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(02/21/14 2:30am)
Mercer’s softball team opened up their season on Feb. 7, where they hosted the Mercer Invitational to collect several wins and capture the championship title.
After losing the first game in a 9-8 battle against the Samford Bulldogs, the Bears dominated four consecutive games and climbed their way back to the top to face the Bulldogs once again in the championship game.
With superior pitching and hitting, Mercer controlled the field and took the 5-1 victory.
Bears pitcher Anna O’neill went all 7.0 innings against Samford, only giving up three hits and one run, while striking out one and walking a pair. Overall, O’neill recorded 15.0 innings of play and gave up just one run during the entire tournament.
“Being a freshman pitcher, I feel like my role is to do my best on the mound to prove to my teammates and coaches that I want to do whatever it takes to get to the conference tournament,” said O’neill. “I am honored to be a part of this program. We have three amazing coaches that I am more than thankful to have that have made me such a better player since when I first came in the fall.”
Taylor Miller led off the rally against Samford, hitting a single to left field. After she stole second base, McKenzie Woody came through and knocked a triple between the gap in right center to send Miller home and give Mercer a 1-0 advantage. The Bears doubled the score soon after when Kaytlin Haney grounded out to bring Woody home for a 2-0 lead.
With two outs and the bases empty in the sixth inning, Rachel Hugghins accepted a walk and Riley Carter saw her first action of the game where she followed up with her second home run of the tournament to send the Bears into a 4-0 advantage over Samford.
Mercer loaded the bases later in the inning, where Molly Garmany would be walked to bring home another run and make the score 5-0.
Samford’s only score came in the bottom of the sixth inning when a home run was hit straight away center to make it 5-1.
O’Neill ended any chance of a Bulldog comeback by putting down three consecutive batters in the seventh inning to send the Bears to their fourth-straight victory and the Mercer Invitational Tournament Championship.
The team and fans alike are proud of the Bear’s performance thus far in the season. Mercer fan Gary Anderson said, “I’m already so impressed with the girls’ performance. I’m not surprised by their play, but it’s great that they’re already doing so well. I would be here to support them either way though.”
On Feb. 15, Mercer gained two more wins in a doubleheader against Furman to give them a 6-1 record.
During game one, O’neill threw her second shutout of the season, allowing only two hits and one walk, while striking out nine to improve to 3-0 on the year.
Senior McKenzie Woody got on base all four times she went to bat, going 2-2 with a pair of walks and adding two steals and a run scored.
In the second game against Furman, Carter picked up on the mound where O’Neill left off. The Bears put up five runs in the fourth inning to send Furman home without a single run.
Carter racked up six strikeouts in 4.1 innings of work. She allowed five base-runners for the second straight outing while also keeping the opponents from crossing home plate.
Mercer totaled 16 hits and 12 runs on the day while sending Furman home with zero runs and only four hits total.
“Our goal this season is simply to win the ring. However, to get there we have to stay focused and achieve each goal as we reach them,” O’neill said. “Overall, I believe we have what it takes to make the conference tournament and win it all. It will take a lot of determination, but the vibe from the upperclassmen is that this is our year, and we have all the tools we need to accomplish our end goal.”
The Bears will continue play at home on Feb. 28 when they kick off the Mercer Bear Classic against Marist at 3:30 p.m.
(02/21/14 2:21am)
The Mercer men’s basketball team won its third-straight game and preserved an unbeaten 14-0 record at home this year after defeating the Northern Kentucky Norse, giving the Bears an overall record of 21-6.
The team set a program single-game record with 16 3-pointers in the 89-67 victory against Northern Kentucky, who lost its seventh game in a row and fell to 11-17.
The previous single-game record for 3s was done against USC Upstate during the 2008-09 season where Mercer booked 15 made 3-pointers.
“Doing so well means a lot because all of the hard work we have put into it throughout postseason last year, over the summer, the preseason and even during the season is paying off,” said senior Anthony White.
Several personal records were also set in Sunday’s game. Senior guard Bud Thomas scored his 1,000th career point. Thomas reached the milestone at the 2:09 mark of the first half after hitting a 3-pointer on the wing. His triple was just one of 11 made by the Bears in the first half of the game.
Senior Langston Hall hit five 3s in the first period on his way to tying a personal single-game scoring record with 25 points. Along with his 25 points, Hall had eight assists and four rebounds while only surrendering one turnover on the court.
White got in on the action, nailing two 3-point shots while booking 13 points, six rebounds and three assists. Senior Jakob Gollon, Kevin Canevari and sophomore Ike Nwamu also made 3s on Sunday.
