By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
Fort Hays State ran its win streak to four games with a 19-3 win over Emporia State on Homecoming night (Oct. 12) at Lewis Field Stadium. The Tiger defense played well once again, holding their opponent under 300 yards for the second straight game and to seven points or less for the third straight game. FHSU is now 4-2, while ESU fell to 2-4.
The Tigers reached the endzone only once in the game, a 23-yard touchdown pass from Chance Fuller to D.J. Hickman in the second quarter at the 10:35 mark. Otherwise, the leg of Dante Brown was a big key to victory as he made all four of his field goal attempts. Brown converted from 34 yards in the first quarter, 31 and 42 yards in the second quarter, and 21 yards in the fourth quarter.
Fort Hays State held a 16-0 lead at halftime, but the Hornets closed the gap to 16-3 with a 24-yard Clark Schoonover field goal at 9:43 in the third quarter. That is all the Tigers yielded on the scoreboard and Brown pushed the lead back out to 16 with his fourth field goal of the game at 6:19 remaining in the third. Neither team scored the rest of the way.
The Tigers were balanced in gaining 392 yards of total offense. FHSU gained 183 yards on the ground, led by 111 by Charles Tigner. Hickman added 63. Fuller finished with 209 passing yards, completing 19-of-29 passes.
Defensively, the Tigers held the Hornets to 276 total yards. FHSU held ESU to less than 100 yards of offense in three of the four quarters with 39 as the low in the first. ESU had only 93 total yards at halftime.
Dalton Cowan led the Hornets in both rushing and passing. He scampered for 56 yards and threw for 129. Drew Harvey led the Tigers in tackles with 13, followed by Hayden Kreutzer with 10. Tanner Hoekman produced the game’s only turnover late in the fourth quarter by intercepting a Cowan pass near midfield. Hoekman finished with nine tackles.
The Tigers head on the road next week to face nationally ranked Pittsburg State. The No. 13 ranked Gorillas fell from the ranks of the unbeaten on Saturday when falling to still undefeated No. 7 ranked Northwest Missouri State. Kickoff is set for 1 pm in Pittsburg.