ROME, Ga. – The Shorter football team fell in heartbreaking fashion Saturday night, dropping a 24-20 decision to #22 Benedict College at Barron Stadium.
The loss moves the Hawks to 1-1 on the season.
After a lengthy opening drive ended in a turnover on downs, Benedict marched deep into Shorter territory looking to strike first. On third-and-goal, Mikey Matos forced a fumble that Marshall Combee recovered and returned for 22 yards, giving the Hawks excellent field position. Despite the takeaway, Shorter was unable to capitalize as both defenses controlled the remainder of the opening quarter and kept the game scoreless.
The Tigers broke through early in the second quarter on a two-yard rushing touchdown to take a 7-0 lead. Defense remained the theme throughout the period as neither team could gain momentum offensively. Following a lengthy lightning delay, both teams continued to trade stops, and the Hawks headed into halftime trailing 7-0.
Shorter's offense began to find its rhythm in the third quarter, putting together multiple promising drives. The Hawks appeared to have tied the game early in the period on a touchdown pass, but the score was wiped away by a holding penalty. Undeterred, Shorter continued to battle and received another defensive spark when Combee forced a fumble that Nahzir Turner returned 32 yards, setting the Hawks up in favorable field position entering the final quarter.
The breakthrough finally came early in the fourth quarter when Jeb Walls connected with Skylar Niblett on an eight-yard touchdown pass to even the score at 7-7.Benedict answered with a strong drive that reached the Shorter three-yard line, but the Hawks' defense stood tall and forced the Tigers to settle for a field goal, giving the visitors a 10-7 advantage. Shorter responded with back-to-back explosive plays from David Hill and Alex Garnett to move into the red zone, but a missed field goal prevented the Hawks from tying the game.
The Tigers capitalized on the opportunity moments later, connecting on a 69-yard touchdown pass to extend their lead to 17-7 with less than seven minutes remaining.Walls and the Hawks answered immediately with a nine-play scoring drive that culminated in a 19-yard touchdown reception by David Hill, trimming the deficit to 17-14. The Shorter defense once again delivered a stop and gave the offense the ball back with 3:21 remaining.
However, Benedict's defense came up with the decisive play of the night, intercepting a pass and returning it 19 yards for a touchdown to push the lead to 24-14. Refusing to quit, Shorter quickly marched back down the field as Walls found Brandon McGill for a four-yard touchdown pass. A blocked extra point left the Hawks trailing 24-20. The defense delivered one last opportunity by forcing a stop and returning possession to the offense with one minute remaining. Shorter moved the ball into Tiger territory but was unable to convert on the game's final play, falling just short in a 24-20 defeat.
Walls led the Shorter passing attack, completing 25-of-44 passes for 228 yards and three touchdowns. Hill turned in a career performance, rushing 19 times for 90 yards while adding a receiving touchdown. Silas Hinson led all Hawk receivers with three catches for 66 yards, while McGill added six receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Combee filled the stat sheet with eight tackles, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Conrad Hussey added seven tackles, while Matos finished with four tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble.
"I'm proud of the way our guys fought tonight", said Head Coach Zach Morrison. "Football is a game of details, and there were a few moments where we didn't execute the way we needed to, and against a really good football team who was ranked 22nd in the country, those things matter. But our guys never quit. They kept fighting, kept believing in each other, and gave us a chance all the way to the end. We're disappointed because we know we are so close, but I'm encouraged by the grit and determination this team showed. Now we have to learn from it, get back to work, and keep building."
UP NEXT
Shorter will open conference play as they welcome UNC Pembroke next week for a highly anticipated matchup. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 PM.
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