Overall, Mercer shot 16-of-27 from beyond the arc while registering a 58.8 percent (30-of-51) field goal percentage. The effort marked the 11th time this season that the Orange and Black have shot 50 percent or better from the field.
Fan of Mercer’s basketball team Tyler Howard is thrilled about the outcome of the season thus far. “I am so thrilled the boys have been performing so well. You can tell that they’ve put a lot of work in during practice and off the court, and it really seems to be paying off,” Howard said.
Mercer also recorded wins earlier this month against Kennesaw State University and Lipscomb, only suffering a loss against USC Upstate on Feb. 2.
Georgia’s two Atlantic Sun men’s basketball teams faced off in a showdown on Feb. 7, where Mercer pulled out a 75-68 win over Kennesaw State.
Four Mercer players reached double figures in the game against KSU. Hall led the score with his 20-point performance. Thomas added 16 points in the win while Monty Brown and Darious Moten added 12 and 10.
Daniel Coursey netted nine points along with 14 rebounds and five blocks. Hall recorded four assists, four steals and a rebound while Brown scored 12 points.
Mercer maintained its position atop the Atlantic Sun standings, while Kennesaw State’s losing streak ran to eight.
“As a team, we all know what we want to accomplish, which is to win the conference, win the conference tournament and go to the NCAA tournament,” White said. “The only way we can do that is by taking the rest of the season one game at a time and continuously getting better.”
Mercer will continue their play one Feb. 21 where they will hit the road to take on rival Florida Gulf Coast.
(02/09/14 9:12pm)
The life of a student-athlete comes with many responsibilities and opportunities. Senior Derrick Workman experiences this lifestyle on a day-to-day basis, and with much hard work and perseverance, he is determined to succeed both on the field and off.
The starting right fielder has high hopes of continuing his baseball career after college, however, his aspirations do not end there.
Workman is a communications major with a minor in media studies, and plans to enroll in graduate school to obtain his master’s degree in sports management, or possibly go to a sports broadcasting school. Along with grad school, Workman wants to attend a Bible college. “I just want to have a greater understanding over [the Bible] as well,” said Workman. “I have a lot of learning that I still want to do.”
Workman admits that with his busy schedule, he is still mapping out his future plans. “I’m planning it all out and taking it one day at a time.”
With games starting in two weeks, there is never much downtime for the baseball player. Workman usually begins his day at about 7 a.m. with some personal reading and breakfast to prepare him for the morning ahead. He then goes to his first class of the day, Media and Democracy, at 9 a.m., and from there he heads back home to do some work around the house and to grab a bite to eat before his next class.
Once his 1 p.m. class is over (Communication and the Family System), Workman will head straight to the locker room to get ready for several hours of batting practice, lifting and either team practice on the field or conditioning. The team has about a three or four hour block in the afternoons that they devote to baseball, and game days aren’t much different.
On the days they have a game, Workman practices a similar routine. He goes to the locker room directly after his afternoon class and prepares for several hours of warm ups, which include batting, stretching and on the field practice. “A typical game day goes from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., so we’re looking at about seven hours where we’re locked into doing baseball related stuff.”
After the game ends, Workman will eat dinner and try to find the time and energy to get his schoolwork done.
Workman believes that the responsibilities that come with being an athlete in college have helped prepare him in ways that he might not have experienced otherwise. “When playing in college, you’re automatically answering to a boss. Many of us are on scholarship and our coaching staff is our boss,” Workman said. “I’ve learned discipline and how to answer somebody, as well as time management and how to map out my day. If I don’t do my job, I’m letting about 30 other people down. A lot of lessons come from it.”
Playing a sport while trying to maintain grades can be stressful, but it has its many perks and advantages. Not only do the athletes get to play the sport they love, they also form lifelong relationships with their teammates. “I’d honestly have to say my favorite part about being a student-athlete is all of the memories I have made with my teammates, the ups, the downs and just having a solid group of guys I can relate to. I’ve built lasting relationships with these guys. They’re like family to me,” said Workman.
Despite the stress and the little amount of free time, Workman still boasts one of the highest GPA’s on the Mercer baseball team. He was voted to the Atlantic Sun Conference All-Academic team in 2013 for his success both on the field and in the classroom.
The Bears will begin competition on Friday, Feb. 14, as they host High Point University in a three game series at Claude Smith Field.
