Story by CAYDEN SANDERS Photos by ANNABELLE MALSAM and CORBYN MARQUESS
Tiger Media Network
FHSU football welcomed the Central Oklahoma Bronchos to Hays on Saturday in a game with conference title implications. A costly fourth-quarter turnover from the Tigers allowed UCO to take the lead and eventually win 21-14.
Despite the loss, FHSU Head Coach Chris Brown was proud of how the Tigers (4-3, 3-2) played, citing UCO’s ability to make more plays down the stretch as a key to victory.
“That’s a good football team that we just played had some injuries early in the year, and that cost them at the beginning of the season. Jett Huff’s a great quarterback and makes things happen. Running backs are talented kids as well. They’re strong, they’re powerful,” Brown said. “I’m proud of our kids. They kept battling throughout the entire game and never gave up. A lot of energy on the sideline, a lot of positivity, which is good; they just made three more plays than we basically did.”
#37, Michael Polley, gets ready to make a play 
Matthew McBride is ready to go 
Tigers make a gameplan in the huddle 
Ryan Allen is ready to receive 
Ryan Allen looks to coach for a play call 
Ethan Hilliman, #1, snags a pass in the endzone 
Joshua Clark runs the ball 
Curtis Douglas swerves defenders 
Douglas runs the ball up the middle 
Taderian Partee, #93, smiles at his team’s success 
Jabari Lewis catches a pass 
Two tigers work together to take down their opponent 
Parrish Terry celebrates a touchdown 
#11, Ryan Allen, searches for the ball 
Logan Russell gets ready to punt 
Michael Chavez, #2, paces the sidelines before the game
Tied 14-14 in the fourth quarter, UCO (3-3, 3-2) intercepted junior quarterback Caleb Heavner and returned it to the FHSU 1-yard line before scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 11 minutes remaining.
Penalties also proved to be costly for FHSU, as the Tigers racked up 10 total penalties for 120 yards. Senior Cale Cormaney led FHSU in receiving with 6 receptions for 93 yards and one touchdown, but also had back-to-back offensive penalties that negated positive plays in the second quarter, leading to a Tiger punt.
“I’m proud of the guys. We fought hard and it wasn’t the outcome we wanted. We had a lot of good plays, just needed to tie a few more together. Penalties definitely hurt us. I’m guilty of that as well,” Cormaney said. “We just continuously fought, just a few times the ball didn’t roll our way. Props to UCO, they played a hell of a game as well. This loss doesn’t define our season. I think that that’s something I want to make known.”
FHSU huddles on the field before a play 
#8 Gaven Haselhorst holds the line near the endzone. 
Jaxon Kolzow and teammate tear broncho opponent down near the 50yd line. 
#49, Logan Russell, with the punt. 
Caleb Heavner, #4, finds a gap and fires the ball down field. 
#5 Keiyon Turner and teammate celebrate after play. 
Michael Chavez between plays. 
Caleb Heavner does a QB slide and takes the first down 
#4 Caleb Heavner travels closely to the sideline, picking up a first down. 
Jabari Lewis works to keep the ball in his arms as he hurdles toward the sideline. 
#93,Taderian Partee, picks up the ball and runs it down filed for an FHSU touchdown. 
#93,Taderian Partee, picks up the ball and runs it down filed for an FHSU touchdown.
UCO scored first in the second quarter on a 37-yard touchdown pass from Huff to Ashton Schumann at the 8:53 mark in the second quarter. Cormaney made up for earlier mistakes in the quarter, catching his TD pass from Heavner with 3:43 remaining to tie the game 7-7 going into hafltime.
“You want to make the play when your numbers are called. I wish I would have gotten a few more opportunities to do that, just help the team out, maybe change the outcome of the game,” Cormaney said. “But I have a lot of love for my boys. I thought we fought, fought hard. Like I said, I don’t think this loss will shape our season.”
Fort Hays retook the momentum late in the third quarter when sophomore defensive lineman Taderian Partee recovered a fumble and rumbled 69 yards for a scoop and score to put the Tigers up 14-7 at the 4:40 mark in the 3rd.
“He makes big plays. He’s a big play machine. He made the play against CSU-Pueblo; he blocked that field goal,” junior defensive lineman Parrish Terry said of Partee’s big play. “He just makes big plays all the time. He’s like, he’s our big play guy. I love him. So it’s really good to see him doing well.”
However, UCO wasted no time tying the game again with a two-play 27-second drive when Dev Matthews broke loose for a 62-yard touchdown run.
“That big run play was my fault, or that 60-yard touchdown, or however long it was, it was all my fault, so I’ve got to own up to that,” Terry said. “We’ve just got to, I’ve got to make up for it next week and play a lot better. I mean, we had a decent game all around and just couldn’t get the win.”
The Fort Hays State offense totaled 348 yards, with 220 yards coming through the air and 128 rushing yards. FHSU controlled the time of possession 32:36 to 27:24. FHSU was able to limit Huff to just 161 passing yards, but the UCO ground game contributed 223 yards, allowing the Bronchos to outgain FHSU 384-348.
With three losses at this point in the season, FHSU’s MIAA title chances and NCAA playoff hopes are closing as the season moves along.
“There’s still some big games out there that can make things change in the MIAA race. We have to win out to make those things happen,” Brown said. “You never know what is going to happen in this conference. I mean, everyone still has to play everybody, right? Pitt and Northwest Missouri still have to play. We still have to play Northwest as well.”
Fort Hays will next take on Northwest Missouri on the road in Maryville, Missouri. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.
“We’ve got to forget the loss, build off that with a good practice week, because the Bearcats are a good football team,” Terry said. “We have to play well or they will whoop us. So we’ve got to make sure we practice and play well, and hold each other accountable this week.”