EMPORIA STATE FOOTBALL TAKES ON LINDENWOOD FOR FAMILY DAY AT WELCH STADIUM

Game #4
Emporia State Hornets (2-1, 2-1 MIAA)
vs. Lindenwood Lions (1-2, 1-2 MIAA)
Saturday, Sept. 22 at 2:00 p.m. • Jones Field at Welch Stadium (7,000) • Emporia, Kan.
Series Record: ESU leads 6-0 Current Streak: ESU 6 wins
Last Meeting: ESU 41, at LWU 30 (Oct. 14, 2017)
Radio: KFFX-FM (104.9) Pregame 1:00 p.m. TV: None
Internet (Audio): www.kvoe.com Internet (Video): themiaanetwork.com
Live Stats • Ticket Info • Complete notes in pdf
Officials: Announced on Game Day
Up Next: at Northwest Missouri • Saturday, Sept. 29 at 1:30 p.m.
Mel Tjeersdma Field/Bearcat Stadium (6,500) • Maryville, Mo.

FAMILY OVER EVERYTHING  
Emporia State returns to Jones Field at Welch Stadium to take on Lindenwood on Family Day.

LAST TIME OUT
Emporia State matched their biggest regular season come from behind victory in a 20-17 win at previously undefeated Neb.-Kearney.  The Lopers led 17-0 at the half but the Hornets came out of the locker room and dominated the third quarter. ESU got on the board with a six yard touchdown run by Kai Callins with 11:41 left in the third quarter. Tyler Harris would rush in from two yards out to pull the Hornets within 17-14 with 15 seconds left in the quarter. With 10:43 left in the game Emporia State faced fourth and one from the UNK eight yard line when an errant snap from center sailed over Braxton Marstall's head.  He ran the ball down and found Justin Brown in the end zone to give the Hornets a 20-17 lead as the extra point was blocked. Landon Nault had 124 yards on a career high 29 carries. Braxton Marstall added 72 yards on nine carries and was 20 of 35 for 132 yards, with a touchdown. Eight different Hornets caught a pass led by Justin Brown with five catches for 35 yards and a touchdown. Jace McDown had a career high 12 tackles with a sack while Gary Woods II added ten tackles.  The Hornet defense held the Lopers, who were ranked second in the nation in rushing at 379 yards per game entering the day, to just 189 yards on the ground.

THE COACHES
Garin Higgins has a career record of 123-67 in his 17th season as a head coach. He is 72-58 in his 12th season at his alma mater and is 63-34 since the start of the 2010 season. He has the second most wins in Emporia State history. He led the Hornets to the NCAA Playoffs in three of the last five years with a national semifinal appearance in 2015. He had a 51-9 career record as the head coach at Northwestern Oklahoma, including two trips to the national championship game. Higgins was a quarterback for Emporia State from 1987-90 and was on the 1989 national runners-up team.   He is 6-0 against Lindenwood.
Jed Stugart is 5-9 in his second year at Lindenwood and is 96-33 in his 12th season as a head coach. He is 0-1 against Emporia State.

SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 2-1 on the year. Landon Nault is leading the MIAA and ranked tenth in the nation in rushing at 129.7 yards per game.  As a team the Hornets are second in the MIAA and 35th in the nation in sacks.

SCOUTING THE LIONS
Lindenwood is 1-2 on the season. They are ranked third in the MIAA in scoring at 35.7 points per game and are fourth in passing at 240.2 yards per game. Cade Brister is third in the MIAA with 635 total passing yards and is tied for the league lead with six touchdown passes.

THE SERIES
This will be the seventh meeting between the two schools. The Hornets have won all six of the previous games.

LAST TIME OUT VS. LINDENWOOD
Braxton Marstall connected with Louis Dailey for a 72 yard pass on the first play from scrimmage as Emporia State rolled up a season high 612 yards in a 41-30 win at Lindenwood.  The Hornets led 14-0 after the first quarter but the Lions came back to tie the game at 14 with 10:21 left in the third quarter.  Emporia State then scored 20 of the next 23 points capped by Marstall scrambling before finding Callins for an 11 yard touchdown to go up 34-17. Marstall was 36 of 61 for 421 yards with three touchdowns and added 50 yards rushing on nine carries. Justin Brown had 151 yards on a career high 16 catches with a touchdown. He was joined in the century club by Dailey who had 103 yards on five receptions. Kai Callins finished with 83 rushing yards on a career 25 carries and two touchdowns while adding two catches for 16 yards and touchdown receiving. Gabe Cleveland had another double digit tackle day, finishing with ten tackles and a half a sack.  Luke Meyer had eight tackles, a pass break up and a fumble recovery. As a team Emporia State had 612 yards on a school record 104 offensive plays.

UP NEXT
The Hornets travel to #4 Northwest Missouri next Saturday. Kick-off in Maryville, Mo. is set for 1:30 p.m.

KNOW THE FOE
This will be just the seventh meeting between Emporia State and Lindenwood. In the Lions first six years in the MIAA, they went 8-4, 3-6, 2-9, 3-8, 3-8 and 4-7 after going 8-3, 9-2, 13-1, 11-2, 10-2 and 5-7 in their last six years in the NAIA.  The Lions are in their second year under head coach Jed Stugart, who spent the previous seven years taking Sioux Falls from the NAIA into NCAA Division II in the NSIC. He was the head coach at Mid-America Nazarene from 2006-08 and was 2-1 against Lindenwood in his time with the Pioneers.

