Box Score

PIKEVILLE, Ky. – A.J. Graham scored six touchdowns, three through the air and three on the ground, to lead the University of Pikeville to a 56-38 senior-day win over Union (Ky.) on Saturday in the season finale at the Hambley Athletic Complex.

Graham's touchdown total tied a program record for a single game and Shawntez Johnson broke the single-season receiving yards record with four catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson finishes the season with 784 total receiving yards.

The game was an offensive slugfest for the first three quarters and ended with UPIKE narrowly outgaining the Bulldogs 532-520 in total offense. The Bears trailed 31-28 at halftime before outscoring Union 28-7 in the second half, with only one touchdown in the fourth quarter.

UPIKE scored three touchdowns in the third quarter alone, one on a pass to Nu'Keese Richardson followed by keepers of five and 53 yards by Graham.

Graham was 17 of 23 for 306 yards with three touchdowns and one interception, while also rushing for a team-best 90 yards. Union's Chandler Whittlesey went 19 for 32 for 244 yards and four touchdowns.

Jordan Amis had a game-high six catches for the Bears for 82 yards and a touchdown while also throwing a touchdown late in the second quarter. The former high-school quarterback swept across for a handoff before stopping and to hit Johnson for six and make it a 28-21 UPIKE lead.


Whittlesey answered with a 14-yard pass to Domonique Jefferson and Alex Sigmon hit a 32-yard field goal as time expired to build Union's 31-28 lead at the half.

Using a five-play, 68-yard drive to open the third quarter, Graham found Richardson in the back of the end zone to retake a 35-31 lead. The Bears nearly had a defensive stop on the next possession, but Union got new life after a fourth-down pass interference call.

After starting from the Pikeville 21-yard line, Whittlesey found Marcus Ford in the end zone on the third play to take a 38-35 lead, but it would be the last points for the Bulldogs in the game.

UPIKE went up for good on the next drive as Graham capped it off with a 42-yard pass to Johnson and five-yard keeper to make it 42-38.

Union (3-8, 2-4 MSC East) couldn't answer, going four and out before Graham used just two plays to set up his 53-yard touchdown run to give the Bears a 49-38 lead with under a minute left in the third quarter.

Graham's 24-yard pass to Amis with 8:50 left in the fourth would end the scoring in the game as Union came up empty on its last drive with three straight sacks.

Austin Baldwin led the Pikeville defense with 10 tackles, Taylor Woods added nine and Nikolaus Lacey had eight. Desmond Davis, Dontevius Daniel, Jade Haddix and Chris Watson all finished with a solo sack and Demitrius Travis had the Bears lone interception.

Other big performances on offense came from running back Seth Millar with 76 yards on 10 carries and Richardson returned his third punt for a touchdown of the season to make it 14-7 UPIKE in the first quarter.

UPIKE will not advance to the NAIA Championship Series, but finishes the season with a 7-4 overall record and 3-3 mark in the Mid-South Conference East Division. The seven wins are the most for the program since the 2005 season.