Box Score MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Faulkner led for most of the first half Saturday before Reinhardt found its footing and put a vise grip on the Mid-South Conference Appalachian Division with a 35-24 win.
The game swung in the third quarter when Faulkner forced a Reinhardt punt only to see a roughing penalty committed that gave the ball back to the visiting offense. Reinhardt needed only five more plays for Billy Hall to hit Dylan Kelly on a touchdown pass. The play marked the first Reinhardt lead of the game, leaving the hosting Eagles down 21-14.
Isaiah Scott fired right back with a 66-yard kickoff return to set the Faulkner offense up at the Reinhardt 19. The offense could muster only one yard on three plays before
Alvin Renteria tacked on three with a 35-yard field goal to cut it to 21-17. Reinhardt responded with a seven-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass from Hall to Brody Dorfman and made it 28-17.
Alex Dawson's second interception of the game left Faulkner with a chance down 11 with 9:19 to play. Five plays later, Tylan Ogelsby jumped a route and picked off a Faulkner pass. The turnover set up a 40-yard touchdown drive that effectively ended the game.
Faulkner added a late touchdown on a 16-yard
Kade Young sprint to cap the scoring.
The Eagles opened the scoring with a 24-yard drive in the first quarter that was set up by a
Malik Meadows punt return.
Hunter Gibson punctuated the possession with a 1-yard touchdown run.
Reinhardt responded with the next possession, going 73 yards in 11 plays and scoring on a pass from Hall to Logan Garner.
Tyrese Wells blocked the extra point to keep Faulkner in the lead.
The lead ballooned to 14-6 with 14:37 left until half when Faulkner needed just seven yards for the touchdown thanks to a Scott punt return. Gibson ended the drive with a touchdown from two yards out.
Faulkner tallied just 80 yards on the ground and 77 in the air. The most potent part of the Faulkner attack came in the return game as it amassed 306 yards, highlighted by Scott's 235. For its part, Reinhardt ran 75 plays for 445 yards while holding the ball for 43 minutes and 32 seconds.
Eddie Brown topped the defense with 13 total tackles.
Antonio Gurley and
Caleb Storie had seven stops apiece.
Faulkner (3-2, 3-1 Appalachian Division) plays its final home game of the season next week when it travels to Point University.
