JACKSON, Miss. – The Millsaps football team concluded the regular season by recognizing 14 members of the program during Senior Day, falling to Trinity University, 38-24 at Harper Davis Field on Saturday afternoon.
Seniors on the gridiron recognized were Nicholas Eaton, Bo Gilkison, Trevor Helper, Preston Hill, Ethan Klapatch, Darren Labit, Connor Ladner, Peyton Parker and Camryn Vines along with graduate Lemon Phelps for their outstanding work on and off the field.
Millsaps (5-5, 3-4 SAA) also honored football coaching student assistant A.J. Alvarez as well as student training staff member and football videographer Caitlyn McNamee, cheer manager Kerrione Hunter and cheerleader Elyssia Jones.
Freshman Cole Canatella threw for 172 yards and two touchdowns with his longest throw going for 43 yards to Ladner against the Tigers. He added five rushing yards on 19-of-34 passing and one interception.
Classmate Chase Jacobs rushed for one touchdown on the ground, while Ladner led the receiving core with 96 yards.
Freshman Kaiden Reese completed the afternoon with 43 yards off eight receptions and garnered a receiving score. Classmate Dexter Compton Jr. stood out as well for the Majors by hauling in his first collegiate touchdown.
On the defensive side of the ball, junior Nehemiah Coalson led the way for the Majors with nine tackles (2.0 TFLs, including 1.0 sack). The Belzoni, Miss., product added two quarterback hurries.
Sophomore Luke Bridges erupted with seven total tackles and a 35-yard interception return.
Junior Malachi Pasteur, senior Darren Labit (one breakup) and sophomore Tre Jones all finished with six tackles.
Sophomore Nathan Johnson (1.5 TFLs, 0.5 Sacks) contested five tackles and a menacing four quarterback hurries.
On special teams, senior Ethan Klapatch led the Majors in rushing yards with a 21-yard run off a fake punt. He also punted 268 yards off seven attempts (38.3-yard average). Klapatch landed three kicks inside the 20-yard line and sailed one kick 63 yards.
Freshman Davis Dare was terrific again in the return game for the Majors. He amassed three returns for 70 yards with a long of 45 yards.
On kickoffs, freshman Connor Babin recorded five kicks for 281 yards on a 56.2-yard average. He also boasted two touchbacks against the Tigers.
In the first quarter, Klapatch caught Trinity unaware as he picked up a first down off a fake punt on the game's opening position. He carried the ball 21 yards to put the Majors offense in a great position at midfield.
Canatella would later find junior Blake Wiley for a 27-yard pass completion on a fly route to push the Majors down the field and give a 1st-and-goal opportunity inside the 10-yard line.
With nine minutes remaining in the first quarter, Canatella found Compton Jr. all alone in the middle of the end zone from four yards out again on fourth down. Miller would make the point-after attempt to put Millsaps ahead, 7-0 after covering 75 yards on 14 plays.
After a defensive stop and 10-yard Ladner reception, the senior running a post-route up the middle of the field hauled in a beautiful, 43-yard pass from Canatella.
The drive eventually concluded at the Trinity 25-yard line where Miller bounced a 35-yard field goal attempt off the right upright, giving the Majors a 10-0 advantage.
Trinity (8-2, 6-1 SAA) would soon get on board early in the second quarter following a six-yard rushing touchdown, which concluded a 10-play, 75-yard drive.
With 9:14 remaining on the clock, the opposing team would find the end zone once again off a screen pass to better the Majors, 14-10.
The Tigers then added a field goal and two additional two touchdowns to build a 31-10 margin by intermission.
Dare would return a kickoff 45 yards late in the half to electrify the crowd. The drive would later be stopped at midfield.
Trinity began the third quarter by missing a 25-yard field-goal try on its opening possession.
The visitors would go on to record their first touchdown of the second half following a 71-yard pass down the field.
Bridges would step up for the Millsaps defense with an interception returning the ball 35 yards to the Trinity 10-yard line, almost capturing a pick six.
Jacobs would finish the rest for the team with a three-yard rushing touchdown to cut the deficit to 38-17, after a Miller PAT.
The Millsaps defense would continue to its strong recovery to open the fourth quarter as Coalson started off with a sack. Trinity's drive ended when Nathan Johnson and freshman Myles Johnson teamed up for a strong 13-yard sack on fourth down.
Following a nine-play, 55-yard drive, Canatella discovered Reese splitting in front of two defenders for a wide-open touchdown from nine yards out. Miller's PAT made the contest a two-score game with Trinity now holding a 38-24 advantage with 8:08 remaining.
Unfortunately, Millsaps would only possess the ball one more time and Trinity would ice away the final 5:23 off the clock on a final possession.
Despite the defeat, the Majors recorded their most wins in a season since 2019. The 2024 campaign was the first under Millsaps football head coach Brandon Lechtenberg.
To keep up to date with everything surrounding the football program this year follow the Majors on X and Instagram, like Millsaps Majors Athletics on Facebook or visit gomajors.com.
Founded in Jackson, Mississippi in 1890, Millsaps College is a national liberal arts college dedicated to academic excellence, open inquiry and free expression, the exploration of faith to inform vocation and the innovative shaping of the social, economic and cultural progress of our region. Consistently ranked as one of the best values in higher education, Millsaps has been praised by Colleges That Change Lives, The Princeton Review, Forbes Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, The John Templeton Foundation, and The Fiske Guide to Colleges.