(02/06/14 9:52pm)
The Mercer men’s basketball team added two more wins to their season record after a 68-55 victory against rival Florida Gulf Coast and an 87-49 domination over Stetson University. The Bears also gained a 90-77 win against East Tennessee State on Friday to give them an 18-5 overall record.
On Jan. 23, hundreds of fans filled Hawkins Arena to see the sold-out rivalry game between the Bears and FGCU Eagles.
Dressed in all black from head-to-toe, Junior Lauren Williams was eager to support the Mercer Bears in their blackout game against the Eagles. Williams anticipated a packed stadium and made sure to get her ticket early. “Florida Gulf Coast is pretty much our biggest rival, and I just had to be there,” said Williams. “I knew it was going to be a great game. I love cheering Mercer on, and I’m so excited that we kicked the Eagles’ butts.”
Mercer’s sixth-straight win against the Eagles put the team in first place in the Atlantic Sun Conference standings, while knocking FGCU a game behind the Bears.
Seniors Daniel Coursey and Langston Hall both recorded double-double efforts to help assist in the Bears’ win.
Coursey accumulated his fifth double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds in addition to four blocks and three steals, raising his career block total to 176 and surpassing the program career record. Coursey also scored his 800th point in the win against the Eagles.
“It feels great to finally earn that record. It’s something that I really wanted to achieve this year personally,” Coursey said.
Hall gained a career-high 11 assists and hit 18 points. His performance added to Mercer outshooting FGCU 41.4-35 percent to make it the sixth-straight game the Bears have outshot its opponent.
The Bears and the Eagles were neck and neck at the start of the game. Ike Nwamu’s back to back dunks, and Coursey’s 7-0 run along with Hall’s three quick assists helped push Mercer ahead.
The Eagles came back and tied the game 17-17, but lost control after a three-pointer by Darious Moten sparked a 10-2 charge to put Mercer ahead 34-23 late in the half.
With 6:47 left in the last half, Mercer led the game by 20 points with a 59-39 score. FGCU attempted to come back, but fell short, only earning another 16 points in the remainder of the game.
The victory against FGCU was a big win for the Bears. Coursey admits that they were anxious before the game, but gaining the win boosted their morale. “Beating Gulf Coast was huge for our team’s confidence. We were always worried about them in the back of our mind, and it helped us realize we can beat anyone we want to.”
Although hard work plays into Mercer’s performance as a team, support from their fans also has a positive effect on the team’s outcome. “I think it was one of the most fun games I have played at Mercer. The environment was unbelievable, and it played a big part in helping us win,” Coursey said. “They gave everyone a ton of energy when we needed it.”
Senior Bud Thomas tallied nine points with three rebounds and a steal. As a team, Mercer loaded up a season high of 10 steals and forced 15 turnovers on FGCU.
The Bears 34-27 scoring edge in the second half marked the 18th time in 21 games this season that Mercer has outscored its opponent in the last 20 minutes of play.
(01/23/14 3:38am)
The 2014 Mercer softball season will begin Friday, Feb. 7, where the Bears will host the Mercer Invitational and open up the tournament in a game against Samford University. The Bears will face Samford, Florida A&M and East Kentucky for a three-team round robin Feb. 7-9.
With the addition of five freshmen, two transfers and many returning players, including several starters and three of last year’s four All A-Sun team players, the team of 18 is optimistic about the outcome of this season.
Senior Julia Rice is excited for the upcoming season. “I’m looking forward to just being able to play with this team this year. We have a special group of girls, and one of the best teams I’ve been on,” Rice said.
The Bears ended their 2013 season with an overall record of 24- 29.
Many players were recognized for their outstanding performance during the previous season, including Sarah Santana, who was selected as the Atlantic Sun Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Santana, who carried a GPA of 3.91 and has now graduated, also picked conference’s top student-athlete academic award and was named to the Capital One Academic All-District Team of 2013.
Five other Mercer players were chosen to All A-Sun teams. McKenzie Woody was assigned to the First Team All-Conference, Krista Kennedy and Randi Rea to the Second Team, and Marissa Botz was chosen for the All-Freshmen Team.
Woody led the conference with 80 hits and a .437 batting average.
Kennedy set the Mercer single season mark with 57 RBI, and Rea had the conference’s sixth best slugging percentage. Both players claimed Second Team honors, and the two combined for the most home runs among any duo in the A-Sun, Kennedy with 13 and Rea close behind with 12.
Botz fought through an injury in her first year at Mercer, yet managed to bat .337. Botz, played in about half the team’s games because of injury, but was still able to contribute 30 hits and 12 RBI in that time.
