Posting its third straight win Saturday, the Shorter football team moved a step closer to a potential national ranking.
For now, though, the Hawks are happy enough about being No. 1 in the Mid-South Conference’s Western Division.
With Matthew Mann rushing for 102 yards and Raymone Nesbitt running for a pair of scores, Shorter earned a 38-17 road win over Campbellsville (Ky.) in the Western Division opener for both teams.
A 77-yard interception return by Bud Keith in the fourth quarter sealed the deal for Shorter.
It was Shorter’s third road win of the season, and enabled the Hawks (4-1, 1-0) to surpass last season’s win total. Shorter went 3-7 — including going winless on the road — last year in its inaugural season of football.
“It was exciting to get another win on the road and (especially) for it be a Western Division game,” said Shorter coach Phil Jones.
“We had some tough times today,” said Jones of the Hawks, who were flagged for 10 penalties and also had a field goal attempt blocked. “But we ended up overcoming that. I felt good about the fact that we could overcome some adversity.”
The Hawks, who received votes in last week’s NAIA poll, owned a 17-3 lead at the half and stretched it to 38-10 in the fourth quarter before Campbellsville (1-3, 0-1) scored a late touchdown on a fumble return.
“We came out and got an early lead and moved the ball really well,” said Jones of the Hawks, who finished with 270 rushing yards on 49 attempts.
Shorter moved 77 yards in 11 plays on its opening possession, with Nesbitt capping the drive with a 6-yard run for the only score of the first quarter.
Former Model star Lukas Gonzalez connected on a 21-yard in the second quarter for a 10-0 lead, and Fabian Daniel had a 46-yard run later in the quarter.
Nesbitt and Mann added rushing touchdowns in the second half — Nesbitt with a six-yard run in the third quarter and Mann with a 4-yard run in the fourth — to help Shorter pull away.
The victory came in the final game of the Hawks’ four-game road swing. Shorter hosts Pikeville next Saturday at Barron Stadium — the Hawks’ first home game since a season-opening win over Brevard on Sept. 2.
“It feels good to be coming home,” said Jones. “We hope a lot of people turn out Saturday.”
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