Lenoir-Rhyne Football Overview The Lenoir-Rhyne Football Team re- Lenoir-Rhyne turns home and looks to bounce back this 2017 Schedule Saturday in a South Atlantic Conference (1-2, 0-1 SAC) game against Wingate. The kickoff at Moretz Stadium is set for Aug. 31 WEST ALABAMA L, 7-46 7:00 p.m. Sept. 9 N. GREENVILLE W, 22-10 Sept. 16 at Mars Hill# L, 28-43 The Bulldogs are 3-0 overall and 1-0 in Sept. 23 WINGATE# 7 p.m. league play while the Bears are 1-2 and Sept. 30 at Tusculum# 7 p.m. 0-1, respectively. Oct. 7 ^NEWBERRY# 2 p.m. Lenoir-Rhyne fell to Mars Hill last Sat- Oct. 14 at Limestone# 6 p.m. urday by a 43-28 score in Mars Hill, N.C., Oct. 28 at UNC Pembroke 4 p.m. Game No. 4 while Wingate held on to defeat Carson- Nov. 4 CARSON-NEWMAN# 2 p.m. Wingate Newman, 31-27, in Wingate, N.C. Nov. 11 at Catawba# 1:30 p.m. Lenoir-Rhyne leads the all-time series # = South Atlantic Conference Game (3-0, 1-0 SAC) with Wingate, 19-12, but the Bulldogs ^ = Homecoming at have won the past two meetings includ- Lenoir-Rhyne ing a 49-6 victory last year on Saturday, Wingate October 15, 2016, in Wingate, N.C. (1-2, 0-1 SAC) The two teams have met every season 2017 Schedule since 1986 while the Bears won the first 11 (3-0, 1-0 SAC) Date meetings between the two schools in the Sept. 2 at Johnson C. Smith W, 38-18 Saturday, September 23, 2017 rivalry. Sept. 9 at Fayetteville State W, 31-21 Sept. 16 CARSON-NEWMAN# W, 31-27 Time In addition, the Bulldogs are receiving votes in this week’s AFCA NCAA Sept. 23 at Lenoir-Rhyne# 7 p.m. 7:00 p.m. Oct. 7 UNC PEMBROKE 6 p.m. Division II National Top 25 Poll. Location Oct. 14 at Catawba# 1:30 p.m. Hickory, N.C. Oct. 21 at Mars Hill# 1:30 p.m. Oct. 28 ^NEWBERRY# 6 p.m. Stadium Nov. 4 LIMESTONE# 6 p.m. Moretz (8,500) Bear Facts Nov. 11 at Tusculum# 1:30 p.m. • Lenoir-Rhyne sophomore defensive Series # = South Atlantic Conference game lineman Jonathan Nolan (Scottsdale, Lenoir-Rhyne leads, 19-12 ^ = Homecoming Ariz.) is this week’s Southside Power Last Meeting & Fitness Ronnie Lott Heavy Hitter Wingate 49, Lenoir-Rhyne 6 Award winner. (October 15, 2016 - Wingate, N.C.) • Lenoir-Rhyne sophomore quarter- back Jarrod Kellar (Shinnston, W.Va.) National Rankings The Coaches passed for four touchdowns last week n/a - the most by a Bears’ player since Brett Lenoir-Rhyne Live Streaming Meunier on Saturday, September 8, Head Coach: Mike Kellar lrbears.com 2001, in a 55-28 home victory over West Alma Mater: Fairmont State, 1996 Virginia Wesleyan. Radio Record at Lenoir-Rhyne: 4-10 (second year) • Lenoir-Rhyne sophomore running The Lenoir-Rhyne Football Games Overall Record: 49-30 (eighth year) back Nelson Brown (Salisbury, Md.) can be heard on WAIZ 630 AM (63 Big Record vs. Wingate: 0-1 has rushed for back-to-back 100-yard Ways) and 105.9 FM in Newton, N.C. games and leads the South Atlantic The broadcast is also on the web and Wingate Conference in rushing at 107.3 yards is available through the Lenoir-Rhyne Head Coach: Joe Reich per contest. Athletic Website, www.lrbears.com, Alma Mater: Gettysburg, 1987 • Lenoir-Rhyne’s 485 yards of total and www.redzonemedia.com. Record at Wingate: 104-73 (17th year) offense last week were the most by The 2017 Lenoir-Rhyne Football Overall Record: same as above the Bears since 503 yards - also against Broadcast Team includes JuJu Phillips Record vs. Lenoir-Rhyne: 9-7 Mars Hill - on Saturday, October 24, (“Voice Of The Bears”) and Bears 2015, in Mars Hill, N.C. Sports Hall Of Famer Jack Huss (color analyst). Wingate Bulldogs For game notes on the Wingate Bulldogs, see page 12 lrbears.com • @BearsSports #GOBEARS Game Sponsor Lenoir-Rhyne Football Lenoir-Rhyne’s Last Mike Kellar Game (Sept. 16, 2017) Head Football Coach Mars Hill, N.C. - The Mars Hill Lenoir-Rhyne University University Football Team (2-1, 1-0) used a quick strike offense to down Lenoir- Rhyne (1-2, 0-1), 43-28, in the South Atlan- Mike Kellar is beginning his second After California led the PSAC in total tic Conference opener Saturday afternoon year as Head Football Coach at LR in 2017. offense and rushing offense in 2006, Kellar at Meares Stadium and the Ammons Kellar comes to Lenoir-Rhyne after directed a record-setting offense during Goldsmith’s Year-By-Year Family Athletic Center. serving as the Head Football Coach at the historic 2007 season. The Vulcans Overall SAC Three of the Lions’ touchdown drives California University (Pa.) (2012-15). rushed for nearly 2,900 yards and totaled Year Record Record