Beauchamp Named SLC “Defensive Player of The Week”
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Sam Houston linebacker Jessie Beauchamp has been named as Southland Conference football “Defensive Player of the Week” after helping lead the Bearkats to their second shutout in the past two years at Nicholls State last Saturday.
In the 41-0 SHSU victory, the junior from Klein, Texas (Collins H.S.), totaled nine tackles and had two tackles for loss, including an eight-yard sack, to go with two pass breakups and a pair of fumble recoveries. The Bearkats limited Nicholls to only 20 yards rushing and 238 total yards.
Both fumble recoveries set up Sam Houston touchdown drives.
Beauchamp, who stepped into the SHSU lineup after an injury in the season opener to Eric Fieilo, has become a force for the Bearkat defense. He ranks as the squad’s third leading tackler this season with 37 stops including six tackles for losses.
Beauchamp is the fourth “Player of the Week” honoree for the Bearkat this season.
Sam Houston swept all three awards a week ago after a 51-43 victory over Stephen F. Austin in the “Battle of the Piney Woods.” Quarterback Brian Bell, linebacker Darnell Taylor and punter Matt Foster took offensive, defensive and special teams honors in that game, respectively.
The Bearkats play host to McNeese State at Sam Houston’s homecoming contest this Saturday at 7 p.m. at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium.
No.9 Bearkats Beats Down Nicholls State 41-0
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
THIBIDOUX, La. – Two Bearkats added to their career achievements as they led Sam Houston to a 41-0 victory over Nicholls State Saturday night at Guidry Stadium.
The win improved the No. 9 ranked Sam Houston football team to 4-2 for the year and 2-1 in Southland Conference play.
Timothy Flanders now is the all-time leading scorer in Bearkat football history.
His three touchdowns up his career point total to 270, passing kicker Billy Hayes who totaled 258 points from 1985 to 1988.
Flanders rushed 15 times for 67 yards, leaving the game after three quarters.
SHSU’s all-time rushing leader, Flanders now ranks ninth in Southland Conference career rushing with 3,159 career yards.
Brian Bell became Sam Houston State’s second all-time leader in touchdown passes with a pair of scoring throws.
The junior signal-caller completed 15 of 19 passes for 180 yards.
The two TD passes give a career total of 38, moving ahead of Rhett Bomar (37 TD passes in 2007-08) and one behind Dustin Long (39 TD throws in 2004).
Richard Sincere and Trey Diller added big plays as well.
Sincere rushed six times for 74 yards including a long gain of 47 yards and caught a 25-yard pass.
Diller led both teams with seven catches for 72 yards and returned a punt 49 yards to set up a score.
Sam Houston outgained Nicholls 453 total yards to 258. The Kats allowed the Colonels only 20 yards rushing.
The shutout was the second in the past two seasons for SHSU.
The last one occurred last year in a 66-0 win over blanked Lamar.
After a Nicholls State missed field goal, Sam Houston drove 80-yards in 11 plays for a Flanders touchdown from the one-yard line eight seconds into the second quarter.
Bell passes for Shane Young for 24 yards to the Colonel 33 and Diller for 17 to the Colonel 14 were key plays in the drive.
Jesse Beauchamp’s fumble recovery after a tackle by Kenneth Jenkins set up the Kats’ second score.
Three Bell passes highlighted the seven-play, 48-yard drive. Bell hit Richard Sincere for a 25-yard gain to the Nicholls 21.
On third-and-13, the quarterback passed 14 yards to Diller.
Melvis Pride scored with 4:20 remaining in the second quarter on a five-yard pass.
Sam Houston started the second half with a seven-play, 65-yard drive that ended with a 25-yard scoring run by Flanders, putting the Kats up 21-0 three minutes into the third quarter.
Flanders scored another one-yard touchdown with 4:54 to play in the third as the Bearkats drove 90-yards in nine plays.
Sincere’s 47-yard run to the Nicholls 11-yard line was the big play of the possession.
Diller’s 49-yard punt return to the Nicholls 40 set up another touchdown on SHSU’s third drive in the quarter.
The Kats took only four plays to score as Bell hit Chance Nelson for a 18-yard touchdown.
The tally gave SHSU a 34-0 lead with 10 seconds remaining in the quarter.
Ridgeway Frank picked up a touchdown on a five-yard run with 5:21 remaining to complete a eight-play, 51-yard drive in the fourth quarter.
Bearkat Volleyball On Fire With Eighth Straight Win
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Beaumont – A point away from being two sets to none down, the Sam Houston volleyball team rallied to chalk up its eighth consecutive victory in four sets at Lamar Saturday afternoon.
Sophomore outside hitter Deveney Wells-Gibson posted a career best 27 kills to lead the Bearkats in a 22-25 28-26 25-13 25-21 win over the Cardinals.
Perhaps the biggest point of the match for Wells-Gibson was a kill with Lamar serving for the second set at 26-25.
Kim Black picked up the kill on the next point and Wells-Gibson served an ace to win the set 28-26 and even the match at a set apiece.
From that point on, Sam Houston won 50 of the next 84 points to up its season record to 13-9 and stand 8-2 in Southland Conference action.
Lamar dropped to 9-14 for the year and 1-8 in league play.
Kendall Cleveland and Kaylee Hawkins also produced double figure kills with totals of 11 and 10, respectively.
Wells-Gibson made only seven hitting errors in her 54 attempts Saturday.
Tayler Gray assisted of 46 kills and teamed with Cleveland to lead the Bearkat defense with 12 digs apiece.
Black added five blocks on the front row for Sam Houston.
Sam Houston returns to Johnson Coliseum to play host to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Thursday at 7 p.m.
The Islanders and the Bearkats enters Thursday’s action tied for second place in league standings while Central Arkansas is currently in first place.
SHSU Volleyball Dismantles Cowgirls To Extend Win Streak
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Lake Charles, La. – Led by Deveney Wells-Gibson and Kendall Cleveland who both totaled double figure kills, Sam Houston State rolled to its sixth consecutive victory with a three-set Southland Conference volleyball win over McNeese State Thursday night.
The Bearkats, now 12-9 for the season and 7-2 in league play, defeated McNeese 25-20 25-19 25-23.
The Cowgirls dropped to 6-15 for the year and 1-7 in the Southland.
The match took an hour and 24 minutes.
Five of Sam Houston’s six straight wins have been three-setters as the Kats have won 18 of the last 19 sets they have played since the streak began.
Wells-Gibson produced 18 kills while Cleveland totaled 13. Kaylee Hawkins added seven kills.
Setter Tayler Gray assisted on 45 of Sam Houston’s 47 kills and led the Bearkat defense with 10 digs. Cleveland and Wells-Gibson added eight digs apiece for same Houston.
Both the first and second sets saw three early lead changes before the Bearkats took control.
There were six lead changes in the third and final set.
Sam Houston will complete this weekend’s Southland road trip with a Saturday afternoon match against the Lamar Cardinals in Beaumont.