MARS HILL, N.C. – The Barton football team (3-1, 1-1) lost for the first time this year, 16-14 to Mars Hill (3-0, 2-0) Saturday afternoon in a South Atlantic Conference game at Mears Stadium and the Ammons Family Athletic Center.
The Lions' Lon Teachey (Teachey, N.C.) hit the third of his three field goals on the afternoon – a 34-yarder with 9:19 remaining in the contest – which proved to be the game-winner for Mars Hill. The game-winning field goal was set up by a strip sack of Barton junior quarterback
Jaquan Lynch (Rocky Mount, N.C.) which gave the Lions' possession at the Bulldogs' 22-yard line.
Mars Hill, who rushed for 316 yards in the contest, held the ball for the final 6:06 of the contest to preserve the victory. The Lions' quarterback, JR Martin (Suwanee, Ga.), led the Lions' ground game with 167 yards rushing and threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to Malik Laurent (Lithia Springs, Ga.) in the first quarter to open the scoring for the home team.
Lynch rushed and passed for at least one touchdown for the fourth consecutive game including a 65-yard scoring toss to junior wide receiver
Kameron Johnson (Rocky Mount, N.C.) at the 12:52 mark of second quarter.
Lynch' one-yard touchdown run with 53 seconds left before intermission gave the Bulldogs a 14-7 advantage but Barton was held off the board the rest of the way. Barton junior running back
Jordan Terrell (Ramseur, N.C.), the nation's leading rusher (194.0 ypg), was held to just 47 yards rushing on 18 carries.
Barton remains on the road to take on Tusculum next Saturday, September 30, at 2:00 p.m., in Greeneville, Tenn., in a conference contest while Mars Hill faces Limestone next Saturday at Noon in Gaffney, S.C.
