It was the best of times for the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears on Saturday night.
Tough defense and a solid rushing attack paved the way in L-R's 32-16 victory over the North Greenville Crusaders.
The win gives the Bears a 3-1 record and ties their best start since the 2005 season.
"We made a lot of good plays and we executed really well," Bears head coach Fred Goldsmith said of his team, who rang up 471 yards of offense against the Crusaders (0-4).
Lenoir-Rhyne starts South Atlantic Conference play next Saturday against the Brevard Tornados at 7 p.m. at Moretz Stadium.
Backup quarterback Major Herron led L-R in its final non-conference game with 88 rushing yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, and he finished the game 3 of 3 passing for 47 yards.
Starter Justin Sanders finished the contest 3-of-10 for 47 yards on a night when the Bears' biggest offensive weapon proved to be whoever carried the ball.
James Pone ran for 86 yards on five carries and fullback Byron Darby added 79 yards on 10 carries.
Lenoir-Rhyne scored early and often on the Crusaders in the first half, as Sanders and Darby each scored on five-yard touchdown runs while kicker Colin Corpe added a pair of field goals.
The Bears took a 20-0 lead into halftime, and out-gained North Greenville 313-20 in total offense in the first half.
"They had an off night especially early on, but truth be told," Herron said, "(The Crusaders) were the toughest team we've faced this year."
Andrew Courman's six-yard touchdown run opened up the Bears' second half on a strong note.
"Our mindset is when we're on offense, we're going to control the ball and move forward every play," Herron said.
"We can't do that without a lot of help from our defense," he added.
The Bears' defenders certainly played their role in the victory.
Victor Nito and Carl Brooks paced Lenoir-Rhyne with six tackles each, while Brooks and Michael Green collected one interception each on Crusaders quarterback Richard Harb.
North Greenville converted only two of 15 third-down attempts, but the Crusaders tightened the score in the second half.
"We got a little too relaxed late in the game," Herron said.
Lenoir-Rhyne fumbled six times on the night and lost five, and North Greenville took advantage of the turnovers.
Zach Sears got the Crusaders on the board in the third quarter with a 36-yard field goal, and Josh Murph (eight-yard run) and Isaiah Johnson (79-yard punt return) got North Greenville in the end zone twice in the fourth quarter.
"It was a good challenge for us," Herron said, "and we'll correct our problems before next week.
"We'll be ready for Brevard."
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