PLAYOFF HISTORY
The Hornets are 3-4 in their seven NCAA playoff games over four trips to the Division II playoffs and have won three of their last five playoff games. Emporia State, Northwest Missouri, and Pittsburg State are the only MIAA teams to have won playoff games in back to back years.

BEST IN THE STATE  
Emporia State was named the Best College Football Team in the state of Kansas over the period of 2012-16 by HeroSports. The survey took winning percentage, playoff appearances, conference championships, bowl games and national player and coach of the year awards.  The Hornets have a .738 winning percentage and three playoff appearances, highlighted by a Regional Championship game in 2015. ESU has finished second in the MIAA in four of the last six years to Northwest Missouri, the top team in Missouri, however only conference championships count in the Hero Sports scoring.

FLIP A SWITCH
Emporia State was 15-34 under head coach Garin Higgins and trailing Missouri Southern 17-0 at the midway point of the 2011 season. Emporia State came back to win 31-24 and have gone 57-23 since then. Of the 23 losses, 12 have been to teams ranked in the AFCA Top 25 at the time. In Emporia State's first 50 games under Coach Higgins, the Hornets averaged 19.46 points per game while giving up 29.46 points per game. In the 77 games since then Emporia State is averaging 33.56 points while giving up 24.26 points per game.

OUTSIDE THE CONFERENCE
The Hornets have gone 13-2 in non-conference games under Garin Higgins and are 24-7 outside the MIAA in the 21st century. Since joining the MIAA, ESU is 33-12 in non-conference games and has lost only three games to unranked non-conference D-II opponents since 1996.  

MIAA IN THE POSTSEASON
Since the MIAA first expanded in 1989 and the new teams became eligible for post season play in 1990, the MIAA has won eight national championships and had a representative in 15 of 27 national championship games.  The MIAA has been represented in ten of the last 14 national championship games.  In that time the MIAA is 42-17 in the NCAA Playoffs and 16-7 in bowl games for a combined post season record of 58-24 against non-conference opponents. Emporia State is the sixth MIAA team to win multiple NCAA Playoff games. The Hornets join Northwest Missouri (1996-99, 2002, 2004-11, 2013, 2015-16), Pittsburg State (1989-92, 1995, 2001, 2004-05, 2011), Missouri Western (2012), and Central Missouri (2010) as MIAA teams that have reached the quarterfinals.  Emporia State's game at Northwest Missouri was the first all MIAA regional final since 2011 and the fifth of all-time.  Six different MIAA schools have advanced to the NCAA Playoffs and won a game since 2010 while eight current member institutions have represented the league in the NCAA Playoffs.  Counting their time in other conferences ten of the current 12 MIAA football playing schools have been NCAA Division II Playoff participants.
All MIAA NCAA Divison II Quarterfinals
2015    at Northwest Mo. 38, Emporia State 17    
2011    at Pittsburg State 41, Northwest Mo. 16
2010    at Northwest Mo. 37, Central Mo. 20    
2005    Northwest Mo. 21, at Pittsburg State 10
2004    at Pittsburg State 50, Northwest Mo. 36

YOU HAVE TO SCORE TO WIN
The Hornets are 56-10 under coach Higgins when scoring 28 or more points with a 51-5 record in their last 56 games in which they have scored at least 28 points. Emporia State has won 18 games when allowing their opponents 28 or more points under coach Higgins, but the Hornets have only won 16 games when they have scored less than 28 points. The Hornets have averaged 39.33 points per game in their 40 wins and 19.1 points in their 20 losses since Emporia State last posted a shutout - a 13-0 win over Lindenwood in 2012. The 53-52 loss at Central Oklahoma last season was the first time in school history the Hornets have scored 50 points in regulation and lost a game.

