LAKE WALES, Fla. – The stage is set for the Warner University Royals and the No. 7 Reinhardt University Eagles to meet for the first ever time on the football field.
Both programs have a young history in which they played their inaugural seasons in 2013. In 2017, Warner finished the season with a 4-6 overall record and 2-3 in the Mid- South Sun Division.
Reinhardt on the other hand, experienced a successful 12-1 overall record with a perfect 6-0 Mid-South Appalachian record. The Eagles ran through the playoffs all the way to Daytona for the NAIA National Championship. Reinhardt would fall deeming them the National Championship runner-ups.
The Eagles are still finding themselves after dropping their season opener to now ranked #19 Bethel University 21-31. They bounced back against now ranked #9 Georgetown University with a final score of 45-21. The Eagles are lead in the backfield by Montralius Mosely who has 258 rushing yards per game averaging 129 yards. Quarterback Billy Hall is 13-32 in the air throwing 3 interceptions and 142 yards finding the end zone once. Tevin McCoy could spell trouble for the Royals offense as he brings in five Top-15 rankings in NAIA D-I. McCoy ranks 5
th in tackles for a loss per game with 2.5, 8
th in sacks per game with 1.5, 12
th in total sacks with 3, 13
th in tackles for a loss with 5, and 13
th in fumbles forced with .5 per game. Through two games the Eagles carry a 1-1 record against two NAIA Top-25 teams.
The Royals have dropped both games of the early season so far and are in need of a bounce back. It's no secret they have one of the toughest schedules, but last week's game shows things are moving in the right direction. They fell to Kentucky Christian, but it was an offensive game where both teams tallied 957 yards of total offense. It was a good sign for the Royals who tied the most points ever score in a home opener with 34.
Andre Tommie was forced to leave the game late in the first half, but is 10-23 in passing attempts for the season and he boasted a 7-12 day for 143 yards and a touchdown before his exit against Kentucky Christian. The Royals have a steady rotation of running backs but so far leading the way is
Jemerh Cosby. Cosby has 14 carries with 93 yards on the season averaging 6.6 yards a carry.
Jeffrey Suarez has 5 receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown, which gives him a 22.8 yard average, in the two games with a 77-yard touchdown against Kentucky Christian. Defensively the Royals will send out
Jacob Ross who has 15 total tackles and
Lamarcus Anderson who has found the opposing QB once in each game for 2 sacks on the season. Don't count out the 3-point game either as the Royals have the Mid-South Sun Division Special Teams Player of the Week in
Justin Dalton. Dalton was a perfect 4-4 in extra point attempts and hit a 17 yard field goal along with nailing a 43 yard field goal.
This will be the first ever meeting between both teams on the football field. The game is a Royals home game played at Lakeland Christian High School's Vikings Stadium with kickoff scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Saturday September 15th.
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