BROWNWOOD, Texas - The Belhaven Blazers football team finished off their 2021 campaign with a confident 38-17 win over Howard Payne University to finish 3-2 on the year. The win helps secure the Blazers' first winning season and their longest win streak (three games) since the 2012 season. 

The Blazers matched up against Howard Payne in a contest between the #3 seeds from the East and West divisions of the ASC respectively. Belhaven took an early lead over the hosts on the first drive of the game when running back Brad Foley delivered a passing touchdown to Terry Jones from 29 yards out. 

Belhaven added to their lead in the first quarter when Mayowa Asagunla punched the ball into the endzone from four yards out with 6:42 left in the period. The Yellow Jackets answered at the end of the first quarter after Landon McKinney scored on a one-yard rushing touchdown. Belhaven led 14-7 at the end of the first quarter but Howard Payne would tie the game within the first minute of the second quarter on a 72-yard touchdown pass from McKinney to Jake Parker.

The Blazers retook the lead later in the quarter after Andrew Norton capped off a 14-play, 70 yard drive with a 21 yard field goal. Belhaven extended their lead with less than 10 seconds to go in the first half with Asagunla scoring on a run from a yard out to finish off a 70 yard drive in 2:01. After the score the Blazers led Howard Payne 24-14 heading into half time. 

Howard Payne chipped away at the Belhaven lead in the third quarter with Blake Phipps hitting a 25 yard field goal and cutting the Blazers lead back to one score. 

In the fourth quarter the Belhaven rushing attack went to work to ice the game for the Blazers. Brad Foley put Belhaven on top 31-17 with a 13-yard touchdown run. Then, Kolbe Blunt put the game away breaking off a 38 yard score, his longest rush of the day. 

On the day, the Blazers totaled 573 yards of offense, a new single game high under Head Coach Blaine McCorkle. Quarterback Mayowa Asagunla completed 23 of his 29 pass attempts and finished with 252 yards through the air, a new career-high. Asagunla also had 45 yards on the ground with a pair of touchdowns. 

Brad Foley finished with 136 yards on 20 carries with a touchdown. The yardage pushes him to 2,144 career rushing yards and pulls him within 20 yards of the all-time record. Foley is just the second player in program history to rush for 2,000 yards in their Belhaven career. Foley also completed two passes for 65 yards and a touchdown while pulling in six receptions for 46 yards. Kolbe Blunt posted a rushing score as well while picking up 60 yards on five carries. 

Terry Jones finished with 75 yards on five receptions, a career high yardage marker for the sophomore. Michael Simpson and Brooks Brymer also finished with over 50 yards receiving. 

The Belhaven defense continued to shine holding their opponent to fewer than 20 points for the second straight week. The Blazers defense combined to hold Howard Payne to just 362 yards of total offense and forced a fumble meaning the Blazers forced a turnover in each of the five games they played this season. 

Corey Toliver, Emmanuel Stanley and Connor Fordham each recorded nine total tackles to lead the Blazers' defense. The unit combined for three tackles for loss while Fordham and Cooper Martin each recorded a sack. Emmanuel Stanley was credited with the forced fumble and fumble recovery. 

In addition to the 38-17 win securing the first winning season and win streak since 2012, the win also became just the fifth winning season in program history. The 3-2 year also is the first winning season for the Blazers in Division III and first winning conference record as a part of the American Southwest Conference. Belhaven finishes the year tied for the third best record among all ASC competition and by way of winning the #3 seeded playoff game, finishes fifth in the ASC. 

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