RIDING SCHOOL
Quarterback Braxton Marstall (Sr./Emporia, Kan.) is 20-8 in his career as a starter and has four fourth quarter comebacks three of which the Hornets have scored with under two minutes left to win. He was 20 of 35 for 132 yards with a touchdown and gained 72 yards on nine rushes at Neb.-Kearney. He has thrown a touchdown pass in 13 straight games but has been held to under 150 yards passing in consecutive starts for the first time in his career. He was seven of 23 for 72 yards with a touchdown and an interception against Pittsburg State, his worst stats in a start since going zero for five against Washburn as a true freshman in 2014.
He was named honorable mention All-MIAA last season. He led the MIAA in completions per game, is second in passing touchdowns and passing yards per game, third in passing efficiency, total passing yards, total offense, points responsible for and completion percentage, and was fifth in yards per completion. He was ranked fifth in the nation in total offense and completions per game, 11th in passing yards per game, 15th in total passing yards, 21st in touchdown passes, 29th in completion percentage, 35th in points responsible for, and 37th in passing efficiency. He was named a preseason All-American by Lindy's and Street & Smith's Magazines and was named the Preseason National Offensive Player of the Year by Street & Smith's last year.
He earned his second MIAA Offensive Player of the Week award of the 2017 season when he went 36 of 61 for 421 yards and three touchdown at Lindenwood along with 50 rushing yards. He became the first Hornet ever to have three 400 yard passing games in a season. It was his sixth straight multiple touchdown game and fifth 300+ yard passing game of the season. He went 21 of 30 for 315 yards and three touchdowns against Northeastern State. He was 27 of 42 for 429 yards with five touchdown passes and added 37 rushing yards at Central Oklahoma.  He went 28 of 39 for 344 yards with two touchdowns against Central Missouri and added 29 rushing yards. He was named MIAA Offensive Player of the Week after going 30 of 36 for 435 yards with four touchdowns against Neb.-Kearney.
He was an honorable mention All-MIAA selection as a sophomore in 2016. He was ranked sixth in the nation in total passing yards, eighth in completions per game and completion percentage, ninth in points responsible for, 11th in total offense and 13th in passing touchdowns. He led the MIAA in completions and total offense yards, was second in passing touchdowns and completion percentage, third in total passing yards, and fourth in passing efficiency. He was the only player in the MIAA with at least 3,000 passing yards and at least 500 rushing yards that year.
His 327 passing yards at Northwest Missouri in the 2016 NCAA Playoffs were the most passing yards allowed by the Bearcats since 2014. He had the fifth best passing day in MIAA history in the first round of the NCAA Playoffs against Minn.-Duluth with 481 yards on 26 of 39 passing with five touchdowns. He was named MIAA Offensive Player of the Week after passing for 359 yards on 33 of 52 passing with three touchdowns at Missouri Western. He was 28 of 37 for 321 yards with a touchdown and had 18 carries for 73 yards and two rushing touchdowns at Pittsburg State. He was the first Hornet quarterback to have back to back games with multiple rushing touchdowns since Mike Burch in 1989. He led the Hornets to a fourth quarter win for the second time in four games against Lindenwood.  He had a career high 39 completions against the Lions for 317 yards and a touchdown.  He added 49 yards rushing and two scores on the ground. He went 29 of 41 for 354 yards with five touchdowns passing and added 56 yards on ten rushes against Central Oklahoma on his way to MIAA Offensive Player of the Week honors. He was 27 of 39 for 233 yards with two touchdowns and added 14 carries for 49 yards and a touchdown on the ground at Central Missouri and led the Hornets to the fourth quarter comeback. He was 24 of 42 for 272 yards and two touchdowns through the air and added a team high 73 yards on ten carries on the ground at Neb.-Kearney.   
He redshirted in 2015 after playing as a true freshman year in 2014. He got his first start at Missouri Western in 2014 and was 24 of 38 for 233 yards and two touchdowns as he led the Hornets to a 30-10 road win. He led the Hornets to 21 second half points against Ft. Hays State as he was 10 for 19 for 102 yards after the break.
He is second in single season total offense at Emporia State with 4,120 yards in 2016 to rank sixth in the MIAA in the category. He ranks third in passing with 3,599 yards and 31 touchdown passes for the Hornets 2016 and is also sixth on the single season yardage list with 2,893 yards in 2017. He is second on the Emporia State career list with 62 touchdown passes and ranks third at Emporia State with 7,217 career passing yards and 8,130 yards of career total offense. He is ranked fourth among active D2 players in passing yards per game, fifth in total offense per game, sixth in touchdown passes, completion percentage and completions, and eighth in touchdowns responsible for, passing yards and total offense.

DALTON GANG
Quarterback Dalton Cowan (Fr.-RS/Topeka, Kan.) has emerged as the backup quarterback to Marstall. He played the final series against Pittsburg State and had the majority of the fourth quarter at Northeastern State for his first action as a Hornet.
He was a first-team All Class 5A and first-team All-Centennial League selection at quarterback for Seaman HS. He was named Topeka Offensive Player of the Year after he passed for 1,870 yards and 20 touchdowns while adding 589 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground for the Vikings. His father Jeff Cowan played linebacker for the Hornets while his mother Cassie (Henry) Cowan played basketball for the Lady Hornets.

MR. WALLACE
Quarterback T'Quan Wallace (Jr../Oklahoma City, Okla.) went 15 of 28 for 118 yards in relief against Ft. Hays State last season. He was four for four for 32 yards when forced into action against Pitt State in the fourth quarter. He had an 18 yard rush against Northeastern State.
He saw his first regular season action in the fourth quarter at Northeastern State as a freshman.
He completed 52 of 99 passes for 1,146 yards and 14 touchdowns in six games before suffering a season ending injury his senior season after being a three year starter at Casady Prep.

LONG HILL
Running back Landon Nault (Sr./Kingfisher, Okla.) is leading the MIAA in rushing and all-purpose yards while ranking ninth in the nation in rushing. He had his second straight 100 yard game with 124 yards on a career high 29 carries at Neb.-Kearney. He had a regular season career high 177 yards on 22 carries with a touchdown against Pittsburg State. He had 88 rushing yards on 19 carries with two touchdowns at Northeastern State.
He was a second-team All-MIAA pick at running back on the field and earned second-team Academic All-America honors in the classroom.
He was ranked third in the MIAA with nine rushing touchdowns while ranking fifth in the league with ten total touchdown and was sixth in rushing yards per game. He had 138 yards on 24 carries with a touchdown against Washburn last year. He had two touchdowns against Missouri Western. He rushed for 64 yards with two touchdowns on 23 carries at Central Oklahoma. He added 47 yards and a touchdown on four catches for his third straight game with at least 100 yards from scrimmage. He had 133 yards on 25 carries with two touchdowns against Central Missouri. He ran for 113 yards on 23 carries at Missouri Southern. He had 35 yards on ten carries against Neb.-Kearney.
He was an honorable mention All-MIAA pick as a sophomore in 2016 and was seventh in the MIAA in total rushing yards. He had a game high 88 yards rushing on 16 carries with a touchdown against Minn.-Duluth, with 80 yards coming in the second half. He had 22 carries for 65 yards against Ft. Hays State. He had 82 yards on 24 carries with a touchdown at Pittsburg State. He gained 46 yards on nine carries against Central Oklahoma. He had 20 rushes for 64 yards and added two receptions for 16 yards and a touchdown at Central Missouri. He gained 75 yards on 12 carries with a pair of touchdowns against Missouri Southern.
He was ranked tenth in the MIAA in rushing with 727 yards and was tied for 20th with four rushing touchdowns as a freshman. He finished with 179 yards on 28 carries and a touchdown at Henderson State. He had 69 yards on 14 carries against Neb.-Kearney. He gained 49 yards on 14 rushes at Ft. Hays State. He had a game high 88 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown against Northeastern State. He got his first start and had 69 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries at Central Oklahoma. He had a 44 yard gain against Central Missouri and finished with nine carries for 75 yards.  
He has 2,407 career rushing yards on 572 carries with 20 rushing touchdowns with 39 catches for 316 yards and two receiving touchdowns in 42 career games for Emporia State. His 572 carries are the most by an active NCAA Division II player and ranks 13th across all three NCAA Divisions. He is ranked 17th in total rushing yards among active D2 players.
He was the Oklahoma Offensive Player of the Year after gaining 2,199 yards and 45 touchdowns on 249 carries as a senior at Kingfisher HS. He was a Wendy's High School Heisman National Finalist.

