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Behind The Scenes: No. 1 Lions Survive A&M-Kingsville for Chennault Cup [SLIDESHOW]

KETR | By Jasmine Baker
Published September 3, 2018 at 7:42 AM CDT
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A&M-Commerce nabbed its seventh straight Chennault Cup victory on Thursday. It now ties A&M-Kingsville's streak as the longest winning streak in the 65-game series.
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Senior kicker Kristov Martinez warms up before the nationally televised game. • Martinez sealed the win after a missed point after by the Javelinas, and a Marquis Wimberly touchdown in overtime.";
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New signage greeted Lion fans at the entrance of Memorial Stadium.
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Under Armour National Championship shirts were given away to students before the big game.
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Sophmore LB Dayne Douglass is all smiles before the Lions took down A&M-Kingsville.
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Commerce Mayor Wyman Williams greets fans before the game at the tailgate.
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Chitwood interviews Lions Head Coach Colby Carthel before the Lions home opener.
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Despite a scoreless first half, the Lions rallied in the second half to beat the Javelinas in double overtime.
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Jordan Smith (77) has been an integral part of the Lions offensive line in the past few seasons. Last season he played in all 15 games for the Lions, helping with one of the best passing offenses in the country.
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Lions Athletic Director Tim McMurray high fives players as they prepare for another season under his helm. In his short time at A&M-Commerce, McMurray already has four national titles, including one for football.
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Brucks Saathoff finished the game with a team hight nine tackles. The senior linebacker was named preseason All-American by the College Football America Yearbook. Last season he picked up first team all-conference honors.
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Ja'Quorius Smith (right) chats with 14-year-old Japheth Cranfill. Japheth and his younger brother Jeriah recently joined the Lions team on Team IMPACT Draft Day. They signed a National Letter of Intent, took photos and were fitted for team gear.
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The Lions practice squad prepared for their close-up before the game.
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The band has a new uniform indicating the school's name change from it's ETSU roots.
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Fans shop the Lions stadium store before the game.
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The media booth at Memorial Stadium was tense throughout most of the game.
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Callaway and Chitwood had the call for the season opener.
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The Lions currently have the longest winning streak in Dll football with 11 consecutive wins.
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Lions Redshirt junior QB, Preston Wheeler, preservered in his first career start to complete 23 of 48 passes for 298 yards, including 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. Senior WR Marquis Wimberly led all receivers with 8 receptions and 101 yards.
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KETR's Lion Football Broadcast Team, Charlie Chitwood and Brock Callaway, showing off their national championship rings.
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The Lions home opener went into double overtime on ESPN3 Thursday, narrowly winning by a field goal. They now set their sights on William Jewell, they'll play in Missouri on Saturday, September 8 at Noon.
Evan Lucke

KETR Sports takes you behind the scenes of the Lions’ season opener against Texas A&M-Kingsville. The Texas heat wasn't enough to match the fever pitch of Lion fans excited to cheer on their defending national champions. They enjoyed a revamped tailgating experience, live music, free Lions gear and a double overtime victory.

After going scoreless in the first half, the Lions rallied in double overtime to beat the Javelinas. The heroics of kicker Kristov Martinez were on display Thursday night as he kicked the game-tying field goal in regulation to send it into overtime. In double overtime he solidifed the victory with a game-winning field goal, after a Marquis Wimberly touchdown. The Lions remain the top team in the nation to beat.

Take a look back into the home opener at Memorial Stadium.
Sports
Jasmine Baker
Lifelong sports fan, Jasmine Baker, has been covering sports for KETR 88.9 since 2016, under the tutelage of Mark Haslett. She's co-hosted the award-winning student produced program 'Lions After Dark' and produced online content covering Lion Athletics. As an undergraduate she began her journalism career writing for student-run campus newspaper The East Texan. Jasmine has covered high school basketball playoffs, college and professional sports in the Dallas Metroplex. Her experience has allowed her to be a guest on various sports talk shows, including guest play-by-play with Charlie Chitwood. In the 2018 WNBA season she covered the Dallas Wings for High Post Hoops.
See stories by Jasmine Baker