MARS HILL – Mars Hill needed a late comeback, a 52-yard field goal, a defensive stand at the end of regulation and four overtimes Saturday afternoon.

In the end, the Lions remained unbeaten.

Lukas Kachilo connected with Rayvon Durant on the decisive two-point conversion in the fourth overtime as No. 21 Mars Hill outlasted Tusculum 42-40 at Meares Stadium, improving to 5-0 overall and 4-0 in South Atlantic Conference play.

The victory left Mars Hill alone atop the SAC standings, but getting there required the Lions to erase a 31-21 deficit in the final 3:09 of regulation.

Kachilo started the comeback with a 61-yard touchdown pass to Greyson Council, cutting Tusculum's lead to 31-28. After the Mars Hill defense got the ball back, Matthias Newsome drilled a 52-yard field goal with 1:12 remaining to tie the game at 31.

Tusculum still had an opportunity to win in regulation.

The Pioneers moved to the Mars Hill 36 before quarterback Tedros Gleaton took a shot at the end zone. Ashton Hagans had a chance at the catch, but Jah'Mere La'Sane broke up the pass and sent the game to overtime.

That was when an already dramatic finish became chaotic.

Mars Hill got the ball first in overtime, and after two incompletions Kachilo found Brayden Marvel for a 25-yard touchdown. Newsome's extra point put the Lions ahead 38-31.

Tusculum answered immediately, scoring on its first play when Gleaton connected with Cam Ferguson for a 25-yard touchdown. The Pioneers then elected to go for two and appeared to have won when Gleaton found Brady Rinkus in the end zone.

An offensive pass interference penalty erased the conversion.

Backed up by the penalty, Tusculum settled for Max Turan's extra point and a 38-38 tie.

Neither team scored in the second overtime. Mars Hill stopped Gleaton inches short on fourth-and-two, giving the Lions an opportunity to win with any score. The Lions moved to the Tusculum 18, but Newsome's field-goal attempt went wide right.

Under the NCAA overtime format, the teams moved to alternating two-point attempts from there.

Kachilo found Jaden Watkins to give Mars Hill a 40-38 advantage in the third overtime. Tusculum answered on a broken play, with Gleaton recovering his own fumble before finding Zion Job in the end zone to extend the game.

In the fourth overtime, the Mars Hill defense finally created the opening it needed. Gleaton's pass fell incomplete on Tusculum's attempt.

Kachilo then ended it, finding Durant for the winning conversion and setting off a celebration for an unbeaten Mars Hill team that had been three minutes from its first loss.

The dramatic finish capped a big afternoon for Kachilo, who completed 23 of 44 passes for 324 yards and four touchdowns. He was intercepted once and sacked four times, but delivered when Mars Hill needed him most.

The Lions needed that production on an afternoon when Tusculum did something few opponents had managed against the Mars Hill defense.

The Pioneers accumulated 478 yards, including 285 on the ground, against a Lions unit that entered the afternoon allowing just 7.3 points per game and had not surrendered a rushing touchdown this season. Gleaton accounted for 299 yards of offense and four touchdowns, while Javon McMahan rushed for 123 yards.

Tusculum also controlled the football for nearly 40 minutes and forced three Mars Hill turnovers. The Pioneers finished with 21 first downs to Mars Hill's 17, while the Lions converted 7-of-15 third-down opportunities.

But Mars Hill made the plays it needed when the game was on the line.

Jamarion Farrior led the defense with 14 tackles, including two for loss, and recovered a fumble. La'Sane's breakup kept the Lions alive at the end of regulation. Newsome's 52-yarder got them to overtime.

And after nearly everything that could happen in overtime did, Kachilo and Durant finished it.

Mars Hill left Meares Stadium 5-0, alone atop the SAC and still unbeaten, by the narrowest of margins.

CHAPEL HILL – Watauga High School capped an undefeated season with a 47-25 victory over Middle Creek High School in the NCHSAA 6 State Championship game Friday at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill. The Pioneers finished 15-0 while Middle Creek ended its season at 11-3.

Evan Burroughs earned every bit of his game MVP award, delivering a record-setting performance for Watauga, accounting for five touchdowns in multiple ways. The junior recorded three rushing touchdowns, caught a 68-yard touchdown pass, and returned an interception 54 yards for a score. Burroughs finished with 46 rushing yards on seven carries, 149 receiving yards on 14 catches, and two interceptions on defense. His all-purpose total of 266 yards set the tone for a Watauga offense that accumulated 471 total yards. 

Middle Creek opened the scoring with an eight-play, 73-yard drive that consumed nearly three minutes. Jayden Spencer capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run, and Ben Ladue's extra point gave the Mustangs a 7-0 lead. However, Watauga responded immediately with a three-play, 83-yard drive that took just over a minute. Cade Keller connected with Burroughs for a 68-yard touchdown pass, though the extra point attempt failed.

The game shifted dramatically in the first quarter when Burroughs intercepted a Lex Sevilla pass at the Watauga 46-yard line and returned it 54 yards for a touchdown at the 6:30 mark. The pick-six gave Watauga a 12-7 lead and marked the beginning of Middle Creek's struggles with ball security. The Mustangs threw two interceptions and fumbled three times, though they recovered all three fumbles.