TRIUMPHANT
Running back Kai Callins (Jr./Guthrie, Okla.) is a fifth year junior on the field for the Hornets due to a pair of knee injuries and has already graduated. He had 38 yards on 11 carries with a touchdown at Neb.-Kearney. He had four carries for 22 yards at Northeastern State before leaving the game with an injury.
He gained 55 yards on 12 carries against Washburn last season. He had a team high 46 yards on eight rushes at Ft. Hays State. He had ten carries for 45 yards against Pittsburg State. He ran for 83 yards on a career high 25 carries with two touchdowns and added two catches for 16 yards and a touchdown at Lindenwood. He had 72 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries with 72 yards on seven punt returns and a loss of four yards on two catches for 140 all-purpose yards against Northeastern State. He had 66 yards on 16 carries at Missouri Southern. He had 29 yards on six carries, 38 yards on two receptions and a punt return for 6 yards for 73 all-purpose yards against Neb.-Kearney. He had four carries for 12 yards, a punt return for 14 yards and a 44 yard kick return at Northwest Missouri in his return to the lineup.
He had 15 yards on seven carries before getting injured at Neb.-Kearney in 2016 and getting a medical redshirt. He had one reception for ten yards against Northwest Missouri in his first action after sitting out the 2015 season following a knee injury in spring ball.
He had 346 rushing yards and three touchdowns, with a pair of 100 yard games as a true freshman in 2014. He had 101 yards on 24 carries with a touchdown against Ft. Hays State. He led Emporia State with 107 yards on 11 carries including a 57 yard touchdown run against Mo. Southern.
He was the MVP of the Oklahoma Class 5A state championship game after rushing for 245 yards and four touchdowns. He was named VYPE Magazine Mr. Football in Oklahoma his senior year.

LEGACY
Running back Ricky Van Weezel (Jr./Burleson, Texas) is in his second year with the Hornets. He had 81 yards on 17 carries, all in the second half, at Northeastern State
He had 32 yards on six rushes with his first career touchdown against Northeastern State last season. He gained 29 yards on six carries at Missouri Southern. He had ten carries for 15 yards against Neb.-Kearney. He had 35 yards on five carries with a career high 32 yard gain at Northwest Missouri. He saw his first action for the Hornets against Missouri Southern last season.
He red-shirted at Memphis in 2015 after gaining 1,276 yards on 156 carries with eight touchdowns as a senior for Centennial HS. His father Rick Van Weezel was a running back/kicker for the Hornets from 1987-90.

JUST IN CASE
Receiver Justin Brown (Sr./El Reno, Okla.) is third in the MIAA in touchdown catches and 11th in the league in receptions. He caught five passes for 35 yards and the go ahead touchdown at Neb.-Kearney. He had three catches for 59 yards and a touchdown against Pittsburg State.
He was a first-team All-MIAA receiver and earned first-team All-Region honors from Don Hansen's Football Gazette. He had 86 receptions for 999 yards with eight touchdowns last season. He was eighth in the nation in receptions and 20th in receiving yards and second in the MIAA in both categories while ranking fourth in the league in touchdown receptions.
Last year he caught eight passes for 87 yards against Washburn. He had 12 catches for 120 yards and the game winning touchdown against Missouri Western. He caught five passes for 66 yards at Ft. Hays State. He had 110 yards on nine catches against Pittsburg State. He became the first Hornet since Austin Willis in 2013 to have three straight 100 yard receiving games. He had a career high 16 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown at Lindenwood. He caught six passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns against Northeastern State. He had six receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown at Northeastern State with five of the six catches resulting in either a first down or touchdown. He had a career high 14 catches for 152 yards against Central Missouri with a touchdown. He had eight catches for 92 yards against Neb.-Kearney.
He was named second-team All-MIAA as a sophomore in 2016. He was second in the MIAA in receptions per game, sixth in touchdown receptions and ninth in total receiving yards last year. He had eight catches for 93 yards and a touchdown at Northwest Missouri in the playoffs. He caught four passes for 70 yards against Minn.-Duluth in the first round of the playoffs. He had 102 yards and two touchdowns on nine catches at Missouri Western. He had three catches for 47 yards with a long of 35 yards against Ft. Hays State. He had his second straight ten catch day with ten receptions for 75 yards against Lindenwood. He had ten catches for 109 yards against Central Oklahoma. He caught eight passes for 30 yards at Central Missouri. He caught seven passes for 89 yards and a touchdown at Nebraska-Kearney.
He had four touchdowns and averaged 89.0 yards per game over the first three games of 2015. He had seven catches for 76 yards and a touchdown at Central Oklahoma before he was lost for the season when he broke his leg and was awarded a medical redshirt. He had seven receptions for 130 yards and two touchdowns against Central Missouri.  He started the season with five catches for 61 yards at Missouri Southern.
As a true freshman he had four of his 14 catches go for touchdowns. He had a then career high six catches for 77 yards and three touchdowns at Neb.-Kearney. He had a 29 yard reception against Northwest Missouri. He caught five passes for 52 yards and a touchdown and added a two point conversion against Ft. Hays State. He averaged 15.5 yards in the 23 times he touched the ball as a freshman.
He has 2,291 yards and 26 touchdowns on 203 receptions in his 39 career games and is second on the Emporia State career receptions list.  He is two touchdown catches from moving into a four way tie for third in Hornet history in that category.
He is ranked second among active NCAA Division II players and fourth across all divisions with 203 receptions. His 26 touchdowns rank sixth among active D2 players and he is 14th in receiving yards.

