Gents Impressive In 35-14 Home Win Over Lyon College

Shreveport – The Centenary football team played its best all-around game of the season as the Gents defeated the Lyon College Scots by a score of 35-14 in a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference contest on Saturday evening at Atkins Field.

The Gents (2-3, 2-1 SCAC) were back on their home field for the first time in nearly a month and made the most of it against the Scots (1-4, 0-3 SCAC). Centenary improved to 1-1 at home after falling 43-20 to Hendrix College on Sept. 7 at Atkins Field. The Gents and Scots will meet again this season, on Oct. 19 in Batesville, Ark.

Centenary rolled up a season-high 443 yards of total offense, gaining over 200 yards on the ground and through the air and topped 30 points for the second time this season. Junior QB Zin'Tavious Smith (Coushatta, La.) had a big night as he threw for 219 yards and four touchdowns and rushed 12 times for 72 yards.

How it happened:

Centenary won the coin toss and deferred, thus Lyon received the opening kickoff. The Scots then moved 60 yards on 12 plays in 5:51 capped by a five-yard touchdown run from Grayson Johnson. Jesus Romero-Castillo's PAT made it 7-0 with 9:02 remaining in the first quarter.

The Gents then owned the next three-and-a-half quarters as they scored the game's next 28 points to take a three-TD lead until the Scots scored with 9:31 left in the game to make it 28-14. Centenary put an exclamation point on the victory on a 32-yard interception return for a TD by sophomore LB/P/PK Vance Feuerbacher (Plano, Texas) with 2:45 left in the game to make it 35-14.

The Scots led 7-0 after one quarter but the Gents' defense shut them out in the second and scored a pair of TDs to take a 14-7 lead into the halftime locker room. Junior WR Kobe Chambers (Greenwood, Miss.) caught a beautiful TD pass from Smith in the corner of the end zone at the 11:11 mark of the second period and Feuerbacher's PAT tied it to cap a 7-play, 81-yard drive which covered 2:55.

The Gents' defense came up big on the Scots' next possession. On second down, Lyon fumbled but recovered. However, on the next play, Johnson was intercepted by freshman DB Delarrious Marshall (Shreveport, La.) as he returned it 13 yards. Four plays and 62 yards later, the Gents were back in the end zone as Smith lofted another well-thrown ball to sophomore WR Devin Ardoin (Mamou, La.) for a 10-yard score and Feuerbacher's PAT made it 14-7 with 7:16 left in the second quarter.

Lyon then drove 36 yards over nine plays on its next possession but it ended with a 46-yard missed Field goal attempt by Romero-Castillo. But, the Gents gave the ball right back as junior RB Bobby Shanklin Jr. (Macon, Miss.) fumbled on a third-down carry and the Scots' Jacob Hutto recovered. The Gents' stingy defense made sure that the turnover did not hurt as they stopped Johnson well short of the marker on a fourth-down carry to force a TO on downs. Centenary gained just four yards on five plays on its next drive as the first half clock ran out.

Centenary started the second half with a bang as Smith hit a wide-open sophomore WR Byron Stewart (Geismar, La.) at the 40-yard line on its second play of the drive and he raced 83 yards to the end zone. Feuerbacher's PAT made it 21-7 on Centenary's longest offensive play of the season.

The Gents' defense limited the Scots to just 57 yards on their next two possessions and then Smith and Ardoin connected again, this time on an eight-yard score with 53 seconds left in the third and the Feuerbacher PAT made it 28-7. Jaylin Babers' one-yard TD run capped a 12-play, 60-yard drive at the 9:31 mark of the final quarter for the Scots' first points since their first possession of the game.

Lyon blocked Feuerbacher's 23-yard FG attempt on the Gents' next drive, but Feuerbacher got his revenge as he picked off Lyon backup quarterback Joe Galay's pass on a fourth down play and cruised 32 yards to the end zone. His PAT was good and made it 35-14 with 2:45 left in the game.

By the Numbers:

FIRST DOWNS:

LYON – 19

CENTENARY – 20

RUSHING YARDS:

LYON – 35 ATTEMPTS FOR 132 YARDS

CENTENARY – 41 ATTEMPTS FOR 215 YARDS

PASSING YARDS:

LYON – 131 YARDS

CENTENARY – 228 YARDS

TOTAL OFFENSE:

LYON – 69 PLAYS FOR 263 YARDS

CENTENARY – 58 PLAYS FOR 443 YARDS

TIME OF POSSESSION:

LYON – 30:24

CENTENARY – 29:36

Gents' Individual Statistical Leaders:

RECEIVING: Stewart – 2 catches for 190 yards and 1 TD

RUSHING: Smith – 12 attempts for 72 yards

PASSING: Smith – 10-14 for 219 yards and 4 TD

TACKLES: Feuerbacher – 10 solo tackles (13 total tackles), 32-yard INT return for TD, and 1 pass breakup  

The Gents will face the McMurry University War Hawks at home next Saturday in another SCAC contest at 5 p.m. McMurry is atop the conference standings at 3-1 overall and 3-0 in SCAC play after a 34-9 victory over Austin College on Saturday.

For more information about becoming a Centenary football season or per game sponsor, please contact Assistant AD/Strategic Communications Patrick Meehan at 318-865-5092 or pmeehan@centenary.edu OR Collin Taylor, Development Officer for Athletics, at 318-869-5052 or cbtaylor2@centenary.edu

See the complete Gents' season schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/fball/2024-25/schedule

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