UVA WISE FOOTBALL GAME NOTES STORYLINES—THE VUL GAME • Virginia University-Lynchburg Will Be Making Its First Ever Trip to MEDIA INFORMATION Wise

UVA WISE FOOTBALL GAME NOTES STORYLINES—THE VUL GAME • Virginia University-Lynchburg will be making its first ever trip to MEDIA INFORMATION Wise. RADIO WAXM (93.5 FM) Steve Curran (play-by-play) • In the only other meeting between the two programs, UVA Wise Jacob Townsed (color) claimed a 65-0 win in 2017. AUDIO www.waxm.com VIDEO www.uvawisecavs.com • The Dragons are under the direction of first-year coach Tim Twitter @UVaWiseCavs/@UVWiseFootball Newman who came to Lynchburg after previously serving as a high #GoCavsGo school coach. Facebook Highland Cavalier Athletics • The Dragons are 4-63 in their last 67 games with all four wins Instagram @UVaWiseCavs coming in the last two seasons.

• Football is one of five sports offered at VUL. The HBCU institution also competes in men's and women's basketball along with men's GAME WEEK MEDIA Interviews: All interviews with UVA Wise and women's track. coaches and players must be arranged through the athletic media relations office. Contact assistant athletic director for com- ABOUT UVA WISE munications Darrell Ely at (276) 328-0188 or by email at [email protected] for interviews. • UVA Wise is 3-2 under Dane Damron in season openers and 3-2 in The UVA Wise locker room and training room games against non-conference opponents. are closed to the media at all times. Phone numbers of student-athletes will not be re- leased to the media. • In an abbreviated spring season, UVA Wise ranked fifth in NCAA Division II in passing yards (356.7 ypg) per game earlier this year. Practices: All UVA Wise practices are closed. If you require practice footage or quotes following a practice, please contact • Caleb Martin hauled in 7.3 receptions per game in the spring to rank the office of athletic media relations. fourth among NCAA Division II receivers. His four touchdown grabs ranked sixth nationally. Credentials: Credentials are required for all UVA Wise football games. For credentials, please contact the athletic media relations • Saturday's game will be the first for Matthew White as the office by email at [email protected] at least 48 hours prior to kickoff. Media parking defensive coordinator at UVA Wise. The coach is in his second is limited at Carl Smith Stadium. Please park outside of upper lot behind the stadium. season overall at the school.

QUICK FACTS ABOUT UVA WISE Location Wise, Va. 2021 UVA WISE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Founded 1954

Enrollment 2,065

Affiliation NCAA Division II DATE TIME OPPONENT LOCATION

Conference South Atlantic SEPTEMBER 4 NOON VIRGINIA-LYNCHBURG WISE Colors Red and Gray SEPTEMBER 11 7:30 P.M. ETSU JOHNSON CITY, TN Nickname Highland Cavaliers SEPTEMBER 18 1:00 P.M. MARS HILL MARS HILL, NC Chancellor Donna P. Henry, Ph.D SEPTEMBER 25 NOON CARSON-NEWMAN WISE Faculty Athletic Representative Matthew Williams, Ph.D OCTOBER 2 2 P.M. LENOIR-RHYNE WISE Athletic Director Kendall Rainey, Ph.D

Athletic Department Phone (276) 328-0206 OCTOBER 9 NOON NEWBERRY WISE

Mailing Address One College Ave .OCTOBER 16 1:30 P.M. TUSCULUM GREENVILLE, TN Greear Gymnasium OCTOBER 23 NOON WINGATE WISE Wise, Va. 24293 OCTOBER 30 4 P.M. LIMESTONE GAFFNEY, SC School Web Site www.uvawise.edu NOVEMBER 6 1:00 P.M. CATAWBA SALISBURY, NC Athletics Web Site www.uvawisecavs.com NOVEMBER 13 NOON BARTON WISE www.UvawiseCavs.com Southwest Virginia's Team GAME PREVIEW

UVA Wise opens the 2021 season Saturday when Virginia University-Lynchburg visits Smith Stadium for a 12 p.m. kickoff. The visiting Dragons are under the direction of first- year coach Tim Newman while Dane Damron will begin his sixth season leading the Highland Cavaliers. Returning for UVA Wise is redshirt sophomore quarterback Lendon Redwine. The signal caller completed 71.4 percent of his passes in the abbreviated spring season while five different Cavaliers hauled in touchdown receptions. The receiving unit figures to be the strength of the Cavaliers. A year ago, Caleb Martin caught 22 passes for 261 yards and four touchdowns. Keishoen Jarrett (16), Markel Harrison (15) and Dorian Goddard (15) all caught at least 15 passes. The group includes three of seven Cavs named to the South Atlantic Conference Preseason Watch List. Martin, Goddard and Jarrett were joined on the list by two defensive linemen Chavon Fields and Rondre Knowles-Tenner. Middle linebacker Deandre Williams and punter Drew Vermillion round out of the group of UVA Wise players to receive preseason recognition. First-year defensive coordinator Matthew White has been promoted to the position after serving as a position coach last season. The Montana native has had stops at Montana Tech, Los Angeles Valley, Kentucky Christian and West Hills Community College prior to arriving in Wise. The defensive coordinator plans to stick to a multiple look for the defense with a base 4-2-5 alignment. Second-year offensive coordinator Zach Lewis is looking to build off a breakout campaign that saw his unit rank 10th nationally in yards per game this spring (470.7 ypg). The bulk of the offense came through the air as UVA Wise averaged 356.7 passing yards per game. The number ranked fifth nationally and included a 485 yard passing performance against perennial SAC power Carson-Newman. That day, UVA Wise quarterbacks completed 47 passes while not throwing an interception across 73 attempts. The Cavs’ special teams unit will be anchored by Vermillion who is in his third season as the team’s punter. Thus far, Vermillion has booted eight punts of 50 yards or longer during his first two seasons while having 16 punts downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. The season opener will be the first of 11 games over 11 consecutive weeks for Damron’s squad. Next week, UVA Wise will travel to East Tennessee State University to take on the FCS Buccaneers before opening up SAC play in two weeks at Mars Hill. Overall, the Cavs will play eight consecutive league games before wrapping up the regular season at home Nov. 13 against Barton College for Senior Day 2021.

