ATLANTA, GA  |  For the third time in 2024, Keiser and Thomas will meet.  This time, the winner will have the opportunity to play in the National Championship Game.  Both of the previous meetings took place in West Palm Beach, FL, with Keiser winning both games, 6-0, respectively.  In both contests, a 2^nd quarter interception, deep in Thomas territory, led to the lone score in the game.  The winner of the contest on Friday, at 11am, at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, will face the winner of the Ottawa (KS) vs. Warner game, that will occur prior to the Thomas/Keiser match up. 

TALE OF THE TAPE

KEY PLAYERS

Keiser

Keiser placed five players on The Sun Conference 1^st team, occupying six positions, and an additional three players on the 2^nd team.  Keiser is led by The Sun Conference player of the year, Jazmin Rhoden.  The quarterback, Rhoden, has passed for over 3000 yards and thrown for 50+ touchdowns.  Brianna Hernandez-Silva was a 1^st team selection at running back.  Hernandez-Silva caught 68 passes for 581 yards and 11 touchdowns during the regular season.  Adriana Rodriquez was a 1^st team selection at center.  Rodriquez had 51 receptions for 390 yards and six touchdowns during the regular season.  Ashlea Klam led the Seahawks with 906 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns, on 63 receptions.  Klam was also a 1^st team safety on defense, with six interceptions and three pass-break-ups.

Emma Wagenman was a 2^nd team selections as a rusher.  Wagenman had 17 of her 24 tackles, for the regular season, go for sacks.  Wagenman also had one interception and four pass-break-ups.  Adrianna Cavalotti claimed the 2^nd team utility-defense position.  Cavalotti recorded 28 flag pulls, with six interceptions and four pass-preak-ups.

The Seahawks are led by 2024 Sun Conference Coach of the Year, Samantha Harris.  Harris claimed the award after Thomas coach, Chelsea Parmer, won the award the previous two seasons.  Harris led Keiser to an undefeated regular season, and both The Sun Conference regular season and tournament championship.

Thomas

The Night Hawks also placed eight players, occupying nine positions, on The Sun Conference 1^st or 2^nd team.  Thomas also had six selections on the 1^st team, with most of the Night Hawks selections occurring on the defensive side of the ball.  The six individuals were led by defensive player of the year, Gisele Jones.  Jones, who converted this season from cornerback to linebacker, has accumulated 13 interceptions and 14 pass-break-ups this season, including pool play at the NAIA Championships.  Jones is third on the team in flag pulls, with 49.  Although Jones did not receive any conference superlatives offensively, she leads the Night Hawks with 16 touchdown receptions on 42 catches. 

Freshman rusher Kaitlyn Herb, has shattered the previous Thomas single-season sack record of 23, with 34 sacks through the 19 games that stats are available for (Thomas has played 20 games).  Herb is second on the team with 54 flag pulls and has recorded 40 tackles-for-loss on the season, along with two interceptions and 10 pass-break-ups.  Herb, who was the SSAC Freshman of the Year in soccer, is the team's punter.  Herb has punted the ball 14 times, with 11 of those punts landing inside the opponent's 20-yard line, and has one 50+ yard punt to her credit.  Herb was named defensive player of the week once this season.

Janae Scott, the 1^st team linebacker, was the 2023 Sun Conference defensive player of the year.  Scott, who recorded over 125 flag pulls in 2023, has led Thomas with 66 flag pulls, this season.  Scott was The Sun Conference Champion of Character and was a winner of the defensive player of the week award once this season.

Freshman defensive back, Maddie Hougland, is second on the team with nine interceptions.  She has had 31 flag pulls and 12 pass-break-ups.  Hougland was defensive player of the week two times this season. 

Offensively, Nakerra Brown was selected to The Sun Conference 1^st team.  Brown is second on the team in receptions, yards receiving, and touchdowns with 76, 678, and 13, respectively. 

Kiana Acol was the 1^st team utility player.  Acol leads Thomas with 236 rushing yards (8.4 avg.) on 28 carries with six touchdowns.  As a quarterback, she is 10/19 for 43 yards and three passing touchdowns.  Acol has 71 receptions for 415 yards, with 11 touchdowns.

Leading The Sun Conference 2nd team superlatives at quarterback was Alexa Wilson.  Wilson has passed for 64 touchdowns and over 3300 yards, completing 73.45% of her passes, for a passer rating of 163.84 on the season.  Wilson averages 186 passing yards per game.  Wilson has rushed the ball 36 times for 207 yards.  Wilson won back-to-back offensive player of the week awards this season.

Aliyah Wood made The Sun Conference 2^nd team superlatives on both sides of the ball.  As a receiver, she leads the Night Hawks in receptions and yards with 80 and 685 respectively.  Wood has 10 touchdown catches to her credit.  On defense, Wood has 40 flag pulls, with six interceptions.  Wood is tied for the team lead in pass-break-ups, with 14.

Coach Chelsea Parmer, who was The Sun Conference coach of the year in 2022 and 2023, leads the Night Hawks.  Parmer collected her 50^th collegiate win in the last home game of the season for Thomas. 

For up-to-date information on this game and other TU Athletics, visit http://www.TUNightHawks.com.