Football

January 7, 2008

Trinity Wins Pontiac Game Changing Performance of the Year Award

The announcement of the win and a $100,000 general scholarship to Trinity was made Monday night on the Fox Network during halftime of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Championship Game in New Orleans.

The Trinity play took place in Jackson, Miss., on Oct. 27 as the Tigers beat the host Millsaps College Majors 28-24. Trinity won the game with a 60-yard play – which consisted of 15 laterals – before junior wide receiver Riley Curry of Sugar Land (Clements) crossed the goal line for the victory with no time on the clock. The crucial win kept the Tigers in the race for the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference title, which Trinity later shared with Millsaps.

The three other finalists in the Pontiac Game Changing Performance of the Year were:

• Appalachian State’s blocking a field goal and upsetting Michigan 34-32 on Sept. 1 at Ann Arbor, Mich.
• Alabama’s touchdown pass in the final seconds to defeat Arkansas 41-38 on Sept. 15 at Tuscaloosa, Ala.
• Auburn’s game-winning field goal and the 20-17 upset of Florida on Sept. 29 at Gainesville, Fla.

In addition to Curry, those Trinity players participating in the play were: senior quarterback Blake Barmore of Friendswood (Friendswood), junior wide receiver Shawn Thompson of New Braunfels (Canyon), sophomore offensive lineman Josh Hooten of Robinson (Robinson), senior offensive lineman Stephen Arnold of Dallas (White), senior wide receiver Brandon Maddux of Waco (China Springs) and sophomore wide receiver Michael Tomlin of The Colony (The Colony).

Time magazine named the Trinity play as the No. 1 Sports Moment of 2007.

Trinity, led by head coach Steve Mohr, completed the season with a 9-2 record and was 6-1 in the SCAC. In sharing the conference title with Millsaps, the Tigers won their 14^th conference championship. Trinity earned the NCAA Division III postseason bid and competed in the national tournament for the 10^th time. Eventual NCAA semifinalist Mary Hardin-Baylor beat the Tigers in the first round of the playoffs at Belton.  Mohr, who completed his 18^th season at the Tigers’ helm, was elected SCAC Coach of the Year for the 10^th time.