Hardin-Simmons Wins Championship
The 1998 ASC Football Championship was decided in the final game of the regular season, but McMurry and Hardin-Simmons needed overtime to do it. After McMurry jumped out to an early 14-0 lead, the Cowboys came galloping back with 24 unanswered points only to have the Indians respond with 10 points of their own -- sending the game to overtime. In the extra frame, senior quarterback Bill Poe completed a nine-yard pass to Jared Wood for the game-winning touchdown.
Career Day - Shane Tapper, Mississippi College's junior quarterback from Petal, Miss., completed 25 of 53 passes for 465 yards and four touchdowns against Austin College. Tapper had a career best and set the school record for passing yardage in a game with 465 yards. The old mark was 374, set in 1970. Tapper also owns the record for pass attempts in a game with 53.
Senior Send Off - Senior running back Dameian Vallery made the most of his final two games in a Yellow Jacket uniform. The Aldine, Texas, native carried the ball 24 times for 174 yards and two touchdowns in Howard Payne's 43-26 win over Sul Ross State. He has averaged 182 yards a game over his last two contests and totaled 1,009 yards this season on 161 carries for an average of 6.3 yards per carry.
Not Your Average Joe - Austin College quarterback Joe Newton closed out his Kangaroos career with 355 yards passing and three touchdowns in a 40-34 win over Mississippi College. The 355 yards marked the 4th time this season that Newton has thrown for 300 yards in a game. He completed 17 of 29 passes on Saturday and ended the season with a career highs in yards (2,088), completions (128) and touchdown passes (20).
Rory Was the Story - McMurry's sophomore wide receiver Rory Peacock caught a career high nine passes for 165 yards and one touchdown in the Indians' 30-24 loss to Hardin-Simmons Saturday. Peacock, who ranks 10th on McMurry's career reception list with 66, has caught a pass in each of his last 20 games -- breaking the previous mark of 19 set by John Walsh from 1992-93. The NCAA Division III national streak is 37, held by Lyon College's Kendlal Griffin and Guilford College's Junior Lord.
Medlock Sets Howard Payne Record - Senior defensive back Sedrick Medlock totaled eight tackles and intercepted his 20th career pass to finish his Yellow Jacket career as the school's record holder in interceptions. Medlock finished this season as the second-leading tackler on the team with 58.
Captain Kangaroo - Sophomore linebacker Jason George made a team-leading nine tackles (seven solos) including three for loss and one sack as he helped Austin College close out the season with a 40-34 win over Mississippi College. George and the Austin College defense limited the Choctaws to minus 5 yards rushing on 36 attempts and recorded a season-best seven sacks.
Hampton In - Junior free safety Jeremy Hampton recorded nine tackles (six solo) and intercepted Hardin-Simmons quarterback Bill Poe at the McMurry nine-yard line with 9:19 to play in the fourth quarter which set up a 10-play game-tying scoring drive that sent the game into overtime. The Mt. Pleasant, Texas, native also had a career day in punting yards and average. He punted six times for 285 yards for an average of 47.5 per punt.
Smith's Streak Snapped - Hardin-Simmons place kicker Mark Smith missed an extra point attempt on the Cowboys game-winning touchdown in overtime to end his streak of successful extra points at 40. Smith did kick four extra points and ended the regular season with 53 extra points -- a school record (the old record was 51, set in the 13-game season in 1993 by Rusty Oglesby). Smith also ended the season with 83 points, the most by any kicker in Hardin-Simmons' history and the fifth-most all-time at the school.
Certainly Able - Mitch Ables caught a touchdown pass, making that 25 for his career, tying the Hardin-Simmons all-time career mark with Brian Rogers (1990-93) and Bob McChesney (1947-49).
Record Points - Hardin-Simmons scored 449 points the season, the second most in school history. The 1993 team scored 478 points in 13 games. At 44.9 points per game, 1998 was the highest scoring team per game in Cowboy history.
