Eagles Continue to Rise, Now No. 11 in NAIA
By Mike DeVader, Reinhardt Director of Athletic Communications & Media
Photo Courtesy of Al Levine
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Eagles are steadily climbing once again the NAIA Football FirstDown PlayBook Top 25 Poll, as the national office in Kansas City, Mo., revealed Monday night that Reinhardt is now 11th in the country.
The hometown team (4-2, 1-0 Mid-South Conference (MSC)) earned 268 voting points after Saturday's win over Bluefield (Va.), 49-35.
To view the entire poll from the NAIA, please click here.
Reinhardt made a statement early and often in front of the home fans, as it took the opening drive of the game and went 75 yards in just six plays – concluding in a Billy Hall (MSC Offensive Player of the Week) 22-yard touchdown run. The lead was bumped to 14-0 just about one minute later as a bad snap went over the head of the Bluefield punter – who tried to kick it out of bounds but missed – and it was picked up by Javarsia Meadows for a diving score.
The Rams would respond, however, with a touchdown pass of their own (but miss the point-after) to make it 14-6, but Hall struck back in just three plays after a 28-yard laser to Dylan Kelly made it 21-6.
Bluefield's Antonio Strickland – who pulled in 11 catches for 180 yards – grabbed his lone touchdown from 15 yards out in the opening minute of the second stanza.
The Eagles would then finish the half on a 28-0 run with scoring plays of 40 yards and 15 yards by Solomon, a rush from three yards by Hall and an 8-yard catch for a score after an interception by Terrance Roberts right before intermission (49-13).
Reinhardt looks to go 2-0 in league play Saturday afternoon at Point (Ga.) at 1:30 p.m.
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