BY THE NUMBERS

UVA Wise15 has players from 15 Quarterback71.4 Lendon Redwine Defensive5.5 lineman Chavon Five different5 Cavaliers caught different states on this year’s completed 71.4 percent of his Fields posted 5.5 tackles for at least one touchdown pass in roster. passes last spring. loss in the spring. the spring.

www.UvawiseCavs.com Southwest Virginia's Team PRESEASON SAC POLL

Lenoir-Rhyne has been voted as the conference favorite by the South Atlantic Conference football head coaches, the League an- nounced today. The Bears collected five first-place votes and 69 points in the poll. UVA Wise was picked eighth in the poll with seven players being named to the Preseason Players to Watch List. Dane Damron's team saw a pair of wide receivers along with two defensive lineman, a linebacker, a tight end and the team's punter named to the Preseason Players to Watch List. Eastern Kentucky University transfer Caleb Martin made the list after leading the team with 22 catches for 261 yards and four touchdowns in the abbreviated spring season. University of Virginia transfer Dorian Goddard also made the list after finishing with 15 catches for 101 yards earlier this year. At tight end Keishoen Jarrett made the successful transition from defense-to-offense in the spring and his success did not go unno- ticed. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound tight end grabbed 16 balls for 150 yards to finish second on the team in receptions and receiving yards en route to the Preseason Watch List. On the defensive line, fifth-year senior Rondre-Knowles Tenner received recognition. The nose tackle accumulated seven sacks in 2019 and has tallied 10 sacks over the last two full seasons of play. Fellow defensive lineman Chavon Fields is also on the list. Fields led the Cavaliers with 17 tackles this spring while adding an interception to his stat ledger. Middle linebacker Deandre Williams received preseason recognition. The Richmond, Virginia product has amassed 88 stops in his collegiate career, including 13 tackles for loss. Third-year punter Drew Vermillion rounded out UVA Wise student-athletes on the Preseason Watch List. The steady punter has booted eight punts of at least 50 yards during his first two seasons while landing 16 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line. The Gate City, Virginia product launched a 68-yard punt at Carson-Newman as a freshman. The Bears took home their ninth SAC Football Championship in program history in 2019, finishing the season with a record of 13-1 overall and 8-0 in conference. The Bears then went on to finish the 2021 spring season with a 3-1 overall record, with their lone loss coming against Tusculum in the SAC Spring Football Championship game. In addition to winning the 2019 SAC title, the Bears advanced to the third round of the NCAA Division II playoffs. The Bears are a preseason No. 2 pick according to Lindy's Sports and they are a No. 7 pick according the College Football America Yearbook Preseason Poll. The Bears had one of the most potent offenses in all of Division II in 2019, as they ranked eighth in the nation in scoring (42.0 points per game) and seventh in the nation in rushing offense (269 yards per game). Quarterback Grayson Willingham returns to lead the offense. In just four games during the spring of 2021 he threw for 951 yards, seven touchdowns and had a 163.8 QB efficiency rating. Running back Dwayne McGee also shined for the Bears in the spring as he racked up 511 yards in four games, averaging 127.8 yards per game with four touchdowns. The defensive side of the ball is equally as impressive, with the Bears finishing 2019 ranked eighth in DII in rushing defense, allowing just 81.9 yards per game. The Bears were also ranked 16th in scoring defense, posting 17.4 points per game on defense, and they allowed just 293.7 total yards of offense, ranking them 18th in the DII. Linebacker Jon Ross Maye made a big impact for Lenoir-Rhyne in the spring of 2021 with 27 solo tackles and 34 total tackles, including 4.5 tackles for loss in just four games. Fellow linebacker Percy King was a thief with four interceptions and he added 25 total tackles during the spring season. At No. 2 in the poll was Wingate with 63 points and a first place vote. The Bulldogs are coming off their third straight NCAA DII playoff appearance in 2019, finishing the season with a record of 10-2 overall and 7-1 in conference. Wingate's offense produced 4,749 yards in 2019, including 2,427 yards through the air and 2,322 yards on the ground. Defensively, the Bulldogs allowed just 21.9 points in 2019 on 322.1 yards of offense. Wingate will open the 2021season as the No. 19 team in the nation according to the College Football America Yearbook. Newberry checks in at No. 3 in the 2021 preseason poll with 58 points and a first place vote. The Wolves are coming off a 5-6 campaign in 2019 and a 5-1 record in the spring of 2021. Newberry's lone loss of the spring season was an overtime thriller, 27-20, to Lenoir-Rhyne. The Wolves will look to continue their dominance on the ground this season after posting a league-leading 1,581 rushing yards in five games in the spring, averaging 263.5 yards per game. Mario Anderson was impressive in his Wolves debut, posting 206 yards rushing in just two games in the spring, averaging 103 yards per game. Newberry was also impressive on defense during the spring season, allowing just 268.5 yards per game and a conference-best 15.7 points per game. The Tusculum Pioneers came in at No. 4 in the preseason poll with 52 points and two first place votes. They finished the 2019 season with a 5-6 overall record, but were the 2021 SAC Spring Football Champions with a 4-1 overall record. The Pioneers defeated Lenoir- Rhyne in the championship game 28-23. The Pioneers were ranked No. 2 in the league in defense, allowing just 17.6 points per game and 311.2 total yards per game, including only allowing 84 rushing yards per game. Tusculum also put up some big numbers on offense, scoring 37.6 points per game in five games, including a league-best 1,971 yards of passing offense. Carson-Newman landed at No. 5 in the preseason poll with 46 points. The Eagles went 9-3 overall in 2019 and advanced to the NCAA Division II postseason, but were only able to play one 2021 spring game, a 40-37 overtime win against UVA Wise. Eagle quarterback Trey Mitchell shined in that game, throwing for 282 yards with two touchdowns and another 10 yards rushing. Receivers JJ Lewis and DeQuan Dudley were also major play makers hauling in 100 and 94 yards, respectively, with a touchdown each. Defensively, Kendall Williams had nine solo tackles, including a tackle for loss and a pass breakup. The Eagles are a preseason No. 14 pick according to the College Football America Yearbook. At No. 6 in the poll was Limestone with 32 points. The Saints finished the 2019 campaign with a 3-8 record, going 2-6 in the SAC. Returning to lead the Saints is the team's leading rusher in 2019, Jerko'ya Patton. He rushed for 965 yards with nine touchdowns during the 2019 season. On defense, defensive end Zane Boozer leads the Saints. He racked up 16 total tackles during the spring of 2021 with three sacks and four and half tackles for loss. Coming in at No. 7 in the poll was Mars Hill. The Lions closed out the 2019 season with a record of 5-6 overall, going 4-4 in conference. The Lions were the top pass team in the SAC in 2019, throwing for 3,367 yards as a team, including a league-leading 30 passing touchdowns. Rounding out the poll at No. 8 was UVA Wise and Catawba at No. 9. In their second year of SAC competition, the Cavaliers went 2-9 overall and posted a 1-7 record in SAC play in 2019, while going 1-2 during the 2021 spring season. Catawba went 1-10 overall with a 0-8 SAC record in 2019, and the Catawba Indians posted an 0-2 record during the 2021 spring season. www vawise avs com Southwest Virginia's Team .U C .

