HELENA — Carroll College’s football team won an NAIA playoff game for the first time since 2014 Saturday afternoon in Nelson Stadium. But the Fighting Saints’ season might’ve ended Saturday if not for the heroics of redshirt senior wide receiver Chris Akulschin.
With no time remaining in the first half, the Saints trailing by three and the momentum having swung wildly in St. Thomas’ favor, Akulschin came down with a Hail Mary that was batted in the end zone.
Watch the play:
The score put Carroll up 21-17 at the break — and from that moment on, Carroll never trailed en route to a 42-35 victory.
“I think any time you get a play like that, it definitely switches the momentum,” Akulschin told MTN Sports after the game. “And, yeah, I could feel it going into the locker room that we had a good sense of what we were going to do coming out of halftime because of that play.”
But while Akulschin certainly made a great play on Saturday — and has made a bevy of great plays throughout his Saints career — the wide receiver is equally impressive in the classroom. For the third straight year, Akulschin earned an academic all-conference honor just three days prior.
“It was definitely a learning curve being a civil engineering major and playing football,” said Akulschin. “And so, I took a lot of pride in trying to manage my time and be the best I could on the field and in the classroom. And I think that’s just transferred over through these five years here.”
And above even Akulschin’s on-field production and multiple all-conference honors for his play, it’s Akulschin’s work ethic that has left the biggest impression on his teammates and coaches.
“He’s the hardest worker out here any day of the week, any time of the week, in the weight room, and everywhere else,” said Carroll head coach Troy Purcell. “And he’s just a great, high-character, living the creed. Man, if you have a daughter you need married, yeah, find Chris Akulschin.”
Carroll’s season continues Saturday with a second-round matchup in Butte against No. 3 Montana Tech.
