By: Ansley Rice
"Tough times don't last, but tough people do," said Kennesaw State football head coach Brian Bohannon, reflecting on the 2022 senior class's contributions to KSU football and the "Gold Standard."
"Adversity illuminates character and there were all these things that were really tough for them to navigate and deal with," he said. "But credit to them for fighting and for continuing to play through it."
There is so much to be said about the 2022 senior class and all they have accomplished throughout the last four years. Despite the unexpected diagnoses, devastating injuries, and a pandemic that canceled the 2020 season, the adversity thrown at this group has never stopped them from playing record-breaking football. As the class of '22 hangs up their cleats and begins a new season in life, it is easy to reflect on the many great accomplishments that the group has made since its arrival; but to truly understand the impact of this class, one must travel back to their first season with the Owls.
The class of '22 has been a representation of E.A.T. (Effort, Attitude and Toughness - the team's mantra) from the moment they stepped on the field at KSU.
It is not often that an athlete gets the opportunity to be part of the most successful start-up football program in history, and the class of '22 never took the opportunity for granted. A handful hit the ground running in an action-packed 2018 season filled with a five-overtime thriller at SunTrust Park (now Truist Park), a No. 4 seed in the FCS playoffs and a quarterfinal finish.
The class of '22 quickly made a name for itself in the 2019 season on both sides of the ball, contributing to an 11-3 finish with an appearance in the FCS playoffs. With freshman defensive contributors like Joel Parker, Markeith Montgomery, Je'Cory Burks, Kelcy Allen and Jayden Barron, KSU ranked No. 3 in the country in total defense.
On the other side of the ball, Terrell Paxton and Zion Katina found time on the offensive line, helping to set the record for rushing touchdowns in a season (58). Behind the line, redshirt freshman Jonathan Murphy stepped up late in the season to lead the Owls at quarterback. In the first round of the FCS playoffs, he led the Owls to a first-round victory and broke the Big South playoff record for the most rushing yards (206), most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (three) and the longest rush from the line of scrimmage (61-yards); talk about Murph Magic!
Their ride of momentum came to a halt when COVID-19 canceled the 2020 football season.
Coming off a postponed season, the Owls were ready to get back in action and continue to make history. KSU made up for 2020 in the spring of 2021, and the class of '22 continued to shine. In the spring 2021 season, Montgomery and Katina represented the Owls on the Big South all-conference second team.
The fall 2021 season showcased a football team with an entirely new attitude, and the class of '22 led the Owls through one of the most historic seasons for KSU. On top of beating North Carolina A&T in front of a record-breaking crowd inside Fifth Third Bank Stadium and head coach Brian Bohannon tying the Big South record for the most wins all-time (63), the class of '22 showcased its true potential at the end of the season.
After going 10-1, the Owls faced an all-too-familiar opponent in the final game of the season: Monmouth. KSU enacted revenge on the Hawks and the Owls pummeled Monmouth, 49-17, to clinch their second Big South Conference championship title as a class
The class of '22 experienced, yet again, another historical moment as KSU made a momentous change from the Big South to the ASUN Conference in the 2022 season; but the transition was far from easy.
"This has probably been one of the toughest years we've had here," Bohannon said. "We faced some adversity that Kennesaw State football has never faced before, and we've been in more challenging situations this year than ever before. I credit the seniors and the leaders on the team for embracing it and helping guide the young guys on the team."
The beginning of the 2022 season was nothing short of difficult. The Owls suffered a 2-4 start to the season, but the class of '22 was not ready to let go of their final season at KSU. Despite a rough start, the senior leaders continued to fight through adversity and battle back to the "Gold Standard."
Backs against the wall, the Owls have won each of their last three games, including a 44-27 victory over No. 15 UT Martin – the first ranked win on the road in the regular season for KSU. In the midst of this streak, Montgomery has led by example and set the Kennesaw State career record for interceptions (10) and is one away from tying the single-season record (6).
With only two games remaining in this regular season, KSU stands 5-4 and is chasing another conference championship.
As KSU football says goodbye to the senior class, there is plenty of praise to be given for their contributions to the success of the KSU football program. Come fill the Bank to honor the Class of '22 as they play their final game inside Fifth Third Bank Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 1:00 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets to Senior Day here.