SEASON PREVIEW

Preseason football camp is in full swing at UVA Wise and the Highland Cavaliers are hopeful for a return to normalcy this fall as Dane Damron's squad is scheduled to play 11 games over 11 consecutive weeks beginning Sept. 4 when Virginia University Lynchburg visits Carl Smith Stadium for a 12 p.m. kickoff. The Cavaliers are coming off a 1-2 record in an abbreviated spring campaign, but there is plenty of reason for optimism. UVA Wise lost a quadruple overtime game (40-37) to Carson-Newman University before losing in the game's final seconds (30-24) at Limestone. The contest with the Eagles was the longest in school history and the season opener provided a glimpse of the progress the program had made. Offensive coordinator Zach Lewis saw his unit make leaps in the spring as UVA Wise averaged 33.7 points and 465 yards of offense per contest. Cavalier quarterbacks completed 66.9 percent of their pass attempts while throwing for 1,070 yards and 10 touchdowns in the abbreviated season. Leading the offensive charge was Eastern Kentucky University transfer Caleb Martin. The wide receiver led the South Atlantic Conference with four touchdown receptions as part of a 22-catch, 261-yard season high- lighted by an eight-reception, 117-yard performance against Carson-Newman. Behind center, Lendon Redwine fired five touchdown passes while tallying a 162.69 quarterback rating as part of a season that saw him complete 71.4 percent of his passes. The signal-caller spread the ball around plenty as he completed passes to 14 players. Four receivers hauled in at least 15 catches, including tight end Keishoen Jarrett who experienced a breakout campaign with his 16-catch, 150-yard season. At receiver, Redwine should have plenty of options as University of Virginia transfer Dorian Goddard, Utah State transfer Devin Heckstall, and Miami (Ohio) transfer Cam Blakely join Martin as a group of four NCAA Division I transfers at the position. Third-year man JJ McNeil III has been impressive in camp, while fourth- year receivers Markel Harrison and Darrien Newton, along with redshirt sophomore Kadarius Singleton also expected to be challenge for playing time at the team's deepest position. In the backfield, the team returns a plethora of backs who have experience. Third-year back Shaheim Revel is the team's top returning rusher as he scored a team-high two touchdowns in the spring. Jakoby Johnson is also in the mix in the backfield after he averaged six yards a rush over 12 carries, while Caleb Grant and Jaevon Gillespie also received carries in the spring. Glenville State College transfer J'Quan Anderson should also see time at tailback. Since joining the staff, long-time offensive line coach Mike Compton may have his most experienced group. Junior college transfer Ethan Anderson is expected to be the team's team center; the 301-pounder is one of three 300 pounders who should see plenty of action on the offensive line. Roanoke, Va. product Ethan Blank checks in at 6-foot-1 and 339 pounds, and the second-year lineman should man a guard position with 6-foot- 3, 315-pound junior college transfer Eaamon Sullivan at the other guard. Six-foot-3, 278-pound junior Kyle Kruszewski returns at right tackle with redshirt sophomore Daric Cotman set to play left tackle, the Rich- mond, Va. native is 6-foot-3, 276 pounds. Depth should pay dividends for Compton's crew as Jae'Dairen Warren-Binion, Kert Gibson and Tommy Tay- lor return to the unit. West Hills Community College (Calif.) transfer Matthew Estrada is also an experienced body who can step in and play tackle with his 6-foot-2, 306-pound frame. New defensive coordinator Matthew White returns a solid core up front led by defensive linemen Rondre Knowles-Tenner and Chavon Fields. A fifth-year player, Knowles-Tenner is a disruptive nose tackle. The James Madison University transfer amassed a team-leading seven sacks as part of a 38-tackle campaign in 2019. A redshirt junior, Fields is equally impressive, having tallied 35 tackles, 9.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage, and 4.5 sacks in 2019. Chadi Abdalla, Paulie Kasteckas, Austin C. Hicks and Ammon Ivey will rotate at the defensive ends position. Each player has at least three years of experience and has made a positive impact on the field during their play. At linebacker, redshirt junior Deandre Williams leads the unit. The middle linebacker tallied 38 stops in 2019 with 5.5 stops coming behind the line of scrimmage. For his career, Williams has amassed 85 tackles, including 11.5 tackles for loss. Redshirt junior Veronta Jones and redshirt freshman Xavion Washington are set to play the weak side linebacker position. Jones made 15 stops in three games last spring; seven of the tackles came in the game with Carson-Newman. Redshirt freshman Mason Polier is also in the mix at linebacker. The former Union High School standout earned his first collegiate sack as part of a seven-tackle day in a win at Mars Hill last spring. In the secondary, Malcom Gallagher and Isaac Thompson figure to lead the way at cornerback with Eastern Kentucky University Tyson Bivins and third-year man Daquan Battle settling in a free safety. Redshirt freshman Patrick Taylor is in the mix at strong safety, with fellow redshirt freshmen Jordan Gillespie and Markel Dailey working to earn playing time at cornerback. Third-year punter Drew Vermillion will anchor the special teams unit. Vermillion has booted eight punts of at least 50 yards during his first two seasons while landing 16 punts inside the 20-yard line. The Gate City, Va. native launched a 68-yard punt at Carson-Newman in 2019. Jahlil Jefferson and Darrien Newton appear to be early front runners in the return game, while Drew Cassidy and Kellan Dalton are in a preseason camp battle for kicking duties. The Cavs will play NCAA FCS member East Tennessee State University before playing eight consecutive South Atlantic Conference contests following the season opener. Homecoming is slated for Oct. 2 when Lenoir-Rhyne visits Wise. Overall, UVA Wise will play six home games, including the regular season finale when Barton College is in town on Nov. 13 for Senior Day.

www.UvawiseCavs.com Southwest Virginia's Team LAST MEETING VS VUL RECAP

LYNCHBURG, Va. - - UVA Wise scored the second most points in school history while limiting Virginia Uni- versity – Lynchburg to 58 yards of total offense in a 65-0 non-conference victory at City Stadium Saturday. The Cavaliers' defense tallied 16 tackles for loss, including seven sacks in the team's lone non-league affair of the season.

UVA Wise (5-4) senior Dorian Harris (Floyd, Va./Floyd County H.S.) rushed for two touchdowns in the win while freshman Chris Thaxton (Richmond, Va./Highland Springs H.S.) finished with a season-high 10 catches for 88 yards.

Lynchburg (0-7) failed to generate any offense in the game. The Dragons picked up 28 yards on one play in the first half on a scamper by quarterback Thomas Jones before finishing the game with fewer than 60 yards of total offense.

The shutout was the first for the UVA Wise program since becoming a NCAA Division II member and its first overall since the team claimed a 13-0 win at West Virginia Tech on Oct. 1, 2011.

Dane Damron's team got off to a quick start with 23 points in the opening quarter. Redshirt sophomore Bry- cen Lee (Mayo, Fla./Eastern Kentucky) got his team on the board when he hooked up with sophomore Matt Felton (Fredericksburg, Va./James Monroe H.S.) for an 8-yard touchdown pass. The touchdown was the first of Felton's collegiate carer.

