm kept a one-half game lead in the CSFL with the win, as Wayland Baptist (6-1, 3-0 CSFL) kept pace with a 41-14 win over winless Texas College (0-7, 0-4 CSFL). Langston University (4-2, 2-1 CSFL) pulled one-half game ahead of Lyon in the standings and into third place with a 63-10 verdict over Southwestern Assemblies of God University (2-6, 0-4 CSFL). Bacone (2-6, 2-2 CSFL) lost a non-conference matchup against Eastern New Mexico, 62-0.

WHAT’S UP NEXT FOR LYON

The Scots will finish the 2016 season with three straight road contests. Lyon will be in Plainview, Texas, next Saturday, taking on Wayland Baptist at 2 p.m. The Scots will then travel to Langston (Okla.) University on November 5 and Missouri Baptist University for a non-conference tilt on Nov. 12.

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The seven lost fumbles by the Scots will likely be looked at as the major cause.

Wayland Baptist came into Batesville and took away a 37-14 win in the season opener for both.

Quarterback Dwane Robinson had 17 carries for a game-high 106 yards and Michael Bowles picked up where he left off last season, tallying 100 yards himself.

Lyon outgained WBU on the ground and through the air, as well as recorded more first downs.

But eight turnovers – Robinson also threw an interception – proved to be too much to overcome.

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For the first season of varsity football at Lyon since 1951, a winless year may have been expected by some. The Scots came excruciatingly close twice in October – a loss in overtime and a loss as time expired in regulation – but still finished the opening campaign in the revival of the program without a win. But that year is done and in the books and the experience has been gained for a young team ready for Year Two.

OFFENSE

Coming into camp, there will be competition for the starting role at the quarterback position with Dwane Robinson the lone returning with significant experience from last year. The headliner of the team in 2015 was Michael Bowles, who will be the featured running back for the Scots again. Bowles was third in the country last year with 1,431 rushing yards and had eight rushing TDs. Robinson and Bowles are the only two returnees that recorded at least 10 receptions last year, while tight end Jonathan Hendrix was a first All-CSFL performer in the run-oriented offense.

DEFENSE

Del Howard has been promoted to defensive coordinator as adjustments have been made to the defense which gave up 46.9 ppg in 2015. As a whole, the defense will still be a young group, but the defensive line had a solid spring. There will likely be new faces emerging in the linebacking corps again this season. But the Scots already have a strong secondary, led by first team All-CSFL safety Stephen Benedik, who led the team in tackles with 89.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Scots didn’t have to look too far to find a solid kicker in Osvaldo Espericueta, a sophomore from Batesville. Espericueta was 6-for-12 in field goal attempts with a long of 47 and made 23 of 24 PATs. The versatile Dwane Robinson made honorable mention all-conference as a kickoff returner.

OUTLOOK

More than 50 Lyon players return for the sophomore season for the Scots and almost of them are sophomores. With many more recruits and much-needed experience earned in 2015, the Scots head into this year with much possibility ahead. With another strong year from Bowles and favorable bounce of the ball here or there, this team could pick up some close wins and surprise a few other teams.

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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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