D3football.com Release
MARYVILLE – D3football.com recognized what could be called the best Maryville football season in program history by naming
Ben Fox its All-Region 3 Coach of the Year.
Fox was joined on the All-Region listing by First Team cornerback
Grant Henderson, First Team offensive lineman
Owen Sacks and Second Team quarterback
Bryson Rollins.
In his fourth full campaign and fifth overall guiding the Scots, Fox has improved the team's record from 4-6 in 2021, to 5-5, to 8-2 and, finally, to a 9-2 finish this season. Maryville won its first NCAA playoff game and reached nine wins in a season for the second time in history and the first time since 1946.
The Scots also captured the USA South conference championship with a perfect 7-0 record in their final season of competition in that league. Maryville is moving to the Southern Athletic Association, which in 2025 will feature four teams that participated in the 2024 NCAA football championship playoffs.
This is the first Coach of the Year honor for Fox, who has compiled a record of 28-17 as head coach over his five seasons – counting the abbreviated Covid spring campaign of 2021. In conference play over the last three seasons, Fox is 17-4. By claiming the regional coaching honor, Fox now is a finalist for D3football.com National Coach of the Year.
Henderson already has earned American Football Coaches Association All-America First Team honors after ranking third nationally in passes defensed with 19. That number is compiled from his 15 pass breakups and four interceptions, one of which he returned 56 yards for a touchdown in a big home win against Huntingdon. He also picked off a pass at Berry in the NCAA playoffs to help the Scots win 20-16.
Henderson's 15 pass breakups tied for second in program history, just one behind Nick White's 16 back in 1995. The Miami senior also had 13 PBUs during his sophomore campaign of 2022.
Sacks was a big reason the Scots lowered their quarterback sacks allowed from 29 in 2022 and 30 in 2023 – both 10-game seasons – to just 14 this year in an 11-game season. He earned All-USA South First Team honors this year after being a Second Team selection in 2023. The Scots led the conference in passing at 281.3 yards.
Rollins completed another brilliant campaign at quarterback, finishing with a career-high in pass efficiency rating at 162.58. He threw for a career-best 2,964 yards, finishing with 23 touchdowns against just seven interceptions. Rollins owns all the Maryville career passing marks, sporting a 61.4 percent completion rate, 8,320 yards and 67 touchdowns against just 24 interceptions.
He has thrown a touchdown pass in his last 17 consecutive games.