Taylor Harter, a junior at Mercer who attended many of the softball games last year, says that he plans on attending many more of the games again this season. “The girls played great in all of the games I went to last year, and I expect nothing less this year,” said Harter. “The games are always so much fun. The team has such a great energy about them, and you can tell that they work well together, while having a great time too.”
While the team’s main goal is to win conference and make a good run at the conference tournament, they are preparing for another year of tough competition.
Julia Rice said, “We are all putting in time, not just in practice, but in the weight room and during conditioning. Our team is on the same page in regards to what we want for this year, and we understand that all of the practice time we are putting in will pay off in a couple weeks.”
(01/23/14 3:36am)
With the 2013-2014 season underway, Mercer men’s basketball team holds a 15-5 record.
The team has gained several big wins, including an 83-46 blowout against Kennesaw State University on Jan. 10.
Following the victory over Kennesaw, the Bears are off to their best start in the Atlantic Sun Conference play in over a decade. Senior Bud Thomas scored a game-high 18 points against the Owls, and senior Jakob Gollon scored his 1000th career point.
Mercer’s 37 point lead over Kennesaw State was its seventh win by 20 or more points this season. Mercer has won 26 games by 20 or more points over the past five seasons.
Ike Nwamu hit a huge windmill dunk against the Owls, landing him the No. 6 spot on SportsCenter’s Top-10 segment.
“I feel like we’ve had a pretty good season so far with some great wins,” Nwamu said. “We have done a good job staying together as a team, and that has helped us in some tough situations.”
One of the Bear’s biggest accomplishments came about after winning nine non-conference games to set a school record.
With the return of four starters from the team that took the Atlantic Sun’s regular-season victory last year, many fans expected an excellent start and a strong finish to the 2013-2014 season.
Grant Bradley has been going to Mercer basketball games for years. He is an avid fan and always has a good time cheering on the team. “I enjoy it, not only for the social aspect, but Mercer is actually very good,” said Bradley. “I’ve been to nearly every home game over the past few years, and I will continue to do so for as long as possible.”
Although many students traveled home for Christmas, the Bears did not stop for the holidays. Only suffering one loss, Mercer added five more wins during the Christmas break. Since then, they have collected several more wins to add to their record.
The team is satisfied with their results this far into the season, and plan on continuing their hard work to close out the year.
Junior Tj Hallice said, “From the beginning of the season, our overall goal has been to win the A-Sun tournament and go to the big dance. We will work to get better every day and take it one game at a time.”
Ike Nwamu expects a successful end to the season, with the expectation of winning regular season conference, as well as the conference tournament. “We are fully capable of making an NCAA tournament run, we just have to remain focused and treat every game like it’s the biggest game of the season, and I think we’ll be fine,” said Nwamu.
The Bears have 11 season games remaining and will continue their action at Hawkins Arena on Jan. 23 where they will face off against Florida Gulf Coast.
(12/04/13 12:45am)
With one game left in the regular season, Mercer football holds a 9-2 record after facing Jacksonville and Marist University.
On Nov. 9, the crowd went wild as the Bears defeated Jacksonville 45-42, giving them their ninth win of the season and a perfect record at home.
“I never thought Mercer football would be this big and have so much support,” Defensive lineman, Tyler Ward said. “We, as a team, have learned how good we actually are, and what hard work can do for a team full of freshmen.”
Both teams struggled to keep the lead throughout the entire first half of the game. However, Jacksonville jumped ahead on the board 28-21 to give the Dolphins the advantage going into halftime.
After a 26-yard field goal by Tyler Zielenske early in the second half, the Bears began to close the gap, 28-24.
With 9:21 left in the third quarter, Jacksonville’s Adrian Riley scored an 18-yard touchdown pass to push the Dolphins back ahead 35-24.
Mercer stayed on the Dolphins’ tails and responded with an 80-yard drive by JeTarii Donald to catch up and make the score 35-31.
The Bears finally regained the lead in the fourth quarter after an 18-yard touchdown pass from John Russ to John Jones, making the score 38-35.
Mercer pushed further ahead with a 33-yard touchdown pass to JT Palmer to give the Bears a 45-35 lead over Jacksonville.
One more touchdown by Jacksonville late in the game made the score 45-42. With only 2:40 left in the fourth quarter, Jacksonville was unable to catch the Bears, giving Mercer the victory.
Russ went 11-for-23 through the air for 217 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 145 yards and two scores on the ground to give him his best collegiate performance yet.