came on drives of two plays or less while In four years as head coach, Kellar over 5,000 yards of offense for the first 2007 0-0 0-0 wide receiver Craig Rucker (Orlando, led the Vulcans to a 31-12 record while time in school history. Fla.) caught eight passes for 186 yards playingTotals ten nationally-ranked0-0 teams.0-0 The following year (2008), California and two scores in the win. California featured six All-Americans won its first PSAC Championship since Lenoir-Rhyne took a 16-14 lead at the in that span, including offensive lineman 1984 and shattered the single-season 5:35 mark of the second quarter when Eric Kush, who became the second school record with over 6,000 yards of sophomore quarterback Jarrod Kellar Vulcans player in recent years to be total offense (Shinnston, W.Va.) found sophomore run- selected in the NFL Draft. In all but one of Kellar’s ten years with ning back Nelson Brown (Salisbury, Md.) Prior to taking the top spot for the the program, the Vulcans averaged over for a 19-yard touchdown reception but Vulcans, Kellar was the team’s offensive 30 points per game. His Vulcans’ offenses Mars Hill responded by scoring 23 of the coordinator for one year (2011). have helped seven players earn All- next 29 points to take control. During the 2011 season, Kellar worked America status. Kellar finished with 289 yards passing with the most prolific passing offense in In 2002 and 2003, Kellar served as and four touchdowns – becoming the first school history. Quarterback Peter Lalich the offensive coordinator at Northern Lenoir-Rhyne quarterback to throw four broke the single-season school records for Michigan University. scores since 2001 – while Brown added attempts, completions and passing yards, Under Kellar, the Wildcats set school 140 yards rushing in the losing effort. averaging nearly 300 yards per game. records for passing attempts, completions Lenoir-Rhyne finished with 485 yards of Kellar’s five-year stint at the California, and yards in 2002 before finishing second offense but was undone by 13 penalties Pa., school (2011-15) was the second of in the league in total offense and passing for 166 yards. two five-year tenures with the Vulcans. yards in 2003. Mars Hill’s Tyler Stewart (Thomaston, Before returning to California, Kellar Kellar began his coaching career at his Ga.) gave the Lions the lead for good with guided Concord University (W.Va.) to alma mater, Fairmont State University, a 21-yard field goal for a 17-16 halftime a 14-8 record as head coach. Prior to his where he would serve for eight years advantage. Mars Hill, which rolled arrival, the Mountain Lions managed as the offensive coordinator and up 516 yards of total offense, scored only one win in the previous two years quarterbacks coach. three touchdowns in the third quarter. and hadn’t posted a winning season since Kellar was part of two Falcon squads Keshaun Taylor (Homestead, Fla.) threw 1998. who captured a pair of West Virginia a touchdown and caught a score for the In 2010, Kellar led Concord to an 8-3 Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Lions, who responded after falling to overall record to mark the first eight-win (WVIAC) Championships. North Carolina A&T State University by a season for the program since it joined As a collegiate player, Kellar was the 56-0 score last Saturday. NCAA Division II in 1993. starting quarterback for Glenville State Junior wide receiver T.J. Smith Under his guidance, the Mountain (W.Va.) before transferring to Fairmont (Charleston, S.C.) caught five passes for Lions featured one of the most balanced State (W.Va.). 95 yards and a score while sophomore offenses in the WVIAC in 2010, ranking Kellar’s passion for football began with tight end Sam Camargo (Kissimmee, Fla.) second in passing and total offense. his own success as a student-athlete. also tallied a pair of touchdown recep- Concord also ranked fourth in the country He earned his undergraduate degree tions in the losing effort. Lenoir-Rhyne by averaging almost 500 yards of offense in liberal arts from Fairmont State also lost despite holding a 33:40-26:20 per game. before receiving his master’s degree in edge in time of possession. Mars Hill’s Kellar was offensive coordinator at safety management from West Virginia quarterback, David Salmon (Raleigh, California (2004-08) for five seasons University. N.C.), threw for 296 yards and three during his first stint the Pennsylvania A native of West Virginia, Kellar and scores.