OVER THE MIDDLE
Receiver Jordan Reed (Sr./Edmond, Okla.) had four catches for 38 yards at Neb.-Kearney. He had three catches for 16 yards at Northeastern State.
He caught four passes for 76 yards and added a 27 yard rush at Lindenwood last season. He had four catches for 113 yards and a touchdown against Northeastern State. He had five catches for 77 yards with a touchdown at Missouri Southern.
He had 52 yards on three receptions at Central Missouri as a sophomore in 2016. He had five receptions for 60 yards against Missouri Southern.
He had a 56 yard touchdown against Pittsburg State and ended with two catches for 64 yards and one five yard rush against the Gorillas in 2015. He took off his redshirt and had a 16 yard reception against Northeastern State in his first game.
He is also a member of the Hornet track & field team and is a two-time national qualifier as a member of the outdoor 4x100m relay.  His relay is ranked fourth in Emporia State history after running a 40.55 and placing tenth nationally last May.
He was an all-city and all-league wide receiver for Edmond Memorial HS where he had 35 catches for 954 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. He ran a 21.78 in the 200m to place third at Oklahoma Class 6A State Championships as a junior.

DEEP IMPACT
Receiver Tyler Harris (Sr./Andover, Kan.) is tied for third in touchdown receptions and sixth in total receptions in the MIAA. He had five catches for 34 yards at Neb.-Kearney. He led the Hornets with five receptions for 56 yards and two touchdowns at Northeastern State. He is also ranked sixth in the MIAA in punting at 40.8 yards per punt.
He had two catches for 26 yards at Lindenwood last season. He had a 19 yard reception against Northeastern State. He had a 25 yard reception against Central Missouri. He had two catches for 21 yards and ran for a six yard touchdown at Missouri Southern. He had two catches for 33 yards including a 26 yarder on the first play of the game at Northwest Missouri.
He was a member of the Hornet baseball team that advanced to the NCAA Regional Tournament last season. He was used mostly as a pinch runner and went three for four on stolen base attempts
He had 17 catches for 234 yards and a touchdown as a sophomore at Hutchinson CC in 2016. He was an all-state performer for Andover Central HS in 2014 after getting 37 receptions for 980 yards and 12 touchdowns.   

SIMPLE AS A-B-C 1-2-3
Receiver Jordan Jackson (Sr./Bonner Springs, Kan.) is in his fourth year with the Hornets. He had his first reception of the year at Neb.-Kearney.
He had two catches for 31 yards against Central Mo. last season. He had two catches for 53 yards with a 34 yard touchdown against Neb.-Kearney.
He had six catches for 60 yards at Northeastern State as a sophomore in 2016. He caught passes for 41 yards at Central Missouri. He caught one pass for four yards against Northwest Missouri in the season opener.
Two of his five catches as a freshman in 2015 went for touchdowns. He had three catches for 40 yards with a 24 yard touchdown against Neb.-Kearney. He saw his first action of the year against Northeastern State and caught two passes for 25 yards, including a 21 yard touchdown on his first play from scrimmage.
He was a first-team All-Kaw Valley League quarterback at Bonner Springs HS as he threw for 4,230 yards and 43 touchdowns in his career while gaining 1,468 yards and running for 15 touchdowns.

HARRISON
Receiver Kyle Harrison (Jr./Nashville, Tenn.) is in his first year with the Hornets after transferring from Ft. Scott CC.
He was an honorable Mention All-Jayhawk Conference performer for the Greyhounds last season. He had 48 catches for 542 yards and two touchdowns.  

ON THE SURFACE
Receiver Seth Surface (Jr./Perry, Kan.) is in his fourth year with the Hornets. He saw action in six games last season.
He was a first-team All-Big 7 Conference performer at quarterback for Perry -Lecompton HS. He had over 2100 yards of total offense and 26 total touchdowns as a senior.   

SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT
Receiver Corey Thomas (Fr.-RS/Topeka, Kan.) is in his second season with the Hornets.
He was a Top 11 All-City pick in Topeka as a junior in 2015. He had 1,034 rushing yards and 996 receiving yards with eight touchdowns as a junior but missed much of his senior season at Topeka HS due to Injury.

