FHSU Sports Information Department
Fort Hays State Football looks to continue its climb in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association in 2015. After tying for fourth (its highest-ever finish in the MIAA) and producing their best record since 1996 by finishing 7-4, the team continues to eye bigger goals moving forward.
Fort Hays State has seen constant improvement in Chris Brown’s four years as head coach, going from 4-7 in 2011, to 5-6 in 2012, to 6-5 in 2013, and then 7-4 in 2014. Attaining improvement in the MIAA year after year is definitely a tough feat, but the Tigers have found it under Brown’s guidance.
The 7-4 mark in 2014 was impressive in the fact that the entire schedule consisted of conference games. Fort Hays State’s previous high for wins in the MIAA since joining the conference in 2006 was four, and it blew past that mark with a more difficult schedule than it had ever faced in the previous eight seasons. The Tigers usually had nine conference games and two non-conference games on the slate until 2013, when the Tigers played 10 conference games and one non-conference.
So the next goal for the Tigers appears to be reaching the postseason and continuing their ascent in the conference standings. FHSU was right on the doorstep of postseason play last year. FHSU was one of three teams to finish at 7-4 in the MIAA behind Central Oklahoma (8-3), which took third and claimed the MIAA’s bid to the Mineral Water Bowl. The MIAA received only two selections to the NCAA Playoffs (Northwest Missouri State and Pittsburg State), thus leaving UCO shy of a playoff selection and claim to the bowl game.
The Tigers tied for fourth in the MIAA with Missouri Western and Central Missouri, yet they dismantled Central Missouri in the final contest of the season on the road. Missouri Western defeated both UCM and FHSU in 2014, yet a bowl bid was given to Central Missouri. The Texarkana Bowl chose Central Missouri to participate in its game over MWSU or FHSU despite going 0-2 against the teams it tied with at 7-4. Logic in head-to-head competition would suggest Missouri Western should have been the selection, but the bid was not based upon that reasoning. The Tigers have not made a postseason appearance (NCAA Playoffs or bowl game) since 1995 so they will be hungry to end drought in 2015.
Offense
Quarterbacks
Treveon Albert returns for his senior season already with claim to some of the best numbers in school history at quarterback. For the second straight season, Albert produced over 2,000 yards of total offense and helped the Tigers close out the 2014 campaign with three straight wins. He has 3,960 passing yards in his career, which ranks fifth all-time at FHSU, but has rushed for 1,189 yards. With Albert being a dual threat with his arm and legs, it will be interesting to see how he is utilized by new offensive coordinator Jeff Bryant and new passing game coordinator coach Philip Vigil.
Also ready to step in at the quarterback position is senior Kevin Spain, who started the second game of the season last year, but suffered a season-ending injury in that game. At the time, FHSU was utilizing both Albert and Spain under center, but Albert took the snaps for the remainder of the season. Brad Schencker, Jacob Mezera, and Erin Gaither all redshirted last year, so they will also be in search of more time on the field.
Running Backs
The Tigers have junior Kenneth Iheme returning for his junior season in 2015. Iheme came on strong late last year, rushing for over 100 yards in two of the last three games of 2014. He finished the year with 557 rushing yards and three touchdowns, averaging 4.4 yards per carry. Also returning to the backfield is sophomore James Sullivan, who saw limited action in eight games last year to finish with 60 rushing yards. Elliot Carlson, also a sophomore, saw action in a few games as a special teamer and the Tigers have a pair of running backs that redshirted last season.
Receivers
A pair of starters return at receiver for the Tigers in juniors Isaiah Maxi and Bilal Salat. Maxi finished second on the team in receiving in 2014 with 224 yards on 26 catches, while Salat caught four passes for 69 yards. Junior Evan Jennings also returns after catching five passes for 49 yards last year. The Tigers have four other veterans at the position, including Garrett Holle, Cory Ellis, Tyler Bacon, and Damian Mayberry, and five players that redshirted in their first year out of high school. Looking to make a big impact on the receiving game will be Division I transfer Andrew Flory, who put up solid numbers in his two seasons at Central Michigan.