After Burroughs' interception return, Middle Creek managed a 10-play, 56-yard drive that resulted in a 19-yard field goal by Ladue, cutting Watauga's lead to 12-10 with 2:17 remaining in the first quarter. Watauga answered with an eight-play, 66-yard drive, with Matthew Leon punching in a one-yard touchdown run with six seconds left in the quarter. Miller Hankins' extra point extended the lead to 19-10.

The second quarter belonged entirely to Watauga. The Pioneers scored twice in the period, with Burroughs rushing for touchdown runs of three and 25 yards. The second scoring drive covered 67 yards in eight plays and showcased the balance of Watauga's offense. Keller completed nine of 11 passes for 69 yards in the quarter, while the running game added 63 yards. Watauga took a commanding 33-10 lead into halftime.

Both quarterbacks were named their team’s most outstanding offensive players. Watauga’s Cade Keller finished the game with exceptional efficiency, completing 22 of 26 passes for 277 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. His Middle Creek counterpart, Lex Sevilla, completed 21 of 30 passes for 257 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions while also being sacked once by Brady Lindenmuth.

Watauga opened the second half with a methodical nine-play, 75-yard drive that consumed more than eight minutes. The drive featured a 46-yard run by Leon and ended with Burroughs' third rushing touchdown, a seven-yard run. Leon converted the two-point attempt after a Middle Creek penalty moved the ball closer, extending Watauga's lead to 41-10.

Middle Creek showed resilience in the third quarter, assembling a six-play, 51-yard scoring drive. Ezra Jobe capped the drive with a 10-yard touchdown run, and Ladue's extra point made it 41-17 with 1:06 left in the third quarter.

The Mustangs continued their momentum early in the fourth quarter. After recovering a Keller fumble at the Watauga 23-yard line, Middle Creek drove to the Watauga five-yard line but turned the ball over on downs. On the next possession following a punt, Middle Creek put together a six-play, 69-yard drive in just 82 seconds. Sevilla hit Nicolas Bocciardi for a 10-yard touchdown pass, and Nicholas Belcher caught the two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 41-25 with 10:26 remaining.

However, Watauga responded with a game-sealing 12-play, 95-yard drive that took nearly seven minutes off the clock. The drive featured strong running from Leon and Burroughs before Keller found Nyle Peays for a 51-yard touchdown pass with 43 seconds remaining, effectively ended Middle Creek's comeback hopes.

Leon led Watauga's ground game with 78 yards on 12 carries, while Keller added 41 yards on five attempts. For Middle Creek, Spencer rushed 17 times for 53 yards and one touchdown, while Sevilla added 51 yards on nine carries.

Bocciardi was Middle Creek's leading receiver with seven catches for 141 yards and one touchdown. Tracy Harrington Jr. added nine receptions for 79 yards. For Watauga, Burroughs was the primary target with 14 catches, while Peays contributed two receptions for 82 yards.

John Wilson Mills led Watauga's defense with 13 total tackles (10 solo, three assists) and was named the team’s most outstanding defensive player, while Cody Wicker paced Middle Creek with 11 total tackles (six solo, five assists).

The victory gave Watauga its first state championship since the program's previous title, while Middle Creek fell short in its attempt to add another championship to its trophy case.

Top Performers

Evan Burroughs, Watauga

• 14 receptions, 149 yards, 1 TD
• 7 rushes, 46 yards, 3 TDs
• 2 interceptions, 54 return yards, 1 TD
• 266 all-purpose yards

Cade Keller, Watauga

• 22-of-26 passing, 277 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
• 5 rushes, 41 yards

Nicolas Bocciardi, Middle Creek

• 7 receptions, 141 yards, 1 TD

Lex Sevilla, Middle Creek

• 21-of-30 passing, 257 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
• 9 rushes, 51 yards

WINGATE — In a nail-biting South Atlantic Conference (SAC) football showdown under the lights at Irwin Belk Stadium on Saturday night, the Tusculum University Pioneers secured a dramatic 23-21 victory over Wingate University, thanks to a 46-yard touchdown pass with just three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. This hard-fought win propels the Pioneers to a 1-2 overall record and a promising 1-0 start in the SAC, while the Bulldogs from Wingate fall to 1-2 overall, with a 0-1 conference record.

The opening quarter saw Tusculum embarking on an impressive 13-play, 75-yard drive, culminating in Matthew Palazzo punching in a three-yard touchdown run, granting the Pioneers a 7-0 lead. Tusculum continued to build on their lead early in the second quarter when Palazzo delivered another two-yard touchdown run, following a 53-yard drive. However, Wingate responded with a 12-play, 75-yard drive of their own. Noah Bell orchestrated the offense, connecting with various receivers, and ultimately running in a five-yard touchdown, reducing the deficit to 14-7.

Photo Credit: Wingate Athletics

Next Week

Wingate University will look to bounce back as they hit the road to face Emory & Henry next Saturday, with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. This upcoming matchup promises to be another exciting chapter in the Bulldogs' season as they seek to regain momentum in the SAC.