Lendell Arnold led Mercer’s defense with 10 solo tackles and three assisted tackles, while Tyler Ward and Mike Gray each had nine tackles.
Mercer suffered a 33-7 defeat after battling Marist University in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., giving the Bears their second loss of the season.
The Bears and the Red Foxes were neck to neck during the first part of the game, going into the second quarter with a 7-7 score.
It was not until late in the second that Marist took a 13-7 lead over Mercer.
Mercer only allowed one more Fox touchdown in the first half. However, they were unable to get back on the board, going into halftime with a 20-7 score.
The Bears battled through the rest of the game, but after a season high of six turnovers in the game, their one touchdown from Robert Brown was not enough to compensate for Marist’s total of five.
“Our goal is always to get better,” Tripp Patterson said. “From week to week, the team does all that we can to improve. We have Stetson on Saturday, and it’s just another opportunity to grow as a team, finish strong and prepare for next year.”
Mercer will face off in their final game against Stetson on Nov. 23 at 4 p.m. for their first homecoming football game in 72 years.
(11/10/13 3:33am)
Mercer football blew spectators away as they collected two more wins against Campbell University and Davidson College to add to their now 8-1 record.
Wide receiver Adrian Humphrey is proud of the team’s performance thus far, and has high hopes for the final outcome of the season.
“It feels amazing to be doing way better than what everyone expected us to do,” Humphrey said. “This whole time the coaches and players knew what the goal was, which is not to just win a few games, but to win conference. I know we have it in us to go all the way.”
The Bears faced the Campbell Camels in Buies Creek, N.C., on Oct. 26. This was Mercer’s first away game since their one and only defeat of the season in San Diego.
The head-to-head battle against Campbell was one of the closest scoring games yet, but the Bears fought hard to pull out a 38-31 victory.
The first play from scrimmage came from Jordan Marshall with a 72-yard touchdown to put the Bears on the board 7-0, giving Mercer an early lead.
Mercer kept a steady lead throughout the first two quarters of the game.
By halftime, the Bears led Campbell 31-10 with 255 rushing yards.
After a fumble from Campbell, Mercer’s first play of the second half came from a 23-yard touchdown pass from John Russ to Robert Brown, making the score 38-10.
The Camels responded with a 3-yard touchdown pass to make the score 38-17.
Two more touchdowns from the Camels cut Mercer’s lead 38-31.
With less than three minutes left in the game, the Bears held their ground to prevent a Camel comeback, giving Mercer their seventh win of the season.
Once again, Russ led Mercer’s offense with 180 yards passing, 132 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Jetarii Donald completed 138 yards on 23 carries and two scores, highlighted by a 43-yard touchdown run.
Tyler Ward and Mike Gray led the Bears’ defense with 11 tackles, while Lendell Arnold added 10.
The Bears added another win to their record after dominating the Davidson Wildcats 51-26 on Nov. 2.
By the halftime mark, Mercer already led the Wildcats 21-8.
Soon after a touchdown by Davidson in the beginning of the third quarter, Sebastian Hicks picked up a fumble to return it for a 23-14 lead.
The run game continued when Russ rushed for a 30-yard touchdown to make the score 30-14.
Davidson came right back with a touchdown, but failed on the two-point conversion, making the score 30-20 with 3:48 left in the third quarter.
In the beginning of the fourth, Donald ran a 4-yard touchdown to give Mercer a 37-20 lead.
Donald recorded his third touchdown of the game after taking a pass from Russ for 51-yards to make it 44-20.
The Wildcats tried to close the score gap after converting on short and goal for a touchdown.
However, Brown scored a late touchdown to give Davidson no time to catch up, and taking home another Bear’s victory.
Donald, JT Palmer and Josh Jones finished with three receptions, while Corey Lockett had one sack and three tackles for loss.
The Bears look forward to the final weeks of the season, and said that they are grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of Mercer’s returning football team.
Eli Grambling said, “My favorite thing about Mercer football is honestly just getting to live out the dream I had as a kid; Running the tunnel in front of thousands of screaming fans, the Bear walk, everything. It’s all such a blessing.”
After two back-to-back away games, the Bears will return to Mercer University Stadium on Nov. 9, where they will face off against the Jacksonville Dolphins at 3 p.m.
(10/26/13 3:57am)
Mercer football defeated Valparaiso and Carnegie Mellon to add two more wins to their season, giving them a 6-1 record. The Bears remain undefeated on home grounds.
On Oct. 12, Mercer conquered the Valparaiso Crusaders 35-21.
