November 8, 2025

Heartbreak in Newberry, C-N falls to No. 18 Wolves in instant classic, 28-21

NEWBERRY, S.C. — Carson-Newman had four chances inside the 15 yard-line to tie the game against No. 25/18 Newberry Saturday, but a final desperation pass was intercepted in the end zone with no time left on the clock.

Carson-Newman

6-3

#25/18 Newberry

9-1

Final	1	2	3	4	T
Carson-Newman (6-3)	7	0	7	7	21
#25/18 Newberry (9-1)	7	0	0	21	28

VIDEO: Ashley Ingram interview

VIDEO: Highlights

VIDEO: Teddy Gleaton Interview

VIDEO: Jerron Blakely Interview

NEWBERRY, S.C. — Carson-Newman had four chances inside the 15 yard-line to tie the game against No. 25/18 Newberry Saturday, but a final desperation pass was intercepted in the end zone with no time left on the clock.

The Eagles would once again be South Atlantic Conference bridesmaids, falling 28-21 to the SAC Champion Wolves at Setzler Field Saturday.

Newberry (9-1, 8-1 SAC) claimed the SAC title outright, along with the automatic NCAA Division II playoff bid, with the victory. The Eagles (6-3, 5-3) fell for a second straight year to the SAC champion in a clinching game on the titlists' home field. The Eagles have been SAC runner-up eight times since winning the league in 2009. The Wolves won the game much as they have all season, in tight fashion. The Wolves are 7-0 this season in games decided by a touchdown or less. This is the fifth time Newberry has won a game with a score in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. Newberry scored the decisive TD with 1:46 to play on a 70-yard TD pass from Reed Charpia to Keshon Washington.

"I think both teams played their hearts out," C-N head coach Ashley Ingram said. "Our guys played their hearts out. We were down there on the (12) with a chance to tie it. …You've got to give Newberry credit. They probably made a play or two more than we did. Their quarterback made some great plays. We're still battling through quarterback injuries. It is what it is, football."

The Wolves opened the game with a methodical opening scoring drive finished off with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Reed Charpia to Keith Desaussure.

Carson-Newman answered back with a scoring drive of their own. Zane Whitson opened the drive with a 15-yard completion to Jeremiah Carroll, before Jayden Sullins did the rest of the work on the ground. Whitson took the ball the final five yards into the paint to tie the score 7-7 after a Bennett Smiith extra point. The score sat there the rest of the half as the two teams traded punts before C-N was short on a 53-yard field goal attempt as the second quarter expired.

With Whitson sidelined with an injury in the second half, Tedros Gleaton took over under center. On his second chance with the ball, the sophomore QB orchestrated an 11-play, 76-yard drive. Gleaton took the ball the final yard himself on a QB dive to give the Eagles a 14-7 lead. Carson-Newman would take that lead into the fourth quarter.

"They're tough kids (the quarterbacks)," Ingram said. "Zane has been dealing with an injury for the last three weeks. It's getting worse than getting better. He couldn't play and couldn't do what he needed to win. Teddy came in and played well."

The Wolves opened the fourth quarter with the ball on their own 32, having pushed it forward from their own six after a 44-yard Grayson Campbell punt. On a second-and-13, Charpia found Rico Dorsey, Jr. for a 60-yard completion to set up Newberry at the C-N eight. Charpia hit Dorsey again for a three-yard touchdown pass that evened the score at 14-all.

Newberry took the lead on their next chance with the ball. Charpia orchestrated a methodical drive, with Jonah Norris taking the ball the final 14 yards on two plays to take command, 21-14.

"We let them run around in the pocket and find a guy to get the ball to," C-N defensive back Jerron Blakely said. "We got to plaster him, keep him in the pocket and get him down. We have to do a better job at that. We fought to the end. I wouldn't rather be with another group of guys. We just got to get better and capitalize on next week."

Blakely led the Eagles with eight tackles. Cruze Temple had seven tackles, half a sack and half a tackle for a loss. Champ Baker recorded five tackles with a tackle for a loss and a pass break-up, With one sack in the game, C-N stretches its sack-per-game streak to 32. The Eagles defense has recorded at least one sack in a game in 40 of its last 41 games.

Carson-Newman wasted no time responding after falling behind, with Gleaton tearing through the Wolves defense on a 48-yard keeper on a second-and-six. Jaden Griffen picked up nine yards on the next play, moving the ball down to the Newberry 14. Four plays later Gleaton blasted his way into the end zone from the five to tie the game a third time, 21-21.

The Wolves needed all of two plays to retake the lead as Charpia completed a short pass to Keshon Washington that, thanks to a C-N defender losing his footing, was able to take the full 70 yards for the go-ahead score. It was the first 70-yard plus scoring reception given up by Carson-Newman since Oct. 2, 2021 at Barton. Charpia wrapped his day 21-of-29 passing for 284 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He added 31 yards on the ground.

Taking over with 1:48 to go in the game and all three time outs, the Eagles battled their way down the field, with Don Bradley, Sullins and Gleaton picking up key yards on the ground and through the air. C-N made it down to the Newberry 12, but with three shots at the end zone and only enough time to run pass plays, Gleaton's final pass on fourth down was picked off by the Wolves' Santory Jones to end the game. It was the first interception for the Eagles all season.

It was the second time this year that C-N lost a game after entering the fourth quarter with a lead. C-N is 79-10 when leading to open the final quarter since 2012. The last time Carson-Newman surrendered 21 points in the fourth quarter was Oct. 27, 2018 at Tusculum.

"We fought hard and we know we have a team that's going to fight to the end," Gleaton said. "We just have to take the loss and move on to next week. …It was our mistakes that messed us up. They have a big front, but we had some misreads and missed opportunities. We shot ourselves in the foot."

Gleaton led the Eagles with 14 carries for 97 yards and two touchdowns. He was 5 of 14 passing for 41 yards and a pick.

While C-N is still mathematically alive for an NCAA Division II playoff berth, but it would need a cavalcade of chaos throughout Super Region II and multiple losses from key teams. It was also require a Senior Day when in the Second Oldest Rivalry Game in the State of Tennessee against Tusculum (1-8, 0-8).

"This is when you find out who you are," Ingram said. "You have to come back and go to work. As bad as this feels, lay an egg next weekend on senior day against Tusculum, you'll find out what bad feels like. Our guys have a lot of pride. We'll come back and work. We'll battle. In the last two years we've lost six games by an average of seven points against teams that are like 43-5 or something. I don't take a lot of solace in that, but our guys are tough. They show up, they play and they compete every time they're out here. I don't expect anything less."

Carson-Newman wraps up its regular season celebrating Senior Day next Saturday, Nov. 15, with a SAC contest against Tusculum at Burke-Tarr Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Coverage on the Eagles Sports Network begins at noon with the AEC Countdown to kickoff on Joy 620 (WRJZ-AM, Knoxville), and online at cneagles.com/live. A video stream is available with a subscription to Flo Sports at cneagles.com/FloFB.