Tight Ends
Zack Gaughan leads three returners at the tight end position. The senior from Hays has been a steady player for the Tigers, as he finished last year with 17 catches for 190 yards. Even though they didn’t put up any receiving numbers last year, J.J. Lewis and Connor Farmer played an important role blocking and on special teams.
Offensive Line
The Tiger offensive line gained another year of maturity in 2014 with several of the same starters carrying over from the 2013 season. Led by All-MIAA Second Team selection Matt Erbert, the Tiger offensive line had a huge role in the Tigers reaching seven wins in 2014. They helped the Tigers gain over 230 rushing yards in the final three games of the season, which all resulted in wins. Luke Edney (senior left tackle), Chico Feltenberger (junior left guard), Colby Hamel (senior center), Mason Dickey (junior right guard), and Erbert (senior right tackle) did not miss a start in 2014, all serving as a fixture on the line throughout the 11-game schedule. Jordan McDonald and Travis Talley are veterans that have seen time on the field, while the Tigers have a pair of players that redshirted last year.
Defense
Defensive Line
One of the big question marks entering the 2015 season will be the Tiger defense, which saw six starters exhaust their eligibility last year. Three of those were on the defensive line, but returners Andre McKinnon and Johnny Hubbard III combined for 10 starts last year on the line. Both look to provide senior leadership to a group that will see 10 new faces this season. McKinnon finished with 40 tackles and two sacks in 2014, while Hubbard finished with 18 tackles and one sack.
Luke Wright and Noah Debban also return with plenty of experience. Wright appeared in 10 games for FHSU last year, while Debban was out for the entire season, but played in seven games as a redshirt-freshman in 2013. Several transfers could be critical to the success of the Tigers up front.
Linebackers
The Tigers have three of their top defenders returning at linebacker in seniors Justin McPhail and Brock Long, and junior Alex Schmidtberger. McPhail led the Tigers in tackles for the second straight year with 108, while adding nine tackles for loss, four sacks, and two interceptions to earn All-MIAA Third Team honors. Long finished second on the team in tackles with 93, adding 3.5 sacks, and Schmidtberger had 69 tackles and tied for a team-best three interceptions. Both Long and Schmidtberger were All-MIAA Honorable Mention selections. Dalton Gould and Kane Kelly are also players returning that saw significant action in 2014. The Tigers also have two redshirts and two newcomers at the position.
Defensive Backs
Fort Hays State will look to replace three of five starters at defensive back this year, which included a pair of all-conference second team selections and an all-conference first team selection. The starters returning from last season include seniors Daniel Lindsey at bandit and Rashad Dunnigan at cornerback. Lindsey earned All-MIAA Honorable Mention honors, finishing with 77 tackles, a sack, an interception, and a blocked kick, while Dunnigan had 42 tackles, an interception, and five pass break-ups.
Raheeme Dumas started the first three games of the season at cornerback for FHSU in 2014 before suffering a season-ending injury. He finished with 10 tackles. DeAndre James was also critical at safety, starting two contests and racking up 32 tackles. The Tigers have nine players returning at defensive back that redshirted in 2014, while a handful of newcomers look to make an impact as well.
Specialty
Kickers/Punters
Drew O’Brien returns for his senior year, serving as the team’s place kicker for the fourth straight season. He was also the team’s punter last year, averaging 40 yards per attempt, and could likely be used in the dual role again in 2015. O’Brien has 176 career kicking points and is tied for the all-time lead in extra-points converted at FHSU with 107. J.P. Maciel was primarily used as a kickoff specialist last year, but has stepped in for extra points and field goals in the past. Jordon Stangler is also available as a punter, but saw limited time on the field last year.
Schedule
The Tigers play a slate of all conference games for the second straight year in 2015. FHSU plays six of its 11 games at home this year, with four against rival schools. Home contests include Northeastern State (Sept. 10 – Kickoff Classic), Pittsburg State (Sept. 26 – Tailgreat), Washburn (Oct. 3 – Homecoming), Emporia State (Oct. 17), Nebraska-Kearney (Oct. 31 – Hall of Fame), and Central Missouri (Nov. 14 – Senior Day). FHSU begins the year on the road at Central Oklahoma on Thursday, September 3 in the MIAA TV Network Game of the Week. Other road opponents include Lindenwood, Missouri Western, Northwest Missouri State, and Missouri Southern.