HICKORY, NC–After eating endless amounts of turkey and stuffing, Thanksgiving Break isn’t quite over yet. What would a Thanksgiving break be like without a good ole football game. As families embark on their family traditions by surrounding their televisions to view great ACC match-ups, like Clemson vs. the USC Gamecocks, a fantastic match-up in division II football will take place. As many may know it’s playoff time, many NCAA schools are already well into the playoffs. This is the time of the year where football fans world-wide are rowdy up for this great action in sports. Often times in terms of college football, a lot of attention is pointed towards big named schools that dominant the national headlines while some schools remain unrecognized. Now I’m a true fan and advocate of giving credit when and where it’s due. In fact, in just a few hours a David and Goliath battle between two South Atlantic Conference rivals will meet helmet to helmet, pad to pad yet again.
The Lenoir Rhyne Bears (10-1) will host the Carson-Newman Eagles (10-2) in another smack-down rematch in the Moretz Stadium. The Bears are currently 1st in the region, 13th in the nation, and are the defending South Atlantic Conference Champions for the third consecutive year. Earlier this year, the Eagles traveled to Hickory, North Carolina to duke it out with the Bears but failed to finish losing the game 37-3. This upset marked the first time in 100 years that the Eagles were held to less than 100 yards rushing only receiving 92 rushing yards total. This was also the fourth time in school history since 1996 that the Eagles did not score a single touchdown the entire game.
During this game Bears starting quarterback, Miles Freeman, suffered an injury that put him out for the remainder of the season. Freeman’s injury forced junior quarterback Teverrius Jones to step up quickly. Under the direction of Jones the team has averaged 55 total points and has been on a 3 game winning streak .
However, last year in the second rounds of the playoffs, the Bears lost in a upset against the very same Carson-Newman team,dashing the Bears hopes to achieving their goal of becoming National Division II Champs. The Bears received a first round bye last week in the first week of the playoffs. This year the team is well ready and more focused then ever and are well prepared to defeat the Eagles.
It’s playoff time folks In Between the Bricks, and it all goes down at noon today.