Donavan Montague (Altavista, Va./Altavista H.S.) provided the Cavaliers next two points when the junior linebacker sacked Jones in the end zone for a safety .Moments later, Marquis Hamilton (Washington, D.C./ Marshall University) extended the lead when the redshirt sophomore fielded the free kick and raced 70 yards for a touchdown.

Harris provided the final points of the opening quarter when he darted in from five yards out on the quarter's final play.

A touchdown run by senior Javonte Latney (Fredericksburg, Va./Massaponax H.S.) were the only points of the second quarter as the visitors took a 30-0 lead to intermission.

A 21-point third quarter would put the game out of reach. Freshman Muntsier Sharfi (Manassas, Va./Stone- wall Jackson H.S.) hauled in the first catch of his career and raced 43 yards for the first points of the half before Jarome Johnson (Washington, D.C./Eastern H.S.) added a 2-yard touchdown run. Johnson would later find James Cousins (Richmond, Va./J.R. Tucker H.S.) for a 14-yard scoring strike for the final points of the period.

Josh Saunders (Freeport, Bahamas/Liberty Christian Academy)thwarted Virginia – Lynchburg's best scoring chance when he scooped up a fumble and returned 87 yards for a touchdown with just over six minutes to play. The final points of the game came on Harris' second rushing score of the day, a 4-yard run off tackle to provide the 65-0 triumph.

Dylan Giovine (Staunton, Va./R.E. Lee Staunton H.S.) led the UVA Wise defense with seven tackles while Anas Elkattan (Richmond, Va./Thomas Jefferson H.S.) led the team with two sacks.

Johnson finished with 57 rushing yards while senior Carlton Griffith (Ft. Belvoir, Va./Mt. Vernon H.S.) added 51 yards on the ground. Lee connected on 22-of-26 pass attempts for 271 yards and two scores while John- son was a perfect 4-of-4 for 49 yards and a touchdown through the air.

Ten different Cavaliers caught a pass in the win, including six with multiple catches.

www.UvawiseCavs.com Southwest Virginia's Team LAST MEETING VS VUL BOX SCORE

Box Score (Final) UVA Wise Football UVA Wise vs Virginia - Lynchburg (Oct 28, 2017 at Lynchburg, Va.)

Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Total UVA Wise 23 7 21 14 65 Virginia - Lynchburg 0 0 0 0 0

Qtr Time Scoring play 1st 04:36 WISE - Matt Felton 8 yd pass from Brycen Lee (Trevor Owens kick), 6-84 1:45 03:44 WISE - Donavan Montague safety 03:31 WISE - Marquis Hamilton 70 yd kickoff return (Trevor Owens kick) 00:00 WISE - Dorian Harris 5 yd run (Trevor Owens kick), 7-77 1:31 2nd 07:49 WISE - Javonte Latney 13 yd run (Trevor Owens kick), 1-13 0:04 3rd 12:08 WISE - Muntsier Sharfi 43 yd pass from Brycen Lee (Zach Large kick), 7-69 2:42 08:19 WISE - James Cousins 14 yd pass from Jarome Johnson (Zach Large kick), 4-55 1:00 02:47 WISE - Jarome Johnson 2 yd run (Zach Large kick), 9-85 5:00 4th 06:06 WISE - Josh Saunders 87 yd fumble recovery (Zach Large kick) 02:38 WISE - Dorian Harris 4 yd run (Zach Large kick), 6-29 3:09

WISE VUL FIRST DOWNS 26 8 RUSHES-YARDS (NET) 36-191 32-26 PASSING YDS (NET) 319 32 Passes Att-Comp-Int 33-28-0 22-10-2 TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS 69-510 54-58 Fumble Returns-Yards 1-87 0-0 Punt Returns-Yards 3-13 0-0 Kickoff Returns-Yards 2-94 9-140 Interception Returns-Yards 2-19 0-0 Punts (Number-Avg) 1-35.0 7-41.1 Fumbles-Lost 1-1 3-2 Penalties-Yards 10-92 5-93 Possession Time 31:04 28:51 Third-Down Conversions 4 of 10 1 of 11 Fourth-Down Conversions 1 of 3 1 of 2 Red-Zone Scores-Chances 6-6 0-2 Sacks By: Number-Yards 6-48 1-8

RUSHING: UVA Wise-Jarome Johnson 6-57; Carlton Griffith 6-51; Terrence Lambert 12-49; Javonte Latney 1-13; Victor Mitchell 4-13; Von Purvis 3-12; Dorian Harris 2-9; Brycen Lee 2-minus 13. Virginia - Lynchburg-Bryan Reed 2-13; Maurice Richards 6-12; Tomas Newman 3-9; Justin Fritts 1-7; Te'Shard Winston 4-4; Zack Robinson 3-4; Thomas Jones 13-minus 23.

PASSING: UVA Wise-Brycen Lee 22-26-0-271; Jarome Johnson 4-4-0-49; Jake Sturgill 2-3-0-minus 1. Virginia - Lynchburg-Thomas Jones 10-20-1-32; TEAM 0-1-0-0; DeAnthony Walker 0-1-1-0.

RECEIVING: UVA Wise-Chris Thaxton 10-88; Jacob Cousins 5-39; Darius Jones 3-53; Cedrick Watkins 2-40; Matt Felton 2-16; Von Purvis 2-13; Muntsier Sharfi 1-43; James Cousins 1-14; Jake Barnett 1-9; Carlton Griffith 1-4. Virginia - Lynchburg-Bernard West III 6-31; Zack Robinson 2-0; Justin Fritts 1-1; Savohn Henderson 1-0.

INTERCEPTIONS: UVA Wise-K'Jon Coley 1-19; Kwadwo Diawuo 1-0. Virginia - Lynchburg-None.

FUMBLES: UVA Wise-Terrence Lambert 1-1. Virginia - Lynchburg-Tomas Newman 2-1; Zack Robinson 1-1.

UVA Wise (5-4) vs. Virginia - Lynchburg (0-7) Date: Oct 28, 2017 • Site: Lynchburg, Va. • Stadium: City Stadium Attendance: 1250

Kickoff time: 12 p.m. • End of Game: 2:46 • Total elapsed time: - Officials: Referee: Stuart Hindman; Umpire: Reggie Ames; Linesman: Darick Edmond; Line judge: Chase Barmoy; Back judge: Jonathan Brown; Field judge: Anthony Manz; Side judge: Tony Rieck; Temperature: 61* • Wind: SSW 6MPH • Weather: Overcast UVa-Wise Set a School Record with 65 Points. www.UvawiseCavs.com Southwest Virginia's Team FINAL 2021 SPRING STATS

UVA Wise Football UVA Wise Combined Team Statistics (as of Aug 31, 2021) All games

Date Opponent Score Att. Record: Overall Home Away Neutral * 03/13/2021 CARSON-NEWMAN L 37-40 528 All games 1-2 0-1 1-1 0-0 * 3/20/21 at Limestone L 24-30 920 Conference 1-2 0-1 1-1 0-0 * Apr 2, 2021 at Mars Hill W 40-28 500 Non-Conference 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

