Local talent makes impact for college football teams in season opener

Some of our local players made an impact for their college football teams during week one of the regular season. Below is a list of area standouts to make the stat column to kick off the 2016 schedule.

Hoggard

• Terry Caldwell, Ole Miss: No. 11 Ole Miss jumped out to a 28-6 over No. 4 Florida State, but the Seminoles took advantage of four Rebel turnovers and scored 30 unanswered points to down the Rebels 45-34 in the Camping World Kickoff Monday night.

  

  Terry Caldwell finished with 10 total tackles (six solo) after getting the start at linebacker for Ole Miss.

  The Rebels return home Saturday afternoon (Sept. 10) for their first game in the renovated and expanded Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Ole Miss will host Wofford at 3 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

• Julius Reynolds, North Carolina A&T: There was great anticipation about the 2016 North Carolina A&T football season because many wanted to know what the Aggies follow-up act would look like coming off one of the best season’s in program history. The truth is, after the Aggies 62-0 drubbing of Division II Saint Augustine’s Saturday night at Aggie Stadium, that anticipation still exists.

Reynolds led North Carolina A&T with seven total tackles in the win with one fumble recovery. The Aggies face Division I-FBS program Kent State on Saturday, Sept. 10.

• Hunter Louthan, Davidson College: The Davidson football team showed promise in a 38-14 non-conference loss at Georgetown in the 2016 opener at Cooper Field.

Trailing 38-7 to opening the fourth quarter, freshman Hunter Louthan caught his first career touchdown on the opening drive of the period. Louthan snagged the ball inside the one and used all of his 6-4, 230 pound frame to pound it through a group of defenders for his first collegiate scoring reception.

Louthan finished with two catches for 17 yards, including the seven yard touchdown to cap a 12 play, 65 yard drive.

• Harrison Smith, Randolph Macon: The Randolph-Macon football team amassed 500 yards of total offense as it opened the season with a 51-0 victory at Dickinson Saturday afternoon at Biddle Field. Harrison Smith made two catches for 29 yards in the win.

New Hanover

• Caleb Fuller, Appalachian State: The Mountaineers have a history of enormous upsets against power five conference programs and Appalachian State was on the verge of knocking off No. 9 Tennessee after holding the Vols out of the end zone until the 10:31 mark of regulation in a nationally televised matchup.

Ultimately, Tennessee handed App. State a 20-13 setback after a fumble in the end zone provided the Vols a touchdown in overtime. Caleb Fuller had four tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack for minus 11 yards.  Fuller improved greatly heading into his junior year and has earned a starting spot at defensive end.

Appalachian State returns home for a date with Old Dominion (Sept. 10), then play host to the Miami Hurricanes of the ACC on Sept. 17.

• Trevon Brown, East Carolina: The junior wide out was not available for East Carolina in the Pirates’ 52-7 win over Western Carolina after being ruled ineligible for game day competition.

Browns’ status will looked at again over the next few days heading into Saturday’s match up against N.C. State. He was the second leading ECU receiver last season behind Zay Jones.

As a sophomore, Brown was placed on probation for a violation of the student code of conduct and missed the first three games of the 2015 season. The violation stemmed from a residence hall policy while Brown was hosting friends in his storm.

Laney

• Mike Sheehan, Catawba: West Georgia claimed a 23-3 win over Catawba in a battle of NCAA II nationally ranked football teams on Saturday afternoon at University Stadium. Catawba Quarterback Mike Sheehan completed 18 of 33 passes for 109 yards and finished with 38 rushing yards.