STRONG ENOUGH
S-back Denzel Strong (Sr./Independence, Mo.) caught a five yard pass at Neb.-Kearney. He had a six yard catch against Pittsburg State. He had 22 yards on two receptions including a 14 yard catch on a flea flicker at Northeastern State.
He had 50 yards on three receptions including a 31 yard touchdown against Missouri Western last season after making the switch to super back. He had a career best 81 yard catch and run at Central Oklahoma. He had two catches for 22 yards against Central Missouri. He had 61 yards on five receptions at Missouri Southern.
He was 22nd in the MIAA in yards per carry among players with at least 50 rushes as a sophomore running back in 2016.  He had 11 carries for 39 yards against Ft. Hays State. He gained 62 yards on eight carries with a touchdown against Lindenwood. He had 42 yards on four receptions against Central Oklahoma. He ran for 27 yards on eight carries with a touchdown and added three catches for 23 yards at Neb.-Kearney.
He was 21st in the league in total rushing with 406 yards as a freshman in 2015.  He had 13 carries for 41 yards against Neb.-Kearney. He had 12 carries for 51 yards against Washburn. He had 88 yards on 15 carries with a long rush of 41 yards against Missouri Western. He had a team high 80 yards on seven carries at Central Oklahoma thanks to a season long 70 yard rush.
He redshirted one season at Hutchinson CC. He had over 1300 yards at Van Horn HS.

DRAGON HUNTER
S-Back Jaylon Raydel (Sr./Gardner, Kan.) had a catch and a rush against Pittsburg State for a total of seven yards. He had a 12 yard reception and forced a fumble on special teams at Northeastern State.
He moved to S-Back from receiver prior to the Ft. Hays State game last season. He caught two passes for 19 yards against Northeastern State.
He sat out 2016 with an injury. He played in 11 games as a red-shirt freshman in 2014 with five catches for 19 yards.
He was a first-team All-State selection for Gardner-Edgerton HS and was a two-time All-Eastern Kansas League pick.

GREAT BALLS OF FIRE
Tight end Trenton Ball (Sr./Midwest City, Okla.) is in his fifth year with the Hornets. He caught a six yard pass at Neb.-Kearney.
He had a five yard reception on a fake field goal at Northwest Missouri to open 2017 season.
He had one reception for two yards at Henderson State in the 2015 playoffs. He had an 18 yard reception against Missouri Western.
He was rated a three star recruit by ESPN.com and listed as the #21 tight end prospect in the country at Carl Albert HS.

HAMMER
Tight end Marcellus Edwards (Jr./Little Rock, Ark.) made the switch from defense to offense during training camp.
He redshirted for the Hornets last year after transferring from Rochester (Minn.) Community & Technical College.

SPIDERMAN
Tackle Estevan Arana (Jr./Enid, Okla.) earned his second Squarehead Award of the season against Neb.-Kearney. He was named the Squarehead Award winner after week one's win at Northeastern State.
He was an honorable mention All-MIAA performer last season. He earned his second straight Squarehead Award against Pittsburg State and his third of the season. He was also the Squarehead winner at Lindenwood. He was named the Squarehead Award winner at Missouri Southern.
He was named honorable mention All-MIAA as a freshman in 2016. He was named the Squarehead Award winner at Central Missouri. He saw his first action for the Hornets against Northwest Missouri after redshirting in 2015.
He was a three-year letterwinner for Enid HS and earned all-conference, all-district and all-state honors on the offensive line.

BIG STEVE
Tackle Steve Williams (Jr./St. Louis, Mo.) is questionable for Lindenwood after missing most of last week with an illness.
He earned the Squarehead Award winner against Ft. Hays State last year. He was named the Squarehead Award winner for the Neb.-Kearney game in his first start of the season.
He sat out the 2016 season after playing in 12 games with seven starts as a true freshman for the Hornets in 2015.
He was a first-team all-conference performer on the offensive line for Clayton HS and a four-year letter winner.

PLAY RIGHT AWAY
Guard Austin Unterreiner (Jr./O'Fallon, Mo.) is in his third year at Emporia State. He got his first career start at Missouri Southern last year.
He moved into the offensive line rotation as a true freshman in 2016.  He played much of the second half at Pittsburg State at right tackle.
He was a first-team all-conference and second-team all-district performer for Francis Howell HS.

INTO THE VALLEY
Guard Braden Janzen (Sr./Valley Center, Kan) is in his fifth year with the Hornets. He was named the Squarehead Award winner against Pittsburg State.
He was a first-team All-ArkValley/Chisholm Trail League performer for Valley Center HS.

FRESHMAN PHENOM
Center Hayden Reed (Fr.-RS/Celina, Texas) became the first freshman to start at center for the Hornets under coach Higgins since Lance Uhles in 2008. There have only been three regular starters at center in that time - three year careers by Jake Warehime (2015-17) and Daniel Goodman (2012-14) in addition to Uhles four year career (2008-11).
He was a first-team All-District performer on the offensive line for Celina HS.

LILLICH OF THE FIELD
Tackle Andrew Lillich (Sr./Basehor, Kan.) is in his fourth year with the Hornets. He has played in 11 games over the last two seasons.
He transferred to Emporia State after redshirting at Butler CC.  He was a first-team All-Kaw Valley League pick for Basehor-Linwood HS.

YOUNG ONES
In addition to Hayden Reed starting at center, Emporia State will have four other sophomores or freshmen in the two deep. Tackle Xavier Cason (Fr./Junction City, Kan.) has made the travel roster as a true freshman. He was a Class 6A All-State Honorable Mention pick and 2018 Shrine Bowl Participant. He is the younger brother of Hornet linebacker Manny Cason. Guard Tyler Banta (So./Oklahoma City, Okla.) was a first-team Class 5A OCA All-Star and Carl Albert HS Lineman of the Year. Center Jarrett Roy (So./Hoyt, Kan.) redshirted last year at Emporia State after transferring from Dodge City CC and played in the 2016 Kansas Shrine Bowl representing Royal Valley HS. Guard Wyatt Malcolm (So./Columbia, Ill.) was a first-team all-conference and all-district selection at Westminster Christian HS.

