Lighthouse Christian Holds Off Trinity College of Florida, 41-36

GULF BREEZE, Fl. — Lighthouse Christian College built a commanding first-half lead and survived a late Trinity College of Florida rally for a 41-36 victory Saturday.

After falling behind 6-0, Lighthouse erupted for 34 points in the second quarter. Quarterback Brayden Hutchison scored on runs of 1 and 2 yards, while Jamarkus Jefferson added touchdown runs of 47 and 18 yards. Jaden Williams capped the outburst with a 96-yard interception return, sending Lighthouse into halftime ahead 34-14.

Trinity trimmed the deficit to 34-22 in the third quarter before Lighthouse answered in the fourth. Hutchison connected with Deonte Reinhardt for an 11-yard touchdown, extending the advantage to 41-22. The Tigers responded with two late touchdowns but could not complete the comeback.

The Makos finished with 418 total yards, including a dominant 263 on the ground. Jefferson led the rushing attack with 123 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. Hutchison added 70 yards and two rushing scores while completing 11 of 16 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown.

The Lighthouse defense proved decisive despite TCF throwing for 313 yards. Williams recorded three interceptions, including his 96-yard touchdown return, as LCC forced four turnovers overall.

The Makos controlled the ground game, outrushing the Tigers 263-70, and converted 8 of 13 third-down opportunities.

Photo courtesy Lighthouse Christian College Athletics

Clayton State Comes from Behind for 23-20 Road Victory at Andrew

CUTHBERT, Ga. — Clayton State used a balanced offense and a strong defensive effort to hold off Andrew College 23-20 Saturday, earning a hard-fought road victory.

Andrew led 20-15 before the Lakers put together a nine-play, 70-yard drive late in the fourth quarter. With 1:53 remaining, backup quarterback DeAngelo Walton connected with Danirion Moxey for a 14-yard touchdown to give the Lakers a 21-20 advantage. Clayton State converted the ensuing two-point conversion to extend its lead to 23-20.

Down three with one final opportunity, the Fighting Tigers were unable to get into field goal range. Quarterback Nick Commisso connected with Nnamdi Osuorah for 14 yards on the final possession, but Andrew ultimately turned the ball over on downs at its own 34-yard line, allowing Clayton State to run out the remaining clock.

The Lakers finished with 323 yards of offense, including 183 through the air and 140 on the ground. Andrew was limited to 203 total yards despite controlling the ball for more than 34 minutes.

Clayton State’s passing attack was led by the third-string quarterback Walton, subbing for Jeremiah Mallory who went out with a head injury. Walton completed 7 of 8 passes for 117 yards. Mallory added 66 yards on 7-of-15 passing.

Ryan Webster paced the Lakers on the ground, rushing 10 times for 105 yards, an average of 10.5 yards per carry.

Savion West provided the biggest impact in the passing game, catching three passes for 62 yards and two touchdowns. Moxey added four receptions for 45 yards and a touchdown.

Clayton State’s defense helped preserve the victory by intercepting Andrew twice. The Lakers limited the Fighting Tigers to just 71 passing yards and 2.8 yards per rushing attempt.

Andrew relied heavily on its ground game, running 48 times for 132 yards. J. Quan carried 20 times for 67 yards and scored all three of Andrew’s touchdowns.

Clayton State overcame two turnovers and 13 penalties totaling 114 yards. The Lakers converted 3 of 9 third downs while holding Andrew to just 1 of 11.

The Lakers improve to 5-0 on the season.

Photo courtesy Clayton State Football

Clayton State Holds Off Westgate 43-37

ELLENWOOD, Ga. – The Clayton State Lakers improved to 4-0 in dramatic fashion Saturday, holding off a furious second-half comeback by Westgate Christian University to secure a 43-37 victory.

Westgate struck first in spectacular fashion when Ravens wide receiver Jayir Nelson returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, giving the visitors an early 7-0 advantage.

The Lakers quickly responded behind quarterback Jeremiah Mallory, who found Dekari Carter on a 30-yard touchdown pass to tie the game before Clayton State took control following an interception by Jackson. The turnover led to another scoring strike as Mallory connected with Savion West on a 32-yard touchdown pass.

Clayton State continued its offensive explosion throughout the second quarter. Mallory added a 1-yard touchdown run, Ashton Gochett scored from 3 yards out, and Mallory connected with Moxey for a 55-yard touchdown pass. Michael Kraskoukas capped the first-half scoring with a 34-yard field goal, giving the Lakers a commanding 31-7 lead.

Westgate refused to go away. Quarterback Jared Guter found Jayir Nelson for an 8-yard touchdown late in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to 31-13 heading into halftime.