Rushing gp att gain loss net avg td lg avg/g Team Statistics WISE OPP Shaheim Revel 3 19 84 0 84 4.4 2 36 28.0 FIRST DOWNS 81 67 Jacoby Johnson 2 12 72 0 72 6.0 0 17 36.0 R u s h in g 29 24 Rodney Hudson 3 18 74 6 68 3.8 0 13 22.7 P a s s in g 45 34 Caleb Grant 3 26 95 32 63 2.4 0 12 21.0 P e n a l ty 7 9 Jae. Gillespie 3 7 39 0 39 5.6 0 9 13.0 RUSHING YARDAGE 325 486 Garrett Cropp 3 5 34 6 28 5.6 1 25 9.3 Rushing Attempts 101 147 Total 3 101 428 103 325 3.2 3 36 108.3 Average Per Rush 3.2 3.3 Opponents 3 147 575 89 486 3.3 5 50 162.0 Average Per Game 108.3 162.0 TDs Rushing 3 5 Passing gp effic comp-att-int pct yds td lg avg/g PASSING YARDAGE 1070 801 Garrett Cropp 3 110.50 58-93-2 62.4 502 2 42 167.3 C o m p - A t t- In t 107-160-2 46-99-3 Lendon Redwine 3 162.69 40-56-0 71.4 412 5 34 137.3 Average Per Pass 6.7 8.1 Tyloer O'Reilly 1 290.95 9-11-0 81.8 156 3 43 156.0 Average Per Catch 10.0 17.4 Total 3 141.18 107-160-2 66.9 1070 10 43 356.7 Average Per Game 356.7 267.0 Opponents 3 125.03 46-99-3 46.5 801 5 89 267.0 TDs Passing 10 5 TOTAL OFFENSE 1395 1287 Receiving gp no. yds avg td lg avg/g Average Per Play 5.3 5.2 Caleb Martin 3 22 261 11.9 4 39 87.0 Average Per Game 465.0 429.0 Keishoen Jarrett 3 16 150 9.4 0 24 50.0 KICK RETURNS: #-Yards 8-150 9-156 Markel Harrison 3 15 129 8.6 1 33 43.0 PUNT RETURNS: #-Yards 3-8 2-15 Dorien Goddard 3 15 101 6.7 0 21 33.7 INT RETURNS: #-Yards 3-20 2-19 Jamal Fisher 3 8 124 15.5 3 43 41.3 FUMBLES-LOST 9-4 2-0 Darrien Newton 3 7 95 13.6 0 42 31.7 PENALTIES-Yards 28-238 24-208 Caleb Grant 3 7 44 6.3 0 14 14.7 PUNTS-AVG 15-33.7 10-40.4 Shaheim Revel 3 5 39 7.8 0 18 13.0 TIME OF POSSESSION/Game 2 7 :3 4 3 7 :2 6 Myles Ward 2 3 48 16.0 1 30 24.0 3RD-DOWN Conversions 17/51 23/56 Rodney Hudson 3 3 26 8.7 0 14 8.7 4TH-DOWN Conversions 10/12 3/10 Jae. Gillespie 3 3 25 8.3 0 17 8.3 Joey Vandyke 1 1 13 13.0 0 13 13.0 Interceptions no. yds avg td lg Jacoby Johnson 2 1 8 8.0 1 8 4.0 Capone Hoffman 1 25 25.0 0 25 Seth Phillips 2 1 7 7.0 0 7 3.5 Jordan Gillespie 1 0 0.0 0 0 Total 3 107 1070 10.0 10 43 356.7 Chavon Fields 1 -5 -5.0 0 0 Opponents 3 46 801 17.4 5 89 267.0 Punting no. yds avg lg tb fc i20 50+ blk Field Goals fg pct. 01-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-99 lg blk Drew Vermillion 13 449 34.5 45 0 4 1 0 0 Kellan Dalton 0-1 0.0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 1 Jamal Fisher 2 56 28.0 44 1 0 0 0 0 Drew Cassidy 4-6 66.7 0-0 3-3 1-1 0-2 0-0 37 0 Punt Returns no. yds avg td lg PAT Jahlil Jefferson 3 8 2.7 0 8 Scoring td fg kick rush rcv pass dxp saf pts Total 3 8 2.7 0 8 Caleb Martin 4 ------24 Opponents 2 15 7.5 0 9 Drew Cassidy - 4-6 11-11 - - - - - 23 Jamal Fisher 3 ------18 Kick Returns no. yds avg td lg Shaheim Revel 2 ------12 Markel Harrison 3 64 21.3 0 29 Myles Ward 1 ------6 Shaheim Revel 2 46 23.0 0 36 Jacoby Johnson 1 ------6 Jacoby Johnson 1 0 0.0 0 0 Markel Harrison 1 ------6 Jahlil Jefferson 1 17 17.0 0 17 Garrett Cropp 1 - - - - 0-1 - - 6 DeQuandre Taylor 1 23 23.0 0 23 Total 13 4-7 11-11 - - 0-2 - - 101 Total 8 150 18.8 0 36 Opponents 10 9-13 7-8 2-2 - - - - 98 Opponents 9 156 17.3 0 32

Score by Quarters 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT Total All Purpose g rush rcv pr kr ir total avg/g UVA Wise 13 27 13 42 6 101 Caleb Martin 3 0 261 0 0 0 261 87.0 Opponents 25 24 17 23 9 98 Markel Harrison 3 -3 129 0 64 0 190 63.3 Shaheim Revel 3 84 39 0 46 0 169 56.3 Keishoen Jarrett 3 0 150 0 0 0 150 50.0 Jamal Fisher 3 0 124 0 0 0 124 41.3 Total 3 325 1070 8 150 20 1573 524.3 Opponents 3 486 801 15 156 19 1477 492.3

Total Offense g plays rush pass total avg/g Garrett Cropp 3 98 28 502 530 176.7 Lendon Redwine 3 62 -15 412 397 132.3 Tyloer O'Reilly 1 16 -3 156 153 153.0 Shaheim Revel 3 19 84 0 84 28.0 Jacoby Johnson 2 12 72 0 72 36.0 Total 3 261 325 1070 1395 465.0 Opponents 3 246 486 801 1287 429.0

Tackles Sacks Pass defense Fumbles blkd ## Defensive Leaders gp ua a tot tfl/yds no-yds int-yds brup qbh rcv-yds ff kick saf 96 Chavon Fields 3 9 8 17 5.5-8 . 1--5 . 1 . . . . 23 Logan Jenkins 3 12 5 17 ...... 40 Markel Dailey 3 7 9 16 1.0-5 . . . 1 . . . . 46 Veronta Jones 3 7 8 15 1.0-21 1-21 . . 2 . . . . 41 Erik Howard 3 7 6 13 1.0-2 ...... Total 3 131 91 222 20-74 3-35 3-20 6 12 . . . . Opponents 3 149 60 209 20-83 5-27 2-19 10 12 4-0 1 1 . www.UvawiseCavs.com Southwest Virginia's Team HEAD COACH DANE DAMRON