ON THE DEFENSE
The Hornets lead the MIAA and are ranked 15th in the nation in tackles for loss while they rank second in the MIAA and 35th in the nation with 8.0 team sacks. They had the first sack of the season against Neb.-Kearney. They held  Northeastern State to just 14 rushing yards.  It is a school record as a member of the NCAA for Emporia State, breaking the old record of 19 yards against then Missouri-Rolla in 2004.  After forcing just 14 turnovers last season, the Hornets had four fumble recoveries against Northeastern State to rank 14th in the nation.

THE FIRST DAY
Stud backer Tre'Vaun Ammons (Jr./Omaha, Neb.) was credited with four tackles and a forced fumble at Neb.-Kearney. He recorded three tackles, including half a sack against Pittsburg State. He had five tackles and was in on a sack at Northeastern State.
He earned second-team All-MIAA honors last season. He led the MIAA and ranked 25th in the nation in tackles for loss last year and was second in the league in sacks.  He recorded 17.5 TFL, 8.5 sacks, and 53 total tackles to go with four forced fumbles, six quarterback hurries and an interception last season.  
He recorded a career high ten tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks against Washburn. He had a nine tackles with 3.5 TFL and 1.5 sacks at Ft. Hays State. He was credited with six tackles, 2.5 TFL and a pass break up at Lindenwood. He had four tackles, 3.0 TFL and a sack against Northeastern State. He had four tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble and a pass break up against Central Missouri. He recorded six tackles, two quarterback hurries, a sack and forced fumble at Missouri Southern. He had four tackles, two for a loss and a sack against Neb.-Kearney.
He was fourth in the MIAA with 7.0 sacks as a freshman in 2016. He was credited with five tackles and three pass break ups in the playoff game at Northwest Missouri. He had six tackles, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and blocked a punt against Minn.-Duluth. He was credited with four tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a pass break up and two quarterback hurries at Missouri Western. He had a sack and forced fumble against Ft. Hays State. He had five tackles including one for a loss at Pittsburg State. He had four tackles, half a sack and two quarterback hurries against Lindenwood. He had a sack and strip in the end zone at Northeastern State that resulted in a Hornet defensive touchdown. He was credited with three tackles, a quarterback hurry and batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage against Central Oklahoma.  He had three tackles and recovered a fumble at Central Missouri. He had two unassisted tackles and a quarterback hurry in his Hornet debut against Northwest Missouri.
He has 29.0 tackles for loss and 16.5 sacks in 27 career games. He is ranked fifth among active NCAA Division II players in forced fumbles with seven and is 17th in total sacks.
He was a second-team All-Metro selection for Omaha North HS and had 93 total tackles as a senior.

BRING THE WOOD
Nickel backer Gary Woods II (Jr./Oklahoma City, Okla.) is eighth in the MIAA in tackles per game. He had ten tackles at Neb.-Kearney. He recorded ten tackles against Pittsburg State. He had six tackles including a team high five unassisted stops with a TFL and a pass break-up at Northeastern State.
He was an honorable mention All-MIAA performer last season. He had nine tackles against Washburn. He recorded ten tackles against Missouri Western. He had eight tackles with a six yard tackle for loss at Ft. Hays State. He had six tackles with a sack part of a tackle for loss against Northeastern State. He recorded eight tackles at Central Oklahoma, in his first start at nickel backer after beginning season at safety. He had eight tackles, including one for a loss against Central Missouri. He was credited with seven tackles, a forced fumble and a pass break up at Missouri Southern.
He was tied for 21st in the MIAA in interceptions in 2016 as a freshman. He had five tackles with an assisted tackle for loss at Pittsburg State. He had six tackles against Lindenwood. He had an interception at Northeastern State. He recorded six tackles against Central Oklahoma. He had three tackles and an interception at the end of the half at Central Missouri. He had five tackles, one tackle for loss and a pass break up against Missouri Southern.
He was a two-time all-Southwest Prep Conference (includes schools from Oklahoma and Texas) selection at Casady Prep School and named second-team Little All-City by the Daily Oklahoman. He has three uncles that played in the NFL Rashaun Woods, D'Juan Woods and Donovan Woods.

GET DOWN
Mike linebacker Jace McDown (So./Columbus, Kan.) is ranked fifth in the MIAA in total tackles and is third in solo stops. He was credited with 12 tackles including a sack at Neb.-Kearney. He had a career high 11 tackles with an assisted tackle for loss against Pittsburg State. He had six tackles with a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry in his first career start at Northeastern State.
He was a regular on special teams for Emporia State as a freshman last season. He was credited with two solo tackles against Washburn. He had four tackles on special teams against Missouri Western.  
He was a Kansas Top 11 pick and Offensive Player of the Year in Class 4A-II with 2,667 rushing yards and 39 touchdowns as he led Columbus HS to the Class 4A-II semifinals and an 11-1 record. He had 121 tackles as a senior and recorded 401 tackles on defense in his career.