The third quarter belonged entirely to the Ravens. Westgate’s defense slowed the red-hot Lakers offense while its offense mounted an impressive comeback. Guter powered in for two 1-yard touchdown runs and connected with Jayir Nelson on a 7-yard scoring pass. The Ravens successfully converted all of their two-point attempts and eventually tied the game at 37-37 early in the fourth quarter.

With momentum swinging heavily toward Westgate, the Lakers delivered one final answer.

Mallory stepped up once again, connecting with West for a 60-yard touchdown pass that proved to be the game-winner, sealing another thrilling Clayton State victory.

The win keeps CSU’s record unblemished at 4-0 overall and 2-0 in conference play while Westgate moves to 1-4 and 0-1.

By the Numbers

Clayton State Lakers

  • Jeremiah Mallory: 13-of-19 passing, 348 yards, 4 passing touchdowns
  • Rushing: 2 carries, 32 yards, 1 touchdown
  • Total Offense: 464 yards

Westgate Christian Ravens

  • Total Offense: 397 yards

Next Up

The Lakers will look to remain unbeaten when they travel to face NAIA opponent Andrew College on Saturday, October 3.

Story and photo courtesy Clayton State Football

Builders Battle Back But Fall Short, 27-22, Against Methodist

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The Apprentice School football team showed off its offensive firepower and never stopped fighting in a hard-nosed battle Saturday at home against the Methodist University Monarchs.

Down 21-9 in the third quarter, the Builders answered with a statement in a single play: quarterback Trevon Griffin connected with Baker Green on a electrifying 79-yard touchdown strike, the longest offensive play of the game. Griffin finished the day with 216 passing yards and a touchdown, spreading the ball to six different receivers, while Green hauled in two catches for 81 yards.

The Builders weren’t done. Two possessions later, Tali Burgess capped a gritty six-play, 59-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown run, and Apprentice School had claimed a 22-21 lead. Burgess led all rushers with 31 yards on 12 carries and was a workhorse on both sides of the ball, chipping in on returns as well. Harrygan Kelly also punched in a rushing score in the second quarter on a 9-play, 69-yard drive, part of an Apprentice ground game that outgained Methodist 65-29 for the day.

Statistically, the Builders controlled much of the afternoon. Apprentice School out-gained Methodist 281-137 in total offense, piled up 67 plays to Methodist’s 53, and held a commanding 34:24 to 25:36 edge in time of possession. The Builders also finished a perfect 3-for-3 in the red zone and converted a fourth-down try to keep drives alive.

Defensively, Emmanuel Patterson paced the Builders with eight total tackles, a tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry, while Leslie Hines, Breiden Lowery, and Cameron Bassani each notched seven stops. Lowery added two tackles for loss, and the Apprentice front consistently pressured the Methodist passing attack, recording two sacks.

Story courtesy Apprentice Sports Information; photo courtesy DeMetri Washington @pixxbydk

Lakers Shut Out Gordon State 23-0

BARNESVILLE, Ga. – The Clayton State Lakers put together a complete team effort Saturday, defeating rival Gordon State 23-0 behind a balanced offensive attack and a suffocating defensive performance.

The Lakers struck first early in the second quarter when kicker Michael Kraskoukas connected on a 32-yard field goal to give Clayton State a 3-0 advantage. Later in the quarter, quarterback Jemeriah Mallory found wide receiver DJ Walton streaking downfield for a 49-yard touchdown pass, extending the lead to 9-0 after the extra point attempt was blocked.

The third quarter belonged to the Lakers’ ground game. Running back Ryan Webster consistently moved the chains with key runs of 19 and 21 yards before capping the drive with a 10-yard touchdown run. Webster’s scoring run pushed the Clayton State lead to 17-0 and gave the Lakers full control of the contest.

The defense put the finishing touches on the victory in the fourth quarter when Savion West stepped in front of a Gordon State pass and returned the interception 66 yards for a touchdown, sealing the Lakers’ commanding 23-0 shutout victory.

Clayton State showcased a balanced offensive attack, totaling 357 yards of offense, including 174 rushing yards and 183 passing yards. Mallory efficiently led the offense, completing 14 of 20 passes for 183 yards and one touchdown. Walton provided the big-play threat, hauling in four receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, the Lakers delivered one of their most impressive performances of the season, holding the Highlanders to a season-low 155 total yards. Safety Charles Gordon led the defensive effort with nine tackles and one pass breakup, helping anchor a unit that kept Gordon State off the scoreboard from start to finish.

With the victory, the Lakers improve to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in NSAC play while Gordon State drops 2-1 and 0-1. CSU now turns its attention to a pivotal conference matchup as it hosts Westgate on Saturday, September 26, in Morrow, Georgia. The Highlanders host Louisiana Community Christian on September 27.

Story and photo courtesy Clayton State Football