Warrior football offense flying high

Although the Waldorf football team sits at 3-2 now and have lost two out of their last three games after opening up the season with a 2-0 record, the Warriors are having one of the best statistical seasons that Waldorf has seen in recent years.

A Waldorf Football player catches the ball heading to the end zone (Cody Clark)

Led by James Loydd, a Lake Wales, Florida native and junior special teams standout, the Waldorf College return game ranks 6^th in the NAIA in kickoff return yardage per game with 22 returns, 579 yards, 4 touchdowns, and an average of 26.2 yards per return. They also are second in the NAIA in kick return touchdowns with four. Loydd was recently named the NAIA and Mid-States Football Association Special Teams Player of the Week as he tallied 170 yards and two touchdowns on two kickoff returns, including a career long return of 96 yards. He has individually racked up 383 yards on 9 returns, which places him fourth in the NAIA. His 3 return touchdowns leave him second in the NAIA, and his 42.6 return yards per game rank him second in the NAIA.

On the offensive side of the football, Waldorf’s rushing offense puts them ranked 12^th at 37.2 points per game, and they are 11^th in terms of total points with 186 this season. Running the football, the Warriors have already amassed 1106 rushing yards in their first five games, and their 221.2 rushing yards per game average leaves them ranked 15^th in NAIA Division I as a team. Lavelle Maddox is ranked 40^th with 359 yards rushing, and quarterback Sam Fisk has thrown for 939 yards, leaving him 33^rd in that category.

In the conference, Fisk ranks 4^th in total offense and total offensive yards per game and 2^nd in pass efficiency. Maddox is ranked 7^th in the conference with 359 yards, averaging 57.2 per contest. Marshall Williams ranks 10^th in the Mid-States Football Association Midwest with 211 total rushing yards. Marc Ballatori ranks 4^th in receiving yards with 319 and his 63.8 yards per game ranks him 4^th as well. Loydd leads the conference in all-purpose yards and all-purpose yards per game with 672 yards and a 134.4 average. Fisk also leads the conference in scoring with 48 points at 9.6 points per game and has 15 total touchdowns (7 passing and 8 receiving). The Warriors put their high-flying offense back in play Saturday at 1:00 p.m. as they travel to Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa.