Chip Hester Provides Key Insights into Barton’s Performance
In Saturday’s South Atlantic Conference matchup at Limestone College, the Barton College football team’s offense showed improvement but couldn’t hold off the Saints, who secured a 40-26 victory.
With the loss, Barton’s record dropped to 3-7 overall and 2-6 in SAC play, while Limestone, now 7-3 overall, maintained a tie for second place in the SAC Piedmont Division with a 6-2 record. The Saints extended their win streak against Barton to three games after the Bulldogs won the first-ever matchup 45-7 in 2021.
Barton’s season will conclude when they face UVA Wise at Truist Stadium.
The Bulldogs were leading 26-23 late in the fourth quarter after Jackson Parrish’s fourth rushing touchdown with 11:59 remaining. However, a blocked extra point attempt by Limestone’s Mykel Woodfield, which was returned for two points by Alonzo Johnson, gave the Saints a 26-25 lead. Despite forcing a punt on Limestone’s next possession, Barton couldn’t capitalize. After regaining possession with 10:49 left, Barton was unable to score again as the Saints answered with 15 unanswered points and an interception at Barton’s 27-yard line.
Limestone added another touchdown late, taking their biggest lead of the game at 40-26, leaving the Bulldogs frustrated after a similar loss to Newberry two weeks prior. Still, Coach Hester was encouraged by his team’s recent performance, especially compared to a midseason stretch where Barton was outscored 70-0 in back-to-back weeks by Lenoir-Rhyne and Wingate.
“We’ve improved,” said Hester. “We haven’t arrived, but our guys fought hard, and we wanted to make it a fourth-quarter game and give ourselves a shot.”
The game started with a shaky moment for Barton when a kickoff out of bounds set up Limestone at its 35-yard line. The Saints wasted little time, needing just three plays to score, including a 60-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Dustin Noller to D.J. Black on a third-and-5.
Barton struggled to stop Noller, the 2023 All-SAC first-team quarterback, who finished the day with 310 passing yards and three touchdowns. Barton freshman Al Lee had a solid performance, completing 11 of 19 passes for 165 yards, but a critical interception late in the game proved costly.
With 5:21 remaining and Barton driving with a chance to retake the lead, Lee connected with Isaiah Jacobs for 41 yards, putting the Bulldogs in position at the Limestone 31. However, Lee’s pass was intercepted by Malakai Ray, who returned it to the Barton 27. A penalty on the return set the Saints up at the Bulldogs’ 22-yard line, and Noller quickly drove them to the end zone with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Mikey Jones, sealing the win.
“Playing in the SAC, it often comes down to just a few plays, and we weren’t able to make enough of them,” Hester said. “They made theirs.”
Despite the loss, Barton’s offense totaled 388 yards, the second-highest output of the season, behind last week’s 539-yard performance in a home win over Catawba. Parrish had a career-high 154 yards on 34 carries, marking his third consecutive 100-yard game, and Jacobs contributed five receptions for 76 yards. Hester expressed optimism about the team’s progress, particularly with young players in key roles.
“We’re getting better,” he said. “We’ve got young guys stepping up in important positions. Jackson Parrish’s development has been huge, and Al Lee’s reps are invaluable. We’ve got freshmen like E’lla Boykin on defense making an impact. These guys are gaining experience, and that’s what we need to build on for the future.”
The Bulldogs hope to continue building momentum as they prepare for their season finale and look ahead to the recruiting season and the next year.
Scoring Summary:
- LC: D.J. Black 60-yard pass from Dustin Noller (kick failed) – 13:46, 1st
- LC: Daniel Deneen Jr. 43-yard field goal – 4:51, 1st
- BC: Jackson Parrish 1-yard run (kick blocked) – 14:34, 2nd
- BC: Parrish 1-yard run (Andrew Bontekoe kick) – 10:46, 2nd
- LC: D.J. Black 36-yard pass from Noller (Deneen kick) – 9:57, 2nd
- BC: Parrish 19-yard run (Bontekoe kick) – 1:54, 2nd
- LC: Kevin Lalin 4-yard run (Deneen kick) – 0:50, 3rd
- BC: Parrish 4-yard run (kick failed) – 11:59, 4th
- LC: Alonzo Johnson PAT return – 11:59, 4th
- LC: Kevin Lalin 4-yard run (Preston Lounds run) – 5:21, 4th
- LC: Mikey Jones 8-yard pass from Noller (Deneen kick) – 1:02, 4th
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