November 11, 2017-Emporia State forced three turnovers and had a season high 267 rushing yards as the Hornets defeated Washburn 26-20 in the 114
th edition of the Turnpike Tussle. With the win Emporia State takes a 56-52-6 lead in the all-time series.
For the eighth time this season the Hornets scored on their opening drive of the game, going 75 yards on five plays before Braxton Marstall hit Justin Brown for a two yard touchdown. The two teams then traded three and outs before the Ichabods scored on a 12 yard Blake Peterson touchdown run. Washburn almost took a 10-7 lead with 2:50 left in the quarter but Kelin Gordon blocked Perry Schmiedeler's 36 yard field goal attempt and the teams ended the first quarter tied at 7-7.
Washburn did take a 10-7 lead on a 423 yard Schmiedeler field goal with 14:52 left in the half. The Hornets went three and out on the following possession when Justin Marcha boomed a 48 yard punt to the Ichabod ten yard line and Josh Wright lost seven more yards on the return to set Washburn up at their own three yard line. Two plays later Peterson fumble the ball in the endzone and Hornets were able to get a safety and pull within 10-9. Following the free kick, Emporia State went 65 yards in ten plays with the last 25 coming on a pass from Marstall to Jordan Reed and the Hornets took a 16-10 lead.
The Hornets made it 23-10 on a nine yard touchdown run by Landon Nault with 0:55 left in the half. A 63 yard kick return by Corey Ballentine set the Ichabods up at the Emporia State 33 yard line with 0:43 remaining. Three plays later Peterson hit Will Hamilton for a 13 yard touchdown after escaping from a near sack by Tre'Vaun Ammons and the Hornets took a 23-17 lead into halftime.
Emporia State scored on their first drive of the second half when Austin Morton hit a 21 yard field goal with 8:41 left in the quarter. That would be the final score of the period as the Hornets led 26-17 going to the fourth.
The Ichabods got into the redzone midway through the fourth quarter when Logan Thompson forced a fumble that Asher Goldston recovered at the Emporia State nine yard line. After a three and out, Marcha completely flipped the field with a 73 yard punt that was finally downed at the Washburn 11 yard line. The Ichabods were able to drive the length of the field and had first and goal at the five yard line when Ammons and Donovan Walker combined to tackle Peterson for a loss of two yards. Two incomplete passes later Washburn had to settle for a 24 yard field goal from Schmiedeler to pull within 26-20 with 2:26 remaining.
The onside kick attempt went out of bounds and the Hornets were set up at their own 47 yard line. They were only able to gain one yard on the drive and Marcha hit another 40 yard punt and the coverage unit again forced Washburn to lose a yard on the return. That set Washburn up first and ten from their own 11 yard line with 1:23 left, needing to score a touchdown and extra point for the win. On first down Ammons sacked Peterson and forced a fumble the Walker recovered to give the Hornets the ball back. Two kneel downs in victory formation later and the Hornets had secured a 26-20 win and a winning season for the third straight year.
Tre'vaun Ammons led the Hornet defense with ten tackles, 2.5 TFL, two sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. Landon Nault ran for 138 yards on 24 carries with a touchdown while Braxton Marstall was 18 of 25 for 190 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Justin Brown had four receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown.
With the win the Hornets secured their third straight winning season for the first time since joining NCAA Division II. The senior class went out with a four year record of 32-17 with two NCAA Playoff berths including a trip to the Regional Championship game in 2015. Emporia State is set to return 12 players that started the final game, including quarterback Braxton Marstall, running back Landon Nault, and top receiver Justin Brown on offense while Tre'vaun Ammons, who led the MIAA with 8.5 sacks and 17.5 TFL during the regular season, leads seven returning starters on defense.
