Back-to-Back: Hawks claim second straight USA South championship

DANVILLE, Va. – The Huntingdon College football team is heading back to the playoffs.

With a 42-14 win over Averett University on Saturday, the Hawks clinched their second straight USA South Athletic Conference championship. As the conference champion, the Hawks advance to the NCAA Division III playoffs for the third time in program history.

"I'm really proud of this team for fighting to get here," Huntingdon head coach Mike Turk said. "Losing our first conference game of the season put us in a hole that we had to dig out of. It was a tough journey, but I'm proud of the work these players and coaches have put in. I'm proud of the way we've continued to believe in one another and how we've continued to get better and play better each week.

"We're happy to be where we are and we're proud to represent the USA South in the playoffs."

Playoff matchups will be released on Sunday. The Hawks will gather in Drum Theater for the Division III Selection Show on Sunday at 5 p.m.

Huntingdon (9-1, 6-1 USA South) claimed the conference title with another dominant performance on Saturday. Since stumbling against North Carolina Wesleyan on Oct. 1, the Hawks have won six straight games, averaging 48.5 points per game and allowing 15.3 points per game.

Against Averett (4-5, 3-3 USA South), Huntingdon rolled up 700 yards of offense, including 399 rushing yards. The 700 yards of offense are the fifth most in program history and the 399 rushing yards are the second most.

Defensively, the Hawks held Averett to 264 yards of offense and 14 first downs. Averett entered the game averaging 411 yards of offense per game and 32.5 points per game.

"We did a good job controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball today," Turk said. "After last week at Maryville, that was a point of emphasis. We were able to establish control today and the stats reflect that."

Quarterback Luke Bailey accounted for 377 yards of offense, passing for 301 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions on a 20-for-30 day. The senior rushed for 76 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.

Bailey had a hand in the Hawks' first four touchdowns. He hit senior Jamichael Bibb for a 66-yard touchdown strike on the Hawks' first offensive play. Huntingdon went ahead 14-0 with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Mark White late in the first quarter

Leading 14-7 in the second quarter, Bailey scored on a 10-yard run just before the half. He added an 8-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to give the Hawks a 28-7 lead.

Senior running back John Iwaniec scored on a 12-yard run, a little more than a minute into the fourth quarter, to make it a 35-14 game. On Averett's ensuing drive, defensive lineman Heath McCray forced a fumble and defensive back Jordan Smith recovered it at the Huntingdon 5-yard line.

The Hawks put the game away with a drive that lasted a little more than nine minutes. Iwaniec capped the 14-play, 95-yard drive with a 1-yard scoring run.

"We were able to get points right before the half and then we scored the first points of the second half," Turk said. "That was big. It turned a seven-point game into a 21-point game. They put some points on the board in the third quarter but we answered quickly. Being able to get a turnover early in the fourth quarter and put together that last drive sealed the game for us."

Iwaniec and junior Vic Jerald each rushed for more than 100 yards, marking the sixth time two Huntingdon running backs have eclipsed 100 yards in the same game.

Jerald rushed for a career-high 188 yards on 13 carries, including an 82-yard run. The 188 rushing yards are the third most by a Hawk and the 82-yard run is the fourth longest rush in Hawks' history. Iwaniec turned in his 10th career 100-yard game and finished with 113 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.

Bibb finished with five receptions for a career-high 129 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore kicker Chase Young converted 6-of-6 extra points. With his fourth extra point, Young became the Hawks' career leader in extra points made and has now made 117-of-124 extra points the past two seasons.

McCray and linebackers Trey Hayes and Brandon Williams each had six tackles to lead the defense. McCray also had a forced fumble and 2 ½ tackles for loss. Demetrius Brown picked off one pass for the Hawks and Smith had one fumble recovery.