KCU Red/Black Spring Football Game

Grayson, KY – The 2018 edition of the Knights Red/Black Spring Game was played on Saturday and was a tremendous success both on the field and off. A strong number of family and friends in attendance, along with a large number of recruits (120 Pre-registered), added to the energized atmosphere.

With the highest total to ever go through spring drills, the Knights coaching staff, led by head coach Corey Fipps, got to put the young team through its paces. In talking with Coach Fipps, he believes both sides of the ball are beginning to absorb the structures and schemes necessary to be a competitive squad. When asked how the offense performed, he said, "I'm pleased with the way the offense competed. We are gaining a much better understanding of the way I want things to go situationally and this is a huge factor for us in taking that next big step. Our tempo is coming along and the way our offensive line is beginning to gel is very encouraging." Fipps further commented concerning the other side of the ball and how things looked defensively, "There are a couple areas I saw the type of progress I was hoping to see. First was just overall pursuit … getting to the ball and secondly, the ability to consistently tackle in space. Those are two areas in today's game that are extremely important. Even though I mentioned this about the offense, it bears repeating with the defense as well, team structures and schemes are coming along as well. Finally, we were able to create turnovers which is such a game-changing facet of the game. We are making progress."

The game was set-up on a point system that allowed both sides of the ball to score from positive plays. The scoring system was as follows:

Offense: Defense:

Touchdown = 6 pts Turnover = 6pts

Point after = 1 pt Touchdown off turnover = 6 pts

2-point conversion = 2 pts Sack = 3 pts

Field goal = 3 pts 3 plays and out

First down = 1 pt Defensive stop = 1 pt

15+ yard play = 1 pt Goal line stand = 3 pts

With the above mentioned point system, the final tally on the scoreboard was the offense 77 and the defense 43. Some of the notable stats from the game included defensive end Bill Nixon with 8 tackles and fellow D-line teammate Christ Draper had 4.5 tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble. In the secondary, safety Sammie Mitchell also contributed 8 tackles and an interception to go with defensive back Trey Malashevich, who was credited with 7 tackles. The offense was led by quarterback Jakwon Roberts who was 21 for 32 with 207 passing yards and 2 TD's. He also added 38 rushing yards on two carries. Wide Receiver Kris Lewis pulled in 8 receptions for 125 yards and 2 TD's for the receiving corp. When it came to the ground game, Cameron Moody had 24 rushes for 126 yards and 1 TD; Darian Rawls added 20 rushes for 118 yards and Javin Harrison had 12 rushes for 83 yards and 1 TD.

As this is just a snapshot of the many contributions made during Saturday's play, one thing is sure … the coaching staff and players are pointing toward one date: August 25, 2018 and their opener with Webber International University at Knights Stadium.