Linebacker Andrew Layson is proud of the outcome so far this season. “I feel like we have surprised everyone around us,” Layson said. “We knew in the locker room what we were capable of, now we have to finish the season strong and take it week by week and try to win our conference and continue to shock the people who doubt us.”
The Bears and the Crusaders were neck-to-neck during the opening half of the game, battling to keep the lead.
After John Russ’ 25-yard touchdown pass to Robert Brown, Mercer finally jumped ahead 21-14 just before halftime.
It wasn’t until the second half that the Bears clawed their way up on the scoreboard.
Highlighted by a 41-yard run by Payton Usher, Russ scored on a five-yard keeper, giving him his fourth touchdown of the game and pushing the Bears ahead 28-14.
With 9:36 left in the fourth quarter, JeTarri Donald capped off a nine-play, 92-yard drive with a 40-yard touchdown run to give Mercer a 35-14 lead on Valpo.
Less than two minutes after Mercer’s 21-point lead, the Crusaders responded with a 65-yard touchdown for their last points of the game to make the score 35-21.
The Bears’ defense did its job to hold Valparaiso scoreless for the remainder of the game, giving Mercer the win.
Russ went 9-for-17 through the air for 192 yards and two touchdowns. He added 100 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground.
Brown led Mercer’s receivers with four catches for 54 yards and one score.
Tyler Ward recorded 11 tackles and one sack, while Devin Davidson added in seven tackles and Corey Lockett added six.
Mercer received another win after facing off against Carnegie Mellon on Oct. 19.
The Bears defeated the Tartans with a final score of 54-21, giving them their sixth consecutive win at home.
Mercer gained the lead early in the game, rolling out of the first half 33-7.
Michael Haynes capped a nine-play drive with a 12-yard touchdown run to give Mercer a 40-7 lead in the third quarter.
Jabari Scruggs added another score to the board after a 66-yard touchdown run to make the score 47-7.
Only allowing Carnegie Mellon two more touchdowns late in the game, Mercer pulled out a 54-21 win over the Tartans after a two-yard touchdown run by Caleb Brown to cap the score.
In the contest against Carnegie Mellon, Russ went 7-for-13 for 126 yards and two passing touchdowns, while Usher led the run game once again with 115 yards and one score.
Palmer marked a career high with his five catches, while his two touchdown receptions were the most since the season opener.
The team remains optimistic for the remaining season. “It’s going to be a tough road ahead of us with these last five games,“ Mercer’s defensive end, Hank Avery said. “As long as everyone finishes the drill and does their job, we will be fine as wine. We hold our own fate as to how we want to finish our season. It’s all about how we respond to it, not only on Saturdays, but Sunday through Friday as well.”
Mercer football will hit the road to face off against the Campbell Camels in North Carolina next Saturday at 4 p.m.
(10/13/13 11:54pm)
The Mercer University football team holds a 4-1 record after facing off against Drake and San Diego University.
The Bears pulled out a 31-17 win against Drake Sept. 28, giving them their fourth consecutive win of the season.
The biggest play of the game came in the second quarter, from defensive back Alex Avant, with a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown that put the Bears up 17-0.
After Mercer’s victory over Drake, Avant was announced as the Pioneer Football League Defensive Player of the Week by the conference office Sunday, Sept. 29.
His interception return started at the number four spot on ESPN’s Top 10 Plays, but earned the top spot by Sunday, according to the Mercer University Football Facebook.
“It was really cool to win the PFL Defensive Player of the Week and even more shocking to get my play on ESPN Top Plays,” Avant said. “I had no idea that it would get that publicized. I’m just glad I could help our team win because Drake was a really big game for us. The win meant a lot for us and the Mercer community.”
Mercer took control of the first half against Drake, forcing five turnovers to lead the Bulldogs 17-7.
After a catch by JT Palmer and a 1-yard quarterback keeper by John Russ, the Bears led Drake 24-7 with 5:51 left in the third quarter.
Drake responded with a 7-yard pass for a touchdown to make the score 24-14.
After a 24-yard field goal by Drake with 8:14 left in the fourth quarter, it appeared as though the Bulldogs might catch the Bears as they trailed by seven points with a 24-17 score.
Mercer proved they would not back down easily as they climb ahead on the scoreboard with a 62-yard touchdown pass to Josh Jones, putting them ahead 31-17.
The Bears’ defense did work as they held Drake, giving Mercer back the ball to run the clock up at the end of the fourth to take the win.
John Russ threw for 172 yards and rushed 55 to score 21 of Mercer’s 31 points.
