Story by ELI BLANKINSHIP Photos by TROY HEARD
Tiger Media Network
After losing in week three to the Missouri Western State Griffons on the road, the Tigers returned home on Saturday to face the Missouri Southern State Lions on Homecoming. Fort Hays State defeated the Lions by a final score of 31-7 in front of a home crowd of over 9,100 fans.
“I’m so thankful for our fans,” said Head Coach Chris Brown. “The support they give us week in and week out is tremendous…we can’t do without them. The energy they bring every single week is tremendous…[so] hats off to them showing up week in and week out and supporting the Tigers.”
#1 Mattew McBride gaurding the reciever 
#6 Curtis Douglas gaining yards 
#32 Legend Robinson putting the ball at the 1 yrd line 
#8 Gaven Haselhorst breaking through the offensive line 
#10 Major Cantrell looking for his recievers 
#5 LaAngelo Ball Breaking free for a rushing toudown 1st play of the game 
#6 Curtis Douglas hurdling a linebacker 
Tigers Defense Taking down a reciever 
#5 LaAngelo Ball running the ball forward 
#6 Curtis Douglas Running to the outside 
#1 Mattwe McBride lock down defense 
#5 LaAngelo Ball and #70 Celebrating after a touchdown 
#83 Walter Flounory playing through traffic 
#10 Major Cantrell Stepping back to pass
FHSU played complementary football from start to finish, ending with 419 total yards of offense, running the ball 36 times for 220 yards, and going 18-24 in the air for 199 yards. Leading the Tigers on the ground was junior running back LaAngelo Bell, who accounted for 129 rushing yards, including a 75-yard rushing touchdown on the first play of the game. The Tigers are now 45-2 under Coach Brown when rushing for over 200 yards.
“I think that was kind of the story of the game: the O-line, the running backs, and the receivers blocking on the edge,” said junior quarterback Major Cantrell. “When you can run the football, you’re going to have success as an offense…. The emotions were high, obviously, and you got to keep playing for every quarter.”
Junior defensive back Matthew McBride led the FHSU defense with 2 interceptions, bringing his season total to 4. McBride is now just 3interceptions away from tying former Tiger James Hardy Jr.’s single-season record of 7 interceptions, set in 1993.
“I love Hays,” said McBride. “Every time I get an interception, I run straight to the crowd because they give us a great turnout every single game, no matter the record, no matter anything, so I make sure I give them some love the way they give us love.”
The win moves FHSU to 3-2 on the season. The Tigers have followed a pattern with wins in weeks 0, 2, and 4 along with losses in weeks 1 and 3. Brown and the Tigers will hope to break that pattern this weekend when they travel to Edmond, Oklahoma, to face the Central Oklahoma Bronchos.
“We’ve won. We’ve lost. We’ve won. We’ve lost. Now we won,” Brown said. “On the road at UCO, it’s all about focus. It’s all about doing the little things right. Whether it’s going to class, whether it’s going to study hall, whether it’s getting your film hours in. You have to do all the little things right to do the little things right on the football field as well.
“You just can’t do things on the football field and everything else in your life not to your full potential, and so that’s something we’re going to focus on this week: is making sure that they do every little thing right to make sure that when we go to UCO, we’re prepared and we’re ready, and hopefully coming back with a W.”
FHSU and UCO will kick off at 7 p.m. on Saturday. The Bronchos will be without Head Coach Adam Dorrel. Dorrel resigned on Monday after an on-field outburst and exchange with officials in UCO’s loss to Central Missouri.