Catawba College defensive backs Dyran Peake and Anthony Spencer have been playfully cajoling one another all season long.

Spencer has two interceptions that Peake said he stole from him.

“He can get his now,” Peake laughed after a 53-6 win over Wingate last week, “but I’ll get mine later in the season.”

Peake hopes “later” comes today because both senior safeties will have a chance to pick off passes. Presbyterian is coming to town for a crucial South Atlantic Conference game (1:30 p.m. at Shuford Stadium) and you can bet Todd Cunningham will be filling the air.

Cunningham, the Blue Hose quarterback, is highly-regarded. He was runnerup last season for the Harlon Hill Trophy, the Division IIequivilant to the Heisman.

“What we have to do is get ready for the best quarterback — not in the Carolinas, not in the South Atlantic Conference but in the entire nation,” Catawba coach David Bennett said. “This is a kid who was offered scholarships by Georgia Tech, Auburn and Florida as a junior.”

But the schools pulled their offers. And Cunningham, who is also a talented baseball player, decided on Presbyterian and coach Daryl Dickey, who assured the 6-3, 225-pounder that he could play both sports.

Bennett is a Cunningham fan.

“This kid had to deal with being one of the top Division I recruits in the whole country to going to Division II,” Bennett said, “and he has handled it with class.”

Presbyterian (2-1) got off to a slow start, falling to West Georgia 45-14 in the opener. But the Blue Hose bounced back with wins over Charleston Southern (28-13) and Lenoir-Rhyne (24-21).

Cunningham has not disappointed. He is 55-of-98 for 711 yards and six touchdowns. Last week, against Lenoir-Rhyne, he was 20-of-28 for 207 yards.

Donald Wilson is the top ballcarrier with 259 yards but 169 came last week against the Bears.

“It’s a great challenge for us to play a good Presbyterian team,” said Bennett, whose Indian defense is one of the best in the nation. “They play the game hard — the way you’re supposed to play it. There is no quit in Presbyterian.”

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Even more than Cunningham, Catawba must overcome the tradition of this series, one that Presbyterian has thoroughly dominated. The Hose lead overall 38-13-2. Catawba did win last year 24-10 behind the heroics of Mitch Ellis, a pretty fair quarterback himself.

But Bennett says that win means nothing now. Past history still burns in his memory when thinking of his alma mater. He’ll make sure his dominating, 3-0 team is not looking past the Blue Hose.

“How can you take a team for granted that you’ve beaten only once in the last four years?” Bennett asked.

“I don’t know.”

In 1996, when Catawba beat Carson-Newman, and won the SAC title, Presbyterian defeated the Indians the following week, the only SAC team to beat Bennett that season.

In 1997, Presbyterian beat Catawba in Shuford Stadium. In 1998, the Hose again came back from a 17-0 deficit to win.

“They have owned Catawba College on the gridiron,” Bennett said.

And a QB named Cunningham.

“He’ll be the best quarterback to play in Shuford Stadium all year long,”said Bennett, who then gave a little grin.

“Other than Mitch Ellis,” he said. “We like Mitch.”

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Other SAC games will have Carson-Newman at Lenoir-Rhyne (7 p.m.), Tusculum at Wingate (1:30), Newberry at West Virginia Wesleyan (1) and Mars Hill at Gardner-Webb (7).

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Livingstone again hits the road in search of its first win. The 0-3 Blue Bears go to Fayetteville State for a 7 p.n. clash.

Other CIAAgames: Elizabeth City at N.C. Central, Winston-Salem State at Virginia Union, J.C. Smith at Tuskeegee, Savannah State at Virginia State and West Virginia State at Bowie State.

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