The Bears’ winning streak came to an end Oct. 5 with a 45-13 defeat after facing off against the University of San Diego for their first away game of the season.
San Diego jumped on the board right away as the Toreros returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
Mercer suffers their biggest deficit of the season when the Toreros score a 46-yard touchdown to give them 14-0 lead in the first quarter.
With a double reverse, Jones found Palmer for a 28-yard touchdown to put Mercer on the board late in the first quarter.
After another touchdown from Drake, Mercer’s Tyler Zielenske converted a 20-yard field goal to make the score 21-10 Drake.
Another Torero touchdown gave Drake a 28-10 lead with 3:44 left in the opening half of the game.
With halftime approaching, Zielenske drilled another field goal to make the score 28-13 and give the Bears their last points of the game.
The Bears’ defense would hold USD to only two more touchdowns of the game. However, Mercer was unable to make a comeback as they suffered their first loss in 42 years.
Although Mercer lost the battle against San Diego, they won possession time, holding the ball for 30 minutes and 55 seconds, while converting on 5-of-15 third down attempts.
Palmer had four receptions for 100 yards, while Russ finished 15-for-32 for 160 yards with one interception.
The Bears will return to action at home Saturday Oct. 12 at noon, where they will face off against the Valparaiso Crusaders.
(10/13/13 11:14pm)
Inspired by the sounds of heavy classic rock, the Dirty Sound Professors (DSP) is a four- member rock band that formed at Mercer University.
The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Will Stevens, drummer Mike Lirette, guitarist and backup vocalist Luke Morris, and bassist Leland Rayner.
DSP was founded in 2010 by Stevens and Morris, as well as former band members Brad Davis, Allen Whitlock and David Worsham.
The band added to its talent when Lirette and Rayner joined in 2011.
The four friends play for a wide variety of audiences. They enjoy performing for their families, Mercer students and larger crowds in downtown Macon.
As long as they are playing their music, they are happy. “Every time I play it’s the best time of my life,” Lirette said. “I couldn’t pick three other guys that I would want to do this with. I’ve played in other bands before, but I’ve never had the connection that I have with these guys. I would only want to do something long term with my music with them.”
Having only been together for about two years, they won Battle of the Bands in the fall of 2012, and have opened for several notable artists such as Colt Ford, Drive-By Truckers, Drivin‘ N‘ Cryin‘ and The Werks.
DSP’s vocalist, Stevens, now attends Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass., and Rayner transferred this year to the University of South Carolina for the double bass program. Because of these separations, finding time for group practices has become difficult.
Despite the long distance, they do not plan on giving up their music career anytime soon.
The band has been approached by award winner and owner of Shadow Sound Studio, Joey Stuckey, who has offered to be their producer and proposed a deal to help them record an album.
They have nine original songs, and each member has high hopes of producing an album and possibly even going on tour after graduation.
On Sept. 28, DSP performed at the Student Government Association’s tailgate concert on Cruz Plaza. Several dozen people showed, and although the turnout was not huge, the band was very thankful for the fans that showed up to support them.
The band, as well as the audience, had a blast at the SGA concert. Lauren Calhoun attended the concert and was highly impressed by the performance. “I’ve heard great things about the band, and when I found out they were going to be playing tonight, I jumped at the opportunity to come watch. This is my first time seeing them perform, and I can honestly say I am a new fan,” said Calhoun.
Lately, the performances have consisted of mostly individual practices. They continue to write songs but cannot practice them as a group very often.
Lirette and Morris, who are both studying at Mercer, play a lot of acoustic shows around downtown at places like Bearfoot Tavern and Dolce Vita.
When the guys do have the opportunity to reunite and perform together, they book several local gigs in Macon at locations such as The Hummingbird Stage and Taproom, The Cox Capitol Theater, Asylum and, on occasion, Mercer’s campus.
The band hopes to get together to perform again soon, but as of right now they don’t have anything planned for the near future.
(09/14/13 3:01am)
A record-breaking 12,172 fans filled Moye Football and Lacrosse Complex on Saturday Aug. 31, counting down the minutes to the kickoff that would mark the start of Mercer University‘s first football game since 1942.
It had been 72 years since Mercer University’s football team stepped foot onto the gridiron, and the wait proved to be well worth it.
The Bears defeated Reinhardt University in a 40-37 victory that saw eight lead changes. Josh Shutter’s 31-yard field goal split the uprights with three seconds left in the game, giving Mercer the lead with no time left for an Eagles comeback.
