The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

With the NCAA Division II 2020 Fall Championships cancelled, Bahamian football players will have to look to spring 2021 to complete their collegiate careers on the gridiron.

Rondre Knowles-Tener of the University of Virginia-Wise Cavaliers and Mike Strachan of the University of Charleston Golden Cougars saw their senior seasons postponed after the presidents council for each division made the announcement earlier this month based on challenges stemming from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

NCAA fall sports include men’s and women’s soccer, football, field hockey, and women’s volleyball.

The Cavs compete in the South Atlantic Conference. The SAC Presidents Council had previously delayed the start of fall sports competition until September 26, but due to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the presidents felt it was in the best interest of the student-athletes, coaches, administrators, fans and the campus communities in general to postpone to the spring of 2021.

“We had to bring our kids in a little earlier to have a scattered move-in where they moved in during certain time slots. We had started workouts and had practiced social distancing. We were really hoping we’d have a chance to play,” UVa-Wise football coach Dane Damron told the Bristol Herald Courier. “It’ll be different. Not much high school football to watch and who knows with college football at the [NCAA Division I] FBS and FCS levels.”

In his second season with the Cavs, Knowles-Tener became a force on the defensive line. The junior defensive tackle led the team with seven sacks.

In addition to his career high sack numbers this season, he also reached several other career high marks this season with 38 total tackles, 10 tackles for a loss (54 yards) and a team leading four quarterback hurries.

He opened the season with one sack and four tackles, including one for a loss, against Chowan University. In game two he had a season high two sacks and four tackles against Tennessee Tech. He also recorded sacks against Carson-Newman, Tusculum and Newberry (0.5).

After struggling to earn playing time over the last two seasons with the James Madison Dukes, Knowles-Tener decided to leave the programme and transfer to the Cavs.

Strachan and the Golden Eagles compete in the Mountain East Conference.

The MEC’s Board of Directors announced several decisions, including the postponement of fall sports until the spring semester.

The board also approved a reduced schedule model for fall sports that will shift to spring 2021 (football, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, and men’s and women’s cross country). “That includes a conference championship, without participants exhausting a year of eligibility utilising the legislative relief provided to NCAA Division II institutions for the 2020-21 season,” the organsation said in a press release.

Strachan was recently listed among Yahoo! Sports’ top “small school” prospects for the 2021 NFL Draft and a preseason All-American.

The COVID-19 pandemic has already hindered the exposure of prospects in the 2020 draft where just three Division II prospects were selected.

In his junior season, Strachan rewrote the record books and boosted his stock for pro scouts. He was named an NCAA Division II Second Team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association and to the 2019 Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-America team.

Strachan finished with 78 receptions for 1,319 yards and 19 touchdowns. Following his breakout season, he had a share of the all-time Charleston touchdown record of 27. He set new school records, led the Mountain East Conference in each category and was second in all of DII in both receiving yards and touchdowns. His breakout season achieved Division II Top-10 marks for the 2019 season in receiving touchdowns (second), receiving yards (sixth), receptions (ninth), and receiving yards per game (fifth).