Hendrix athletics photo

Steve Crenshaw was a soccer player growing up.

Sure, he would kick a football for fun. But the real deal? It wasn’t in the cards, at least not until high school.

“The first week of soccer practice in high school the football coach came over looking for kickers,” Crenshaw said. “They picked out two and I was one of them. I never would have started to kick if it wasn’t for soccer.”

Crenshaw played both sports in high school but decided on football for college. It turned out to be a great choice as the junior kicker for Hendrix is now one of the best in the nation, entering the year as one of 41 kickers on the Fred Mitchell Award List.

“When I was looking for a school, people always told me to find a place where you want to be at and wouldn’t second-guess your decision,” Crenshaw said. “I’ve been fortunate in that respect. I’ve never looked back or doubted my decision.”

Crenshaw has no reason to and has been money in the moment throughout his career.

In fact, between November 2013 and November 2014 he drilled 32 consecutive extra points. He also connected on 80 percent (12-of-15) of his field goals last season en route to being named the Special Teams Player of the Year in the Southern Athletic Association.

“The last two years I’ve been the only kicker on the team and while that does alleviate some of the pressure, I’m a competitive guy so I have continued to push myself to get better and better,” Crenshaw said. “The hard work has paid off.”

Hendrix coach Buck Buchanan has been impressed with what Crenshaw brings to the table. He targeted him when he was recruiting the first class in program history and he has lived up to every expectation.

“He is a very good kicker and we really wanted him on our team,” Buchanan said. “He had some walk-on offers at bigger schools, so we knew he was a guy we would count on to be successful kicking the ball. We’re glad we have him.”

Not only has Crenshaw been a success on the field, he defines what being a Division III athlete is all about. While in college he has helped out with serving and cleanup at the Amazing Grace Cafe, which is set up at a church in town each month to feed the homeless.

What made him just as happy as helping others was getting his teammates involved.

“It feels good to help out others and it felt really good knowing some of my teammates took part in it, too,” Crenshaw said. “I’m very blessed to be part of that experience and look forward to it each time.”

He also helps out at a youth soccer camp back home each year, which keeps him connected with a sport he still loves.

As for his impact on the field, he plans to continue doing what he has all along, focused more on team success than personal accolades.

“I used to worry more about my stats, but now I’m all about what I can do for the team,” Crenshaw said. “I want to do whatever I can to help us be successful.”

Perfect timing

Kerrigan Pennington won’t forget Birmingham-Southern’s 2015 opener thanks to making big-time play late in the Panthers’ road showdown with La Grange.

The Panthers trailed 28-22 with just under four minutes to play before Pennington grabbed an interception at the 37-yard line and ran it back for a touchdown, tying the score with a little under three minutes left. The ensuing extra point gave the Panthers the lead for good in a thrilling 29-28 victory.

The sophomore cornerback is playing his first full year on the Panthers’ varsity squad. He played in one game last season.

Pennington finished with two tackles and came through with one of the four turnovers the Panthers forced in a game where they rallied from a 21-3 halftime deficit.

Kangaroos light up scoreboard

Austin turned in an impressive offensive performance Saturday in its 55-41 season-opening win against Hendrix, putting up their highest point total in nearly 20 years. They scored 58 points in a game against Sul Ross State in 1998.

The outburst was a welcome sight for a team that was shut out by Trinity (41-0) in its 2014 season finale. The Kangaroos didn’t score more than 28 in a game last year and needed nearly five full games -- they scored 52 in the first four outings and 16 in the fifth -- just to get to 55 points for the season.

Madison Ross had a lot to do with it, shredding the Warriors’ defense for 190 yards on 36 carries. He rushed for three touchdowns and also caught a 68-yard scoring strike.

The senior is coming off a year where he nearly put up 1,000 yards while scoring nine touchdowns. He’s well on his way to breaking both of those totals this year.

Special performance

To say the special teams unit of Hardin-Simmons was special on Saturday in its opener against Southwestern would be an understatement. The Cowboys scored three of their touchdowns off punt returns Saturday en route to a 77-6 win.

Jessie Ramos paved the way, returning a punt 67 yards for a score, the first of his career and the seventh career return touchdown overall. Ramos added three other touchdowns to his total on receptions, including one for 53 yards in the opening quarter.

Alex Bell also got in on the special teams scoring act, bolting 51 yards for paydirt on a punt return. Jeremy Harris blocked a punt in the third quarter and recovered it in the end zone.

As for Ramos, it was a big day all the way around. He now has 32 career touchdowns, good enough to move him into a tie for fifth all-time with Steven Rockwell, and is now ninth in receiving yards (2,050) after rolling up 178 against the Pirates.

Ramos is the active leader in Division III for all-purpose yards (4,267) and leads all active college football players with six career kickoff returns for scores.  

Streak continues

It wasn’t easy but Chicago found a way to keep its season-opener win streak alive. The Maroons dug out of a 24-10 hole in the fourth quarter to nail down a 31-30 win over Case Western Reserve.

It was Chicago’s ninth consecutive win in opening games. The streak appeared to be in danger until Burke Moser hooked up with Syd Reynolds on a 46-yard scoring strike late in the fourth to help seal the deal.

Moser looked impressive in his first career start, completing 21 of his 35 passes for 268 yards and four touchdowns, the most by a Chicago quarterback since Vincent Cortina threw for five against Rhodes in October 2013.

The junior played in only three games last year after not playing at all as a freshman. As a senior in high school, he threw for over 1,200 yards and also rushed for 500 yards. He was a standout defensive player at the prep level as well and his athleticism will put him in a position to thrive this for the Maroons.