Eagles Crowned AAC Champions in a Record Breaking Day at Ken White!

photo courtesy of Nicole Seitz Photography

Waleska, GA - In a must-win conference game, Reinhardt University Football delivered an impressive performance with a 62-21 victory against Pikeville Bears (UPike).  This was the final regular-season game for the two top teams in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC), and the conference title and a spot in the 2025 NAIA Playoffs were on the line. The win rewarded the Eagles with the AAC Crown and the coveted spot in the NAIA Playoffs.

From the beginning, the Eagles took control of the game, finishing the first half with a strong lead of 28-14. Key player Jah Colbert showcased extraordinary skill with five touchdowns, including a remarkable 65-yard run that highlighted his agility and speed. However, the Bears did strike first and seemed to keep pace with the Eagles in the first quarter, with the game tied at 14-14.  The Eagles were able to open up a lead in the second quarter behind Reinhardt's defense, which made the Bears the first team to blink. Reinhardt took advantage and pulled away behind the legs of Colbert and running back Jamarion Walker. Colbert and Walker were a "one-two" punch for the Eagles, creating a difficult day for UPike's defense. Walker ended the game with 99 total yards rushing, and Colbert had a remarkable 186 yards.

The second half of the game saw relentless pressure from the Eagles, with Taylor Jackson contributing both a 26-yard touchdown pass and a rushing touchdown. Xavier Brantley also made his mark with a 46-yard touchdown reception from Jackson.

Besides all the numbers the offense had accumulated in the game, the second half could focus on one big play by the defense. With the game still in hand with the Bears, linebacker Adam Mweemba found his way around the left side of Pikeville's offensive line untouched and a wide-open line to the Bears' quarterback, Xavier Malone.  Mweemba plowed through the quarterback, knocking the ball loose and changing everything about the game from this point in the third quarter. Up until this point, Malone was having a good game, but the hit seemed to take him out of his game.

The Eagles were able to score after the fumble recovery to widen the point spread.  Malone returned to the game to throw two back-to-back-to-back interceptions. One was a 24-yard pick-six for linebacker Kamari Poindexter, and the other two went to defensive lineman Duece Deloney and safety Braylon Jones.  The hit and the following interceptions were a turning point in the game, and what was once a fairly close game soon turned to a forty-one-point victory! 

Offensively, the Eagles were dominant on the ground game with 436 yards! Colbert ran for 186 yards and five touchdowns; Walker also ran 99 yards. Jackson threw for two touchdowns and ran for one, too! In total, the offense had 526 yards of total offense. Colbert single-handedly had a record-breaking day, moving his name into the AAC Record Books.  Here are some of the AAC records that Colbert broke on Saturday:

• 186 rushing yards was the 2nd most in AAC history.
• 4 rushing touchdowns tie the record for most in AAC history.
• 5 total touchdowns in a game ties the most in AAC history
• 30 points scored in a game sets a new record for most points scored in a game.

Defensively, Brayon Jones was all over the field with 7 solo tackles, 3 assists, and an interception. Darius Jordan was a menace in the backfield with a sack, along with Emmanuel Olaitan, Deloney, Mweemba, and Carter Hicks. Hicks led the team with three passes defensed.  Overall, the Eagles' defense had 2 sacks, 4 tackles for a loss, 3 interceptions, and 2 fumble recoveries.  They held the Bears to just 86 total rushing yards in the game.

Kicker Alex Hanson, who has had a tremendous season for the Eagles, stepped up once again, successfully kicking two field goals and eight extra points. He has been named AAC Special Teams Player of the Week five times this season, and most likely, he will have more awards coming his way for his achievements in the kicking department.

With this victory, the Eagles' season record now stands at 7-3. Despite a somewhat slow start to the season, facing very tough teams, the Eagles have turned their season around and are peaking at the right time.  The NAIA will have its playoff selection show on Sunday evening at 7 pm EST.  You can follow all the playoff news and see who the Eagles' next opponent is at https://www.naia.org/sports/fball/index

Additional information will be available on www.reinhardteagles.com this week.