Majors Football
On October 22nd, the Millsaps homecoming game was a success off the field but not so much on it. The alumni beer garden was a hit, the Greek life tailgating in the south endzone made the atmosphere fun for everyone involved, and the purple morph suit was a hilarious addition that gave fans something to watch. There was also a local genius who decided to streak across the Rhodes sideline, but his progress was stopped by a Rhodes football player who tackled him.
The Majors fell short in the 31-7 loss and below .500 on the season. They lost the turnover battle and could not get the run game going as they only averaged 2.7 yards per carry. Brody Davis was pressured all night from the Rhodes defensive line, forcing him to throw two picks and get sacked 4 times. Davis had a 53% completion percentage and threw for 231 yards but did not have a passing touchdown. Xavion Butler had a big game with 4 receptions for 100 yards; his ability to evade tackles and pick up yards after the catch was one of the highlights of the game. Nic Hayes also posted a good game as he had 115 all-purpose yards and was effective on special teams. The Major’s defense was highlighted by Nehemiah Coalson with 9 total tackles and a sack and Nick Ojonta who had 3 tackles, a pass break-up, and an interception. The loss did not affect the moral of the tailgates or the attitudes of the parents and alumni in town. Moral was still high around campus thanks to a big win from the volleyball team getting the win over Oglethorpe.
Majors Volleyball
The Majors Volleyball team commemorated their five outstanding seniors on Homecoming/Family Weekend: Chayton Willis, Alyssa Jolly, Regan Cooper, Hannah Mattke, and Bre Reed.
The event started off with the players being honored for their performances in the classroom including honor society memberships, outstanding GPA scores, and their involvement around campus. The players were honored for their accomplishments on the court as well by being gifted flowers and receiving a standing ovation from the crowd prior to the game. When it was time for the game, the Majors were visibly locked in as they brought the intensity to Oglethorpe from the jump. The energy in the gym was truly electric, and the team fed off it all game.
The Majors dominated the first and second sets, winning 25-17 and 25-20. The Stormy Petrels claimed the third set, but the senior leadership of Reed, Jolly, Mattke, Willis, and Cooper showed why they are the cream of the crop for this Millsaps squad. The five helped the Majors to a barn burning 25-22 set 4 victory which would seal the game.
The volleyball team saved Homecoming by securing a huge conference win for the school, despite the football team having a rough afternoon on the gridiron in their homecoming game. Bre Reed chimed in, “It is hard to put into words how special senior day was for me: the team, the coaches, and the parents who put in so much effort into making sure that everything went well, and to win on top of that was the perfect cherry on top.”
The joy that coursed through the entire north side of campus was almost indescribable. Some key performances came from the unsung hero, junior Brenna Macaluso who led the team with 10 kills. Fittingly, some of the seniors also had incredible performances: Alyssa Jolly and Bre Reed who have led the Majors all season-long had 8 kills apiece— not to mention Regan Cooper logged one of her best games of the season with 9 kills!
The Majors have now concluded their season with a tough loss in the conference tournament to Birmingham Southern. The senior Majors will look forward to transferring the impact from the court to their prospective careers. Good luck to our seniors!