Dane Damron will begin his Hamilton were named All-MEC Second-Team honorees. sixth season guiding the football program at UVA Hamilton returned two kicks for a touchdown while averaging 37.1 Wise in the fall of 2021. In yards per return, he finished one kick return shy of qualifying as the Damron's first five seasons, national leader in the category. the Cavaliers have compiled 18 victories, including the pro- In the classroom, Montague was named CoSIDA Academic All-District. gram's only winning season as The linebacker posted a 3.57 grade point average as a biology major a NCAA Division II member and was inducted into the school’s elite Darden Society. when his squad posted a 6-5 mark in 2016. In 2018, Marcus Tarrer earned Third-Team All-Region and All-MEC First-Team while four other Cavs received all-conference recognition. Last spring, UVA Wise played A year ago, Demetrius Mann was named First-Team All-America as an abbreviated schedule due a kick returner while three other Cavaliers earned All-SAC honors. to COVID-19 and the program posted a 1-2 record with the Named the fourth head football coach in school history in Decem- win coming in a 40-28 tri- ber of 2015, Damron came to the College after a seven-year stint at umph at Mars Hill. The Cavs Eastern Kentucky University. dropped two games by a combined nine points, includ- With the Colonels, Damron spent five years as the team’s offensive ing a three-point quadruple coordinator. A 22-year coaching veteran, he has been known for his overtime defeat to perennial offensive prowess. In his final season at EKU, Damron’s offense set power Carson-Newman. a NCAA FCS record for offensive snaps in a game with 123 against Murray State. In 2012, the Colonels averaged more than 200 rushing In 2019, UVA Wise played its yards and 200 passing yards per game. The Colonels rushed for at first season as a member of least 1,700 yards in each of Damron’s five years directing the offense. the South Atlantic Conference where the team claimed its During Damron’s tenure as offensive coordinator, EKU posted at first ever SAC win with a 21-14 victory over Catawba College. At the least six wins in all five seasons he oversaw the offense. The Colo- conclusion of the season, return specialist Demetrius Mann earned nels tallied eight wins in 2012 before posting nine victories in 2014. First-Team All-America status by the College Football Network as Overall, Damron’s teams recorded 69-47 wins and losses during his he led the league and finished second in NCAA Division II with 20.9 collegiate coaching career. yards per kick return. In addition to Mann, three other Cavs earned All-SAC accolades. Damron began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at EKU in 1994. Following a stint at Morehead State, he became the offensive Three seasons ago, UVA Wise overcame numerous injuries to play coordinator at George Jenkins High School in Lakeland, Florida. their best ball at the end of the season. After falling 27-15 to eventual Later, he moved on to Lake Gibson High School in Lakeland where national semifinalist Notre Dame College in the team’s final home the school reached previously unchartered waters on the football game of the season, Damron's team claimed its first ever victory over field. The Braves won their first playoff game in school history and regional power Shepherd University, 21-16, in the season finale. The advanced to the regional finals in each of Damron’s last two seasons win allowed the Cavs to finish the season with wins in three of the as head coach. team’s final five games after beginning the year 1-4. Following his time in Florida, the coach returned to his native state Under Damron’s direction, UVA Wise has seen improvement in of Kentucky to become the head coach at Boyd County High School numerous facets of the game on both the offensive and defensive in Ashland, Kentucky. Damron’s track record of success continued side of the ball. with the Lions as they won a playoff game in three consecutive seasons. The coach returned to the collegiate ranks in 2007 when The Cavs rushed for 1,233 yards in 2016 before gaining 1,299 yards on he accepted the head coaching position at Kentucky Christian Uni- the ground in 2017. In 2018, the program went over 1,200 yards for versity. The 2008 season marked the first-ever varsity football team the third consecutive season by posting 1,219 yards on the ground. in Kentucky Christian history. In the spring of 2021, the team gained 108.3 yards per game on the ground. This comes after the program posted just 767 yards on the Damron played collegiate football at Georgetown College (Ky.) ground in 2015. where he aided the Tigers to the 1991 NAIA National Championship. A two-time All-American, the former quarterback is enshrined in Through the air, UVA Wise passed for at least 2,500 yards in each Georgetown’s Athletic Hall of Fame. of Damron’s first two seasons. In the spring, the Cavs posted 356.7 passing yards per game while completing 66.9 percent of their pass Damron obtained a bachelor’s degree in marketing and finance from attempts. Georgetown College before later earning a master’s degree in sport administration from Eastern Kentucky. The coach and his wife Delisha On defense, UVA Wise has intercepted 54 passes over the past five have two children – Hanna and Derek. seasons. The improved secondary play has been the staple of the team as the Cavs have ranked among the best in all of NCAA Divi- sion II in the Damron era. In 2016, UVA Wise was fifth nationally in red zone defense as opponents scored on just 61.7 percent of their trips while ranking 14th in tackles for loss as the unit averaged 8.9 per contest. A year later, the Cavs ranked 13th nationally in third down conversion defense by Damron's Year-by-Year Record at UVA Wise holding opponents to a 30.1 percent conversion percentage while finishing 22nd nationally with 15 intercepted passes. In 2018, the defense put together its best season to date as a NCAA Division Year Overall Conference II institution. UVA Wise finished third in tackles for loss per game Record Record (9.9), 18th in passing yards allowed per game (168.1), 18th in fourth down conversion defense (.300), 19th in total defense (302.6 ypg) and 23rd in third down conversion defense (.311), 2016 6-5 5-5 The trend continued in 2019 as the defense ranked 15th nationally 2017 5-6 4-6 in passing yards allowed per game (167.5) while holding opponents to a completion percentage of 51.1 percent. 2018 4-6 4-6 The turnaround has resulted in a plethora of awards for football 2019 2-9 1-7 student-athletes. Linebacker Zachary Blair earned Second-Team All-America acclaim, in addition to First-Team All-Region and First- 2021 (Spring) 1-2 1-2 Team All-MEC honors as a senior in 2016. Meanwhile, placekicker Trent Martin joined Blair as an all-region and all-conference pick while tailback Carlton Griffith and defensive back Ed Kargbo earned 2021 All-MEC Honorable Mention acclaim that same season. Overall: 18-28 15-26 In 2017, offensive lineman Will White, linebacker Donavan Montague, Kargbo, defensive back Andre Hamilton and kick returner Marquis www.UvawiseCavs.com Southwest Virginia's Team COORDINATORS

