MEMPHIS, Tenn.--Trailing by nine with nine minutes to play in the third quarter and a nine-game home winning streak on the line, the Rhodes Lynx delivered a late-game rally in improbable fashion, scoring 13 unanswered points to fend off the Hendrix Warriors, 27-23, on Senior Day.
 
Hendrix (5-4, 2-3 Southern Athletic Association) opened the scoring with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Ethan Hoppe from quarterback Seth Peters in the first quarter. The Lynx (7-2, 4-1 SAA) went three-and-out on its next possession, but Hendrix couldn't get anything going on the ensuing possession. Hendrix punter S. Smith came on to punt with the ball spotted at the Warriors' 39, but the snap bounced en route to Smith, giving Lynx senior linebacker Joseph Raby time to knife into the backfield, block Smith's kick, and return it 25 yards for the score, tying the game at 7 at the 3:06 mark.
 
On the next drive, the Lynx defense stood tall again, forcing a 27-yard field goal from Steve Crenshaw that gave Hendrix a 10-7 advantage early in the second quarter. The teams then exchanged punts before Lynx running back Roc Sherrell threw his first pass of the season, taking a direct snap and finding quarterback Blake Box for a 24-yard touchdown pass to put Rhodes up 14-10 at the 5:37 mark.   Hendrix answered with Casey Caton hauling in a 53-yard touchdown strike from Peters on the next drive to go back on top, 17-14.
 
Sherrell led all rushers in the first half with 12 carries for 63 yards, and the Lynx held Hendrix to just two third down conversions and 82 yards on the ground.
 
After receiving the second-half kickoff, Hendrix scored on an 11-yard pass from Peters to Taylor Tibbits.  Steve Crenshaw's extra point attempt missed wide to the left, leaving the Warriors with a 23-14 lead.  The Lynx didn't answer until the start of the fourth quarter, when Box hooked up with tight end Mason Childers on a four-yard touchdown pass with 12:33 remaining in the game. The extra point was blocked, leaving the Lynx a 23-20 deficit. Hendrix drove to the Rhodes 19 on its next possession, but the Lynx defense forced a turnover on downs.
 
With a chance to take the lead or tie with a field goal, Box marshaled Rhodes all the way to the Hendrix 29, but the Hendrix defense forced a turnover on downs with 1:27 to go.  The Lynx defense then stifled the Warriors on three straight plays, using their timeouts to preserve the clock. Facing fourth down at their own 33, Hendrix sent Smith on for his fourth punt of the afternoon. Lynx safety Jack Ingalls broke through the punt protection and got a hand on the kick, sending the ball straight up fifteen feet in the air.  Freshman wide receiver Alex Richards caught the ball out of the air, racing 19 yards for the go-ahead score with 1:04 to play and igniting a delirious roar from the home crowd.  Peters and company got the ball on the ensuing kickoff trailing by four, but a hail mary pass towards the end zone from the Rhodes 29 was broken up by senior safety Justin Toliver at the horn.
 
Sherrell finished the game with 23 carries for 137 yards and the first touchdown pass of his career.  Michael Shield totaled 18 tackles on the night, and defensive ends Christian Labenberg and Spencer Smith combined for five and a half sacks, Box threw for 110 yards and a score.
 
The Lynx finish their season at Millsaps next Saturday, November 15