As the Bison football team prepares to meet Henderson State at home on Saturday, Sept. 28, many storylines will converge on the field, beginning with one of Harding\u2019s own \u2014 junior defensive back Cory Batie.
\nBatie entered the Harding record books and earned Great American Conference defensive player of the week honors on Sept. 14 after a 75-yard return for a touchdown and a 77-yard return in a shutout against Arkansas-Monticello, Harding\u2019s first in the 55-game history of the series.
\n\u201c[It\u2019s] a complete honor for [Batie] to have,\u201d senior offensive lineman Braden Hood said. \u201cIt\u2019s a complete honor for our team to have. He\u2019s been a great hard worker this entire time \u2026 and I\u2019m glad to see that finally paying off for him a little bit. It\u2019s just more momentum \u2026 I think any time a positive thing happens to this football team, it just builds up.\u201d
\nOn the opposite side of the lineup is Richard Stammetti, a Henderson State quarterback and GAC offensive player of the week who threw over 300 yards and made seven touchdowns earlier in the season.
\n\u201c[Stammetti] makes that offense go,\u201d Simmons said. \u201cIf you look at the stats, he\u2019s playing at a really high level. We really haven\u2019t faced a team this year that throws a ball as well as they do, so Coach Tribble and the secondary, they\u2019ve got their work cut out for them. I expect those guys will be ready for the challenge.\u201d
\nPlayers and coaches alike reiterated that representing Harding fans each week is a privilege.
\n\u201cWe feel like we have an edge because our crowd is behind us so much,\u201d Simmons said. \u201cThem being there to pull for us is a really big deal for us.\u201d
\nFor some Bisons, Family Weekend is a special opportunity because it may be one of the only times they see their family until May. Fan presence and support is critical, but Batie said knowing that his own flesh and blood is in the stands changes the game.
\n\u201cMy family, they come pretty much once\u2026 and this year they\u2019re doing that on Family Weekend, so that\u2019s the only time I really get to see them,\u201d Batie said.\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a good thing because I haven\u2019t seen my mom since July, and I really don\u2019t go home until the summer. I really spend nine months without seeing them.\u201d
\nFrom the challenge that Stametti poses to Batie\u2019s potential to shine, there is a lot to look forward to going into this Family Weekend matchup. The Bisons seek to add another win to their season, a encounter that will truly test if the Reddies are ready. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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