Zach Lewis Matthew White Offensive Coordinator Defensive Coordinator Zach Lewis is in his third season Matthew White is in his first as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at UVA season as defensive coordina- Wise. This spring the Cavaliers tor. Previously, White served had their best offensive per- as the Cavaliers’ defensive line formance under Lewis as the coach while also overseeing the unit passed for 356.7 yards team’s strength and condition- per game while averaging 465 ing program. yards of offense per game. UVA Wise capped the season with a 40-point outburst in a win at “I am pleased to announce Matt Mars Hill. White as our defensive coordinator,” remarked Head Coach Dane Damron after White’s In 2019, Lewis' offense saw promotion. “Matt brings high seven players reach double digit reception totals as Cavalier energy and has been success- quarterbacks completed 176 passes ful as a head coach at the junior college level and as a coordinator at Kentucky Christian University.” The coach came to UVA Wise after having the same position at Alderson Broaddus. A native of Montana, White played collegiate football at the University of Sioux Falls before beginning his “I’m very excited to announce Zach Lewis as our offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach,” Head Coach Dane coaching career at Montana Tech University. Damron remarked shortly after his hiring. “He is a high energy guy that will inject a new attitude and bring enthusi- Following his stint at Montana Tech, White moved asm to our offense.” to West Hills Community College, where he coached linebackers in 2015. From there, the coach spent four At Alderson Broaddus, Lewis oversaw a Battlers’ offense years at Los Angeles Valley College serving as the that ranked 23rd nationally in scoring at 40.4 points per game. AB rushed for 189.4 yards per game while passing for program’s running backs, defensive backs and line- 256 yards a contest in 2018. backers coach at various points before becoming the school’s defensive coordinator. Under Lewis’ direction, student-athletes established five new school records at AB as the coach served as the White would eventually become the head coach at school’s offensive play caller. Los Angeles Valley where he guided the school to a “I’m very excited to be part of the Cavalier family,” Lewis winning record behind a defense that was ranked top said shortly after his hiring. “Coach Damron and this staff 20 nationally in scoring (17 points per game) and an has done a great job in building such a special atmosphere offense that posted 45.8 points per game. and I hope to aid continue that.” The coach then headed east to Kentucky Christian A four-year starter at Moorehead State University, Lewis set where he was associate head coach and defensive school records for passing yards, completions and touchdowns during his collegiate career. coordinator for the Knights in 2019. As a coach, the new offensive coordinator spent four years White takes over a defensive unit at UVA Wise that at his alma mater where he worked as the slot receivers has consistently ranked near the top of the confer- coach and video coordinator in 2014 before overseeing re- ence over the last four seasons. In 2019, the Cavs cruiting and directing quarterbacks for three seasons. ranked 15th nationally in passing defense as the unit While at Moorehead State, Lewis helped develop conference held opponents to 167.5 yards per game. player of the year Austin Gahafer who passed for a league record 11,918 yards during his career. The Eagles led the “We will continue to do what we have done schemati- Pioneer Football League in passing offense in 2015 and 2016 cally here since 2016,” added Damron. “Coach White while also leading the conference in passing touchdowns in will add his flavor to it but, we are who we are.” back-to-back seasons. “After talking with Zach and talking with people about him, White obtained a bachelor’s degree in elementary there was no doubt that he would be the perfect guy to education from the University of Sioux Falls and a take over our offense,” Damron stated. “We are on the same master’s degree in human health and performance page with what we want our offense to be and he brings from Fort Hays State University. a great presence to the offensive staff room; I have been aware of Coach Lewis and what he has been doing for the last couple of seasons and I couldn’t be happier to have him join us in Wise.” A 2014 graduate of Moorehead State, Lewis obtained a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education. He and his wife Alyson, a trainer at UVA Wise were married during the offseason.

www.UvawiseCavs.com Southwest Virginia's Team POSITION COACHES

Mike Compton Brandon Merchant Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line Linebackers In his fourth season with the Mike Compton is in his sixth sea- Cavaliers, Brandon Merchant son at UVA Wise. Serving as the serves as the program’s recruit- assistant head coach and offen- ing coordinator and linebackers sive line coach, Compton has seen coach. a trio of offensive lineman earn all-conference accolades during A native of Fairhope, Ala- his tenure with the program. bama Merchant served as the school’s assistant offensive line This spring, the Cavaliers rushed coach where he was respon- for more than 100 yards in two sible for the weekly scouting of their three games, including a report and assisted in all facets 134-yard rushing performance at of offensive line play during his Limestone. On passing plays, UVA first season before coaching Wise surrendered just five sacks the team’s cornerbacks in 2019. on 160 attempts to aid an offense that passed for 1,070 yards in the As recruiting coordinator, Mer- abbreviated season. chant helped with the signing of hundreds of student-athletes during his stint as In 2018, UVA Wise gained 1,219 yards on the ground. It recruiting coordinator. marked the third consecutive season that UVa-Wise had rushed for least 1,200 yards. Additionally, the unit improved Prior to arriving at UVA Wise, the coach was an un- its ability to protect the quarterback; in 2018, opponents dergraduate assistant at South Alabama where he posted 29 sacks a year after surrendering 39 sacks. worked with defensive backs and assisted coaches in preparing weekly game planning. In 2017, Will White earned All-MEC Honorable Mention on the offensive line as the Cavaliers rushed for 17 touch- Merchant graduated from South Alabama with a downs, the team's highest total since becoming a NCAA bachelor’s degree in history in 2018. Division II member. In his first season, the offensive line was part of an offense Quintin Hunter that rushed for 1,233 yards and 11 touchdowns. The 1,233 Wide Receivers yards marked a 466 yard improvement from 2015. Quintin Hunter is in his third season as the wide receivers Compton came to the College after spending the 2015 sea- coach at UVA Wise. Last season at Concord University. son, Caleb Martin had a breakout campaign under Hunter’s Prior to working at Concord, Compton spent two seasons tutelage as the receiver hauled each at Fairmont State and Bluefield College directing the in 22 catches for 261 yards and offensive line. four touchdowns in the abbreviated three-game schedule. A Southwest Virginia native, he spent three seasons as the head coach at Patrick Henry High School in Glade Springs. In his first season, three differ- He started his coaching career at Tazewell High School ent receivers caught at least 18 where he worked from 2006-08 as an assistant coach on passes, including Jamal Fisher the offensive and defensive lines. who finished with a 26 catches in just seven games. Compton was a standout offensive lineman at West Virginia University from 1989-92. He was a three-year starter at Previously, Hunter spent five center and was a consensus All-America selection (United seasons at nearby Emory and Press International, Kodak, Walter Camp, Playboy, Football Henry College. News) as a senior in 1992. Following his senior season he was selected to play in the Blue-Gray and Kodak Hula Bowl, Hunter was a three-year letterman on the gridiron for and was given the NCAA's Top 6 Award. He was a two-time James Madison University after transferring from the All-BIG EAST selection and was also recognized for his University of Virginia following his freshman season academic excellence as a two-time first team GTE/CoSIDA before beginning his coaching career. Academic All-America honoree. Compton was given the Ira E. Rogers Award in 1991 and 1992, and was named the At Emory and Henry, Hunter spent three seasons as "Red" Brown Cup Award as the top male athlete at WVU in the Wasps’ running back coach where he aided an 1992. He was inducted into the WVU Hall of Fame in 2005. offensive attack that averaged 190 yards per game on the ground and 4.7 yards per carry. Under his watch as Compton was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third running backs coach, a pair of student-athletes gar- round (68th overall pick) in 1993. He spent his first eight nered all-conference honors. seasons with the Lions, which included blocking for Barry Sanders during his 2,053-yard rushing season in 1997. He Hunter then made the move to offensive coordina- then spent three seasons with the New England Patriots tor where Emory and Henry averaged over 32 points from 2001-04 and was a member of two Super Bowl win- and 420 yards per game during his two seasons in the ning teams in 2001 and 2003. He finished his 12-year NFL position. A year ago, the Wasps tallied 37.3 points per career with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2005. game after averaging 472 yards a contest during the 2017 campaign. Compton is the father of three children, Jessica, Josh and Sarah, and is married to Letonya Compton. The coach completed his bachelor’s degree in sport management from James Madison University in 2013.

