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 – 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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MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Hendrix College football team came inches away from defeating Rhodes College in road Southern Athletic Association action at Crain Field Saturday afternoon. The host Lynx (5-3, 3-3) hung on for 55-54 win in wild game filled with offense and several turnovers.

On the third play of the game, the Warriors (6-2, 4-2) got an interception from sophomore cornerback Demarcus McDaniel, who returned the ball back to the Rhodes 18. Senior quarterback Seth Peters connected with junior Ben Luedtke for a 10-yard score to give Hendrix a 7-0 lead just 51 seconds into the game.

The Lynx responded with a 10-play, 53-yard drive to tie it up on their next drive. A 46-yard run from Warrior running back Dayton Winn set up a 1-yard pass from Peters to senior Ethan Hoppe. The ensuing extra point was missed, giving the Orange and Black a 13-7 advantage. Rhodes turned the ball over on downs and the Warriors took advantage with a 59-yard bomb from Peters to Luedtke to make the game 20-7 towards the end of the opening quarter.

Rhodes running back Monroe McKay capped another 10-play drive with a three-yard touchdowns to start the second quarter. After a three-and-out for the Warriors, the home team took a 21-20 lead on a 37-yard pass from P.J. Settles to Xavier May with 12:41 left before the break. Hendrix threw a pick on the next possession, but forced the Lynx to punt. However, the Warriors fumbled on their first play and Rhodes capitalized with a 10-yard pass from Settles to Carter King to go up 28-20.

The Warriors marched down the field 70 yards over 11 plays, ending in a 13-yard scoring catch by Hoppe with 1:49 left in the half. The Lynx managed 93 yards over five plays to score just 40 seconds later. Hendrix made the game 35-34 at the end of the half on a 35-yard hail Mary pass that Hoppe grabbed out of the air.

The third quarter, Rhodes scored on a 27-yard throw to Josh Lucas. Hendrix answered right back on a 12-play, 67 yard march down the field, ending with a Winn two-yard scramble. On the next drive, Settles found Josh Loud for a 73-yard bomb, setting up another touchdown pass to Alex Richards, giving the Lynx a 49-41 lead. Hendrix finished the scoring in the third quarter on a 42-run by Winn. Their two-point conversion was thwarted, making the game 49-47 headed into the final frame of action

Warrior freshman defensive back Cory McGonigal picked up a Lynx pass at the goal line. Hendrix finally regained the lead after a couple of big catches which set up a Winn 1-yard rush to make it 54-49 in the Orange & Black’s favor.

Rhodes retook the lead 55-54 after another long drive, capped by a Settles one-yard run. Their two-point conversion failed as well with 6:17 remaining.

Hendrix responded by marching down the field to the Rhodes 4. Peters rushed getting to the 1, but a fumble was forced by Elliott Tostrud and recovered by Pat West to give the Lynx the ball back with 1:48 left. Rhodes ran four plays before finally forcing to punt, giving Hendrix the ball back at their own 44 with 33 seconds left. The Warriors got the ball down to the Lynx 23, but Peters was sacked by Duke Sherrell, forcing another fumble which Tostrud recovered, ending the game.

Hendrix tallied 670 total yards, the second most in school history, and averaged 8.2 per play, but four turnovers proved costly. Rhodes had 616 yards and averaged 7.6 yards per play.

Hendrix Notes
– Winn finished with 34 carries for 281 yards and three touchdowns. That was the second most rushing yards in school history.
– Peters was 23-of-33 passing for 359 yards and tied his own school record with five touchdowns.
– Hoppe caught three touchdowns, a program record, for 49 yards.
– Ludtke had four catches for 104 yards and two scores.
– Junior Nate Hodapp recorded six receptions for 91 yards.
– On defense, junior safety Michael Kramer led the way with 11 tackles.
– Junior safety Kody Smith had eight tackles.
– Sophomore linebacker Zac Wilson had seven tackles, as did junior Jake Brantley.
– Senior defensive end Gray Stanton recorded six tackles, including two for a loss.

Rhodes Notes
– Settles went 23-of-40 passing for 425 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed for 42 yards and two scores.
– McKay finished with 19 carries for 96 yards and a TD.
– Loud had four catches for 145 yards.
– Tostrud led the Lynx defense with 14 tackles, one sack, 1.5 for a loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
– Sherrell had 12 tackles, two for a loss, a sack and a forced fumble.

Up Next
Hendrix will travel to Washington University of St. Louis for another SAA match-up next Saturday. MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Hendrix College football team came inches away from defeating Rhodes College in road Southern Athletic Association action at Crain Field Saturday afternoon. The host Lynx (5-3, 3-3) hung on for 55-54 win in wild game filled with offense and several turnovers.

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CONWAY – The 22nd-ranked Hendrix College football team suffered their first loss of the season, falling 24-14 to Berry College at Young-Wise Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon.

On their second drive of the game, the Warriors (5-1, 3-1 Southern Athletic Association) scored on a 30-yard pass from senior Seth Peters to senior Ethan Hoppe. The Vikings (6-1, 4-1) were limited to a 37-yard field goal by Mitchell Blanchard to make the game 7-3 at the end of the first quarter.

After a three-and-out for Hendrix, Berry started the second quarter with a 22-yard scoring run by quarterback Slade Dale to go up 10-7. The Orange & Black regained the lead with 58 seconds left in the half after a nine-yard TD run from senior running back Dayton Winn. Back-up kicker Obie Brannon kicked a 30-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter to make the game 14-13 in the Warriors’ favor at the break.

Neither team would score in the third quarter. The Vikings opened the fourth with a nine-play drive but were forced to punt. The Warriors managed to get to the Berry 22 on the ensuing drive, but Steve Crenshaw’s 39-yard field goal was blocked by Matt Farinella. Berry took advantage and drove the ball 69 yards on 13 plays, capped by a Jacob Collins three-yard run. Dale completed a 2-point conversion to Trey Ciresi to give Berry a 21-14 lead with 4:11 remaining.

Hendrix turned the ball over on downs and the Vikings went up by 10 points on Brannon’s 38 yard field goal with 1:56 left. The Warriors went 13 plays down to the Berry 11 before Peters threw an interception in the endzone with 0.9 seconds on the clock.

The Warriors ran 70 plays for 392 yards – 332 through the air and only 60 rushing. The Vikings ran 79 lays for 409 yards – 265 on the ground and 144 passing.

Hendrix Notes
– Peters went 32-of-46 passing for 332 yards and a touchdown.
– Hoppe recorded career-highs of nine catches and 119 yards with the touchdown.
– Junior Nate Hodapp caught eight passes for 53 yards.
– Winn had seven catches for 38 yards and nine carries for 49 yards and a score.
– Senior punter Spencer Smith recorded four punts for an average of 44.5 yards, a new school record.
– Junior safety Machael Kramer led the Warrior defense with a career-high 14 tackles.
– Ben Cunningham, Tyler Clifton, Matt Ramirez and Gray Stanton each had nine tackles.
– Junior linebacker Jake Brantley recorded six tackles, including two for a loss.

Berry Notes
– Dale rushed 18 times for 137 yards and a touchdown and was 18-of-32 for 144 yards passing.
– Ciresi had seven catches for 71 yards.
– Austin Lowe carried the ball 16 times with 87 yards.
– Jonathan Fisher recorded seven tackles.
– Jackson Putnam had six tackles, an interception and two pass breakups.
– Mamadou Soumaho recorded two sacks and another for a loss.

Up Next
Hendrix will play another conference game at home next Saturday against the University of Chicago.

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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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