Fall 2016 has been a busy and exciting semester for the ETBU Tiger student athletes in the classroom, competition, team discipleship, and community. At ETBU, each athletic team conducts weekly discipleship and Bible studies, where coaches and teammates spend time in prayer, share testimonies, and study the Word of God. In addition, each team is involved in serving and engaging others in the local community, which includes volunteering at local elementary schools, serving as Salvation Army bell ringers, assisting with the Marshall Boys and Girls Club, packaging and wrapping boxes for Operation Christmas Child, and remodeling homes through the Neighborhood Renewal Initiative. The ETBU Baseball team traveled to Baton Rouge over Fall Break to assist with flood relief. In December, the Tiger Softball team participated in the first international sports mission trip of the new ETBU Tiger Athletic Mission Experience, as they traveled to Costa Rica for two games and a week of ministry and service.
Football
The Tiger Football team began the year with a program best 5-0 start and were ranked nationally throughout the season. They reached 15th in the nation in the AFCA National Poll and were consistently in the top 25 weekly on D3football.com. ETBU received national attention for having the top offense in NCAA Division III and the youngest head coach in NCAA Football, Scotty Walden. Coach Walden drew the eyes of the national sports spotlight with features in a Vice Sports article, National Public Radio interview, and an article on HeroSportsNews. Several players earned awards throughout the season as well. Dru Smith was named the ASC Offensive Player
of the Week three times, while Jourdan McNeill and Zack Biles each received the award. Single game and season records were broken. Smith broke three single game records in a 64-62 win over Louisiana College on October 29 as ETBU retained the treasured Claw in the Battle of the Border Claw. Richard Johnson broke a single season school record of 13 receiving touchdowns. McNeill set a new ETBU career rushing record of 32 touchdowns. The Tigers finished the season with a 7-3 record, which is the fifth winning season in program history. ETBU also achieved back-to-back winning seasons for the second time in program history.
Women’s Soccer
New Head Coach Erik Solberg coached the Women’s Soccer Team to the American Southwest Conference Tournament in his first season. It was the fifth time in the past six seasons that ETBU has made the tournament. ETBU finished at 6-8-4 overall and was the No. 6 seed in the ASC Tournament. ETBU posted six shutouts with five coming at ETBU’s Cornish Field. Erin Miller, Alexis Smith, and Heather Brady all led ETBU with four goals this season. ETBU fell to University of Texas-Tyler in the ASC Tournament quarterfinals, 4-1, to end their season.
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Hilltop
Fall 2016