BY MAKENNA ALLEN PHOTO BY ALLIE SCHWEIZER<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A tough loss at Lewis Field Stadium dashed the playoff hopes of the now 8-3 Fort Hays State University Tigers as they battled the Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats. The Tigers fell 36-33 to the Bearcats after a long fight into double overtime.\u00a0
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Even from kickoff, the Tigers knew what was at stake as they controlled the first quarter of the game. Kicker, Dante Brown, placed the first points of the game on the board early in play. It wasn\u2019t long until wide receiver, Harley Hazlett ,rushed 9-yards into the endzone. The Tigers carried these 10 unanswered points into the second quarter and extended their lead yet again with a pass from Hazlett to wide receiver, Manny Ramsey.
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After just one quarter of play, the Tigers led the 8-1 Bearcats 17-0. This tide of Tiger momentum soon shifted, however. Fort Hays failed to convert on third and short and from that point on, the Bearcats dominated the quarter.
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Tigers\u2019 head coach, Chris Brown, believed that this was ultimately where his team gave up the victory.
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\u201cWhen you look back at it, it all really comes down to the first half,\u201d Brown said. \u201cWe turned the ball over a couple of times, gave up some big plays for touchdowns. We didn\u2019t create many turnovers defensively.\u201d
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Indeed, the second quarter provided the Bearcats the chance to come back from a 17-point deficit. In the span of just one quarter, they garnered 19 unanswered points from two touchdowns, a field goal, and a safety.
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Meanwhile, the Tigers seemed to have lost themselves as the offensive line struggled to hold off the powerful Bearcat defense. The offense in general struggled to create any sort of momentum. Even quarterback, Chance Fuller, who had completed 155 passes without an interception, threw two during the quarter.
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Brown suggested that this was primarily a mental issue for the sophomore who is still developing as a player.
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\u201cHe stressed himself out a little bit early and sometimes it\u2019s the heat of the battle and the heat of the game but I thought he really calmed down after halftime and made some really nice throws,\u201d Brown said.
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Halftime, did in fact, allow a bit of a reset for Fuller and the team as a whole. To start the third quarter, Fuller came out strong with a 36-yard completion to Hazlett that put the Tigers deep inside Bearcat territory. The Tigers, however, were unable to capitalize on the opportunity that resulted in a 27-yard field goal from Brown. The Bearcats, on the other hand, were able to take advantage of a 48-yard scramble by quarterback, Branden Wright. With just over eight minutes left in the quarter, the Bearcats extended their lead to the greatest of the game as they led 26-20.
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The Bearcats burned the clock as the rest of the quarter remained scoreless. With just 14 minutes of play left in the game, the Tigers needed a touchdown to regain the lead. After a drive deep into Bearcat territory, they were forced to settle yet again for 3-points from Brown. This field goal, however, brought the Tigers within reach of overtime.
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A 56-yard field goal attempt seemed to be a long-shot, even for Brown whose career record until that point was 49-yards. However, in a silent Lewis Field Stadium, the senior from Ontario, Canada, gave the Tigers the opportunity to continue their battle to playoffs.
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After successfully completing the longest field goal attempt of his career, Brown had tied the score at 26-26 and carried his team into overtime.
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\u201cDante today, he was money, just like he has been all year long for us,\u201d Coach Brown said. \u201cWithout him, we didn\u2019t have a chance to win that game.
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Thanks to the kicker\u2019s work, the first overtime of the game allowed both the Tigers and the Bearcats to score. With the score leveled yet again, this time at 33-33, the Tigers had possession of the ball in double overtime. A fumble by Hazlett as he stretched for a first down gave the Bearcats possession and the knowledge that any points on the board would clinch the game.
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Though the Tigers managed to hold off a touchdown, a 38-yard field goal by Bearcat kicker, Parker Sampson, sealed the Northwest victory of 36-33.
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In hindsight, Coach Brown took responsibility for the loss after he decided against a two-point conversion on the touchdown of the first overtime.
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\u201cTo me, I\u2019m going to take the blame for this loss,\u201d Brown said. \u201cWhen we scored there at the end, I probably should have gone for two. I\u2019ve got a special play that we\u2019ve never used and I think it probably would have worked with what they were doing defensively.\u201d
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Nevertheless, Brown was proud of his team\u2019s effort that allowed them to fight through the extended game.
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\u201cI\u2019m really proud of our kids,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThey really battled and they fought. They did everything they possibly could to when that game.\u201d
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Brown was also pleased with the physicality the team brought to the field: an aspect of play he has stressed throughout the season.
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\u201cI finally felt like we came out and played physical on both sides of the ball. I wish we would have played like that all season,\u201d Brown said. \u201cYou saw us hitting guys today. They were hitting guys. That\u2019s just a good football game.\u201d
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With the loss of that \u201cgood football game,\u201d the Tigers\u2019 playoff chances have ended. However, they must still face and defeat Northeastern State University next weekend in order to have an 8-3 season and potentially play in a bowl game.
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\u201cThis is still a really good season that we\u2019ve had so far,\u201d Brown said. \u201cWe\u2019ve still got one more game to get after it and go win that game and have an 8-3 season and see what happens from there.\u201d
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Just because the regular season in Hays has concluded doesn\u2019t mean the Tigers are finished yet. Tune in next Sat., Nov. 16, as the Tigers travel to Tahlequah, Ok. to take on the 0-10 Northeastern State University Riverhawks. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m.. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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