“It felt unreal to be a part of a game like that,” said Mercer’s captain, Tosin Aguebor. “It was the first game in 72 years and a last second win. I was nervous going into the game because it was my first college game, but after the first hit, I was ready to go.”
The Bears and Eagles went back and forth for the entire 60 minutes, fighting to keep control of the lead.
Reinhardt scored 13 unanswered points to erase Mercer’s lead and pull ahead 29-28 in the waning seconds of the third quarter.
Mercer proved they would not be shaken so easily. The Bears jumped ahead 34-29 in the beginning of the fourth quarter, with quarterback John Russ delivering a fade route to J.T. Palmer for the touchdown.
Reinhardt recovered a fumbled punt return on the Bears’ 11-yard line and went in for the touchdown, followed up with a 2-point conversion. Once again, the Eagles were in the lead with a 37-34 score.
After completing a 13-play drive, Mercer came back and tied the game 37- 37, with a 28-yard field goal by Shutter.
With 30 seconds left in the game, Mercer stopped Reinhardt from a first down, forcing them into a punting situation and giving the Bears possession of the ball.
Russ completed a 46-yard pass to Jordan Marshall,setting up Shutter for his game winning kick that would bring the Bears to victory.
Mercer took the dramatic win over the Reinhardt Eagles, and after 72 years, the Bears remain undefeated.
During Saturday’s game, Mercer’s quarterback John Russ threw for 218 yards, which included two touchdown passes to J.T. Palmer. Palmer led Mercer’s receivers in catches, after bringing in four catches for 70 yards.
Freshman linebacker Tyler Ward led the Bears defense with 10.5 tackles, which included a sack and a tackle-for-loss.
“I feel like we performed well in Saturday’s game,” Ward said. “We had some positive stats, but we also had too many loafs. It was only our first game though, and we’re going to continue to get better as a team. I believe that the key to any good team is practicing hard with a lot of intensity, and that is what’s going to get us where we need to be this season.”
The Bears will return to Mercer’s Anderson Field for their upcoming game against Warner University on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m.
(03/27/13 2:18pm)
With the season coming to an end, Mercer University’s Wrestling Club had a strong finish to a good year. Along with breaking several personal records, the team ended their season with numerous wins and achievements.
The NCWA National Duals were held at the Northwest Georgia Convention Center in Dalton, Ga. on January 18. After beating Middle Tennessee State University, Auburn University, and East Tennessee State University, Mercer once again faced off against MTSU in a final match to determine which team would place ninth in the nation. In the end, Mercer beat out Middle Tennessee State University for ninth, with a 4-1 record in the overall tournament.
On March 2, Mercer attended the Southeast NCWA Conference Championship at Georgia Southern University, in Statesboro, Ga. The SEC is one of the biggest, and most challenging conferences in the National Collegiate Wrestling Association. Only the top six wrestlers in each weight class qualify for Nationals.
At Conference, Charlie Farr, Chris Murdock, and Jeffrey Holmes all took first place in their weight class, with Nick Wright taking second.
Several other wrestlers placed in the top six, giving Mercer 14 national qualifiers, and making this the most individual qualifiers Mercer University’s wrestling team has ever had.
Along with a record breaking number of national qualifiers, the team took second at Conference, behind the University of Central Florida. This is the highest Mercer has ever placed as a team.
On March 11, the team began their 13 hour bus ride to Allen, Texas for the 2013 NCWA National Championship. The tournament began on March 14 and after three full days of wrestling, Mercer University placed 10th in the nation. Along with this top national rank, three of Mercer’s wrestlers placed in the top eight, earning themselves the title of All-Americans. Charlie Farr placed fourth, Chris Murdock placed fifth, and Nick Wright took sixth place.
Returning All-American, Charlie Farr was the team’s lead point scorer for Mercer University, with 185.25 points. Jeffrey Holmes was in close second with a total of 179.90 points this season.
Coach Kevin Andres said the team had a great season, and he is proud of their hard work. He has high expectations for next year. “Our goal is to be top five in the nation, and to have more All-Americans.”
Overall, the team was pleased with their performance this 2012-2013 wrestling season. They performed well, and they are optimistic for next year‘s season. Sophomore, Jeffrey Holmes said, “We had a good season, and we are only going to continue to grow as a team, and improve by next fall. Next year is going to be our year.”
With a majority of the wrestlers being freshmen and sophomores this year, the team was made up of mainly underclassmen.
By next year, they will have several juniors and seniors, bringing that much more experience to the mat. The team is confident that with their continuous hard work and dedication, they will reach their goals, as well as set many new records.