Berry has been getting just enough offense to win over its past six games. Berry athletics photo by Russell Maddrey

It could have been one of those moments that doomed a team to another miserable season. 

Berry was rocked 43-17 by Maryville on the road in its season opener last month, leaving the hopes and dreams of a breakout season on shaky ground.

The Vikings, winners of only two games in their first two years of existence, were left with a little doubt on their minds as year three didn’t begin as expected.

“As a coaching staff, we had some doubt about being able to take off the way we had hoped in our third year,” Berry coach Tony Kunczewski said. “Our confidence could have been shaken but our guys showed a lot of resiliency.”

No one can deny that. The Vikings have won six consecutive games since that opener and are all alone atop the Southern Athletic Association standings. Junior wide receiver Chris Lilly said he and his teammates talked after that loss about what it would take to bounce back.

“We regrouped and talked about what went wrong,” said Lilly, a two-time first-team All-SAA selection. “We played a good football team that day and we didn’t play great. We went back and worked on what we needed to do to get better.”

Berry is 6-1 overall and 5-0 in the conference, well ahead of where of many probably expected the Vikings to be at this point.

It’s a remarkable turnaround for a team that didn’t win a game in its first year. Last year was tough as well, and for a lot of teams, it would have been tough to keep pushing forward.

“It’s tough to give it your all when you don’t see the wins come with the effort,” Lilly said. “To be where we are now shows that the tough times were definitely worth it. It feels great to win.”

Confidence has played a big part in Berry’s success. A year ago, the Vikings lost four games by a touchdown or less. This year, they are 4-0 in those games.

“We lost some close games last year, but we gained a lot of confidence from those experiences and have found a way to win the tight games this year,” Kunczewski said. “We talked going into the year that we had the opportunity to beat every team on our schedule. But we also knew we could lose to every team. Every game is a dogfight and our guys always come ready to play.”

Lilly said hard work in the offseason also paid off. He said he stuck around over the summer to improve and it's paid off. He ranks second among receivers on the team in receptions (30), yards (391) and touchdowns (four).

“I took advantage of the offseason,” Lilly said. “I was able to get bigger, faster and stronger, and I’ve also done my part to be a leader and make sure the younger guys understand the importance of preparation each week.”

The offense is putting up 322.4 yards per game, with quarterback Dale Jackson throwing for more than 1,100 yards (1,171) and 10 touchdowns. Trey Ciresi is his top target, making 34 catches for 403 yards and six scores.

The running attack has also been vital to the Vikings’ success, with Austin Lowe and Jalen Tuggle both rushing for more than 300 yards. They have each scored a pair of touchdowns.

“For us, it’s about scoring more points than the other team at the end,” Kunczewski said. “We aren’t a flashy offense. We play well as a team, and I think one of the big differences this year is that we run the ball a lot better now.”

The defense hasn’t been lights out but it’s been effective, holding five of its last six opponents to 17 points or less. Matt Farinella leads the way in tackles (51).

“Our defensive staff does a great job of preparing those guys to play,” Kunczewski said. “We generate a lot of pressure without blitzing. We are tough and play hard on defense.”

It has all added up to a wave of success the Vikings have never experienced before. They control their own destiny in the SAA with three games to go, an automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs well within their reach.

“We know we have to take advantage of every opportunity to get better because we still have games to play. We have to get better each week,” Lilly said. “We want to prepare each week to be in a position to win a conference championship, but we are also determined to go beyond that and have success in the playoffs.”

Panthers end slide

Birmingham Southern snapped a three-game losing streak Saturday afternoon with a 35-18 win over Millsaps in its Homecoming game. The Panthers improved to 4-3 overall and are 2-3 in the conference. The win comes on a day when the stadium was named after school president Charles C. Krulak, who retired this past summer.

Birmingham Southern controlled the clock, holding onto the ball of more than 40 minutes, thanks in part to the play of quarterback Austin Martin, who was efficient, completing 21 of his 25 passes for 234 yards. He threw two touchdown passes.

Martin has completed more than half of his passes (48-of-90) in seven games this year, throwing for close to 600 yards (586) and five touchdowns. It’s a big step forward for Martin, who saw action in five games in 2014 and threw for 533 yards and four touchdowns.

Tigers shine on defense

Trinity turned in a dominating defensive performance in the second half against Austin College on Saturday, limiting the Kangaroos to only 27 yards in the final two quarters of a 30-7 victory. Trinity has outscored Austin 71-7 in the last two meetings and has won 19 of the last 20 meetings overall.

The Kangaroos’ longest drive of the game covered only 39 yards. They finished with 102 yards against a defense that was led by Brad Hood, who came through with nine tackles.

Julian Turner and Mitch Globe tallied six tackles apiece for a defense that has allowed just 85 points this year. Trinity is 5-1 overall and will face Austin for a second time on Nov. 14 in a game that will count in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference standings.

While the defense took center stage, Jeremy Simmons pushed his career rushing total to 1,400 yards. The senior churned out 99 yards against Austin and has 649 yards and four touchdowns on the year.

Blazers get into win column

Belhaven lost its first six games of the year but put an end to that streak Saturday with a 42-33 come-from-behind win over Warner.

Clayton Webb played a huge role in the comeback, starting the second half at quarterback and throwing four touchdown passes. Webb helped the Blazers erase a 24-14 halftime deficit as he went 12-of-30 for 164 yards. The redshirt freshman has played in all seven games this year, connecting on close to 60 percent (156-of-268) of his passes while throwing 12 touchdown passes in his first year of varsity action for the Blazers.

Noteworthy

Chicago and Rhodes squared off in the third annual Blues Bowl Saturday, with the Maroons earning a 21-7 win over the Lynx. Chicago has won the last two meetings. Burke Moser threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns as Chicago improved to 5-1 overall and 4-1 in the SAA. Moser threw the ball to seven receivers, with Sam Coleman making six catches for 138 yards and a touchdown.

East Texas Baptist improved to 2-0 in the American Southwest Conference for the first time since 2009 with a 51-13 win over Howard Payne. The Tigers rolled up a single-game record 694 yards and it’s the fourth time under coach Joshua Eargle that the Tigers have put up 600 or more yards in a game. Kendall Roberson tied a career-high with four touchdowns in a game, including a career-high rushing touchdowns.

Contact Me

If you have a great story idea or notable accomplishments that deserve a mention in this column, feel free to reach out to me at brian.lester@d3sports.com. You can also follow on Twitter @BLester1993.