www.UvawiseCavs.com Southwest Virginia's Team POSITION COACHES

Killian Markworth Joseph Czelusniank Tight Ends/Special Teams Running Backs Killian Markworth is in his third Joseph Czelusniank is in season as the tight ends coach his second season as the and special teams coordinator running backs coach at at UVA Wise. UVA Wise. In a shortened Under Markworth’s direction, spring season, UVA Wise a pair of tight ends have expe- rushed for 325 yards in rienced breakout campaigns. three games with four This spring, Keishoen Jarett backs having over 50 caught 16 passes for 150 yards rushing yards. in the three- game schedule after Seth Phillips had a Czelusniank came to the breakout season at tight end in college after complet- 2019 where he caught 21 ing his playing career at passes and a pair of touchdowns. Alderson Broaddus where he served as team cap- A native of Wisconsin, Markworth was an accom- tain as a senior. plished athlete as he aided Arrowhead Union High School to During his career, Czelusniank set six single-season a state title and a top 50 ranking nationally before and two career records for the Battlers. Over his playing collegiately at Millikin (Ill.). junior and senior seasons, the quarterback passed for 37 touchdowns, ran for five more and passed At Millikin, Markworth was a four-year letter winner for 4,708 yards while completing 55 percent of his where he played fullback, tight end and defensive tackle while also serving as a member of the student- passes. athlete advisory council. During his junior season, he was coached by current He began his coaching career at Millkin after exhaust- UVA Wise offensive coordinator Zach Lewis. ing his eligibility as he worked with the program’s tackles, tight ends and fullbacks. Czelusniank graduated with dual degrees in busi- ness administration and sport management. After graduating from Millikin in 2017, Markworth moved on to Morehead State where he spent time as assistant offensive line coach and tight ends coach before venturing to Wise.

Dez Hopkins Josh Compton Cornerbacks Coach Defensive Line/Strength and Conditioning Former Cavalier Dez Hopkins Josh Compton is in his third in his second season as the season as an assistant coach at cornerbacks coach at his alma UVA Wise. A Richlands, Virginia mater. The Stafford, Va. native native and the son of offen- was a key figure on the 2018 sive line coach Mike Compton, squad that won four league Josh Compton will serve as the games. In 2018, Hopkins picked program’s defensive line coach off a trio of passes and finished and strength and conditioning with six pass deflections. coach this fall. The defensive back was part of The younger Compton was all- arguably the program’s big- state in both football and base- gest win as a NCAA Division II ball during his prep career at member when Hopkins and his Richlands High School before teammates went on the road playing two seasons at NCAA and defeated perennial power Division II Fairmont State University. Shepherd 21-16 in his final collegiate game. With the Fighting Falcons, Compton started 10 games The coach graduated from UVA Wise with a degree in at tight end and long snapper as a freshman before sport management. making the move to linebacker in his second season. From there, he transferred to Emory & Henry College where he earned all-conference accolades while serving as team captain for the Wasps. After his playing career, Compton spent two years as a defensive assistant for Emory & Henry before coming to UVA Wise. www.UvawiseCavs.com Southwest Virginia's Team POSITION COACHES

Baylen Rutherford Brian Casey Player Development Outside Linebackers Baylen Rutherford is in second Brian Casey is in his first season as season at the director of player the outside linebackers coach at personnel at UVA Wise. UVA Wise. A native of Southern California, Rutherford comes to Wise Casey was an All-American at after previously serving as an Azusa Pacific University where the intern for the Colorado State linebacker also took home Team program. Defensive MVP honors as a senior. As director of player personnel, Following his collegiate playing Rutherford will be the aca- days, Casey spent a season with the West Texas Roughnecks in demic advisor for the football the Arena Football League prior program while also assisting to spending a decade playing in recruiting, organizing team professionally in various leagues in travel while also being in charge of practice and Europe. game film cut up and distribution. Casey was inducted into the Touchdown Europe Hall of Rutherford has also spent time as an intern with the Fame in 2020 following a career that saw the coach earn Purdue School District in fort Collins, Colorado where six Euro American All-Star Bowl selections and four league he worked high school sporting events and created titles. schedules for 14 middle school sports. During the offseason the coach spent time at Huntington Beach High School and Clovis North High School as well as California Lutheran University as a coach. Casey earned both a bachelor's and master's degree from Azusa Pacific in physical education.

Kevin Flores Phil Robbins Assistant Strength Chief of Staff Kevin Flores is in his first sea- Phil Robbins is in his fifth son as an assistant strength year serving as Chief of and conditioning coach at Staff for the football pro- UVA Wise. gram. Previously, Robbins spent Flores comes to the program five years as the program’s after most recently serving as equipment manager. In his a strength and conditioning current capacity, he will intern at the Bohler Athletic oversee day-to-day opera- tions of the football pro- Complex on the campus of gram while assisting with Washington State University. travel, budget and high school relations. In that capacity, Flores assisted in team workout sessions while creating and He spent 45 years coaching football in Virginia serving as the head football and track and field presenting lifting programs. Working with the volley- coach at John Battle, Christiansburg and Powell ball, baseball, women’s soccer, men’s golf, cheer and Valley High Schools. dance teams, the coach earned intern of the month honors during his time at Washington State. The longest tenure was at Powell Valley where in 28 years he won 15 district, 15 regional and seven state titles while finishing state runner up Flores earned a bachelor’s degree in sports science in 2004 as the football coach. Robbins also won from Washington State University in 2021. a pair of state track crowns in 1994 and 2002. Robbins retired in 2010 with 307 victories ranking top five in Virginia High School League history. He and his wife Patty have three children Andy, Wes and Brad. The couple is blessed with numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.