LOGAN'S RUN
Will linebacker Logan Thompson (Sr./Sedgwick, Kan.) is tied for sixth in the MIAA with 15 solo tackles. He recorded eight tackles with on tackle for loss at Neb.-Kearney. He had eight tackles with two behind the line of scrimmage against Pittsburg State. He was credited with two tackles at Northeastern State.
He had nine tackles and forced a fumble against Washburn last season. He had nine tackles against Missouri Western. He was credited with four tackles, a pass break up and a quarterback hurry against Northeastern State. He had four tackles and a pass break up against Central Missouri. He was named MIAA Defensive Player of the Week after his interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference at Missouri Southern. He finished with nine tackles against the Lions. He was awarded the Big Stick in the first two games. He had five tackles against Neb.-Kearney. He was credited with seven tackles at Northwest Missouri.
He was credited with seven tackles with a sack and a fumble recovery that he took 15 yards before pitching it to AJ West who went the final 35 yards for a touchdown against Minn.-Duluth. He had an assisted tackle behind the line of scrimmage on fourth and one at Washburn. He tied his career high with seven tackles and added a pass break up and quarterback hurry against Ft. Hays State. He had a then career high seven tackles and forced a fumble at Pittsburg State. He had a tackle for loss at Northeastern State.
He played in five games for Kansas State before transferring to Emporia State in the spring of 2016.
He was named a First Team All-Kansas 4A linebacker as he helped Sedgwick HS earn back-to-back league and bi-district championships. He recorded over 2,900 total yards and 36 total touchdowns in 12 games as a senior. He was a 2013 Kansas Shrine Bowl selection.

THREE SHEETS
Linebacker Orlando Sheets (Sr./Oklahoma City, Okla.) is in his fifth year at Emporia State.
He had a pass break up against Northeastern State. He had seven tackles against Central Missouri. He was credited with a solo and assisted tackle at Missouri Southern, both behind the line of scrimmage. He had six tackles and a fumble recovery against Neb.-Kearney. He recorded five tackles and had a solo sack  that led to a punt at Northwest Missouri.
He played in ten games as a sophomore in 2016 for the Hornets, recording three tackles on special teams.  
He was a Class 5A Oklahoma All-Star Team linebacker for Del City HS. He had 78 tackles including six sacks and four forced fumbles as a senior.

IMMANUEL CAN
Linebacker Manny Cason (Sr./Junction City, Kan.) had two tackles at Northeastern State.
He was credited with a solo tackle and a quarterback hurry against Central Missouri. He had a solo tackle at Missouri Southern. He had two tackles at Northwest Missouri.
He played in ten games as a sophomore in 2016 and was a key contributor on special teams.
He was an All-Class 6A performer for Junction City HS as a senior. His younger brother Xavier is an offensive lineman for Emporia State.

GRIFF UP
Linebacker Jared Griffin (So./St. Louis, Mo.) is in his first year with the Hornets after transferring from Ft. Scott CC.
He had a 100 yard interception return for a touchdown for the Greyhounds against Iowa Central last season.

THE LAW
Linebacker Lawson Holbert (Jr./Leawood, Kan.) is in his first year with the Hornets after transferring from Hutchinson CC.
He had seven tackles with a 43 yard interception return for a touchdown for the Blue Dragons last season.
He was an honorable mention All-Eastern Kansas League pick at receiver for Blue Valley HS.

BASSMASTER
Defensive lineman Parker Bass (Jr./Emporia, Kan) leads the MIAA and is ranked 19th in the nation with 3.5 sacks while ranking second in the MIAA and 39th in the nation with 5.5 tackles for loss. He recorded three solo stops at Neb.-Kearney. He had five tackles with one for a loss against Pittsburg State. He was named MIAA Defensive Player of the Week after recording a career best 3.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss at Northeastern State. His 3.5 sacks are the most by a Hornet since Gerard Clemons had 4.0 against Northwest Missouri in 1997. All five of his tackles were behind the line of scrimmage against the RiverHawks.
He had a pass break up, a quarterback hurry and an assisted tackle against Missouri Western. He was credited with four tackles, including two assisted tackles for loss at Ft. Hays State. He had four tackles and two quarterback hurries against Pittsburg State. He recorded three tackles with an assisted tackle for loss at Lindenwood. He had three tackles, 1.5 TFL, a sack and a quarterback hurry against Northeastern State. He recorded four tackles at Central Oklahoma. He had four tackles including an assisted tackle for loss against Central Missouri. He missed two games with a leg injury.
He was credited with three tackles at Pittsburg State as a freshman in 2016. He recorded three tackles at Northeastern State. He had two unassisted tackles against Central Oklahoma. He recorded two solo tackles at Central Missouri. He had two tackles against Northwest Missouri.
He was a second-team Top 11 pick as a senior for Emporia HS and was the Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the Centennial League as a senior.

STRENGTH FROM WITHIN
Defensive lineman Marek Thompson (So./Osceola, Mo.) had a career high five assisted tackles at Neb.-Kearney. He recorded three tackles against Pittsburg State. He had a solo tackle at Northeastern State.
He had a sack and a forced fumble against Washburn last season. He recorded three tackles against Missouri Western. He had two tackles, one for a loss and knocked down a pass at the line of scrimmage at Ft. Hays State. He had four tackles with two of them for a loss against Pittsburg State. He had two assisted tackles, one behind the line of scrimmage, at Lindenwood. He had three tackles against Central Missouri. He had two tackles against Neb.-Kearney. He had four tackles at Northwest Missouri.
He was a two-time first-team All-State pick and unanimous selection as a senior. He was a Missouri state finalist for the Wendy's HS Heisman.

POWELL GARDEN
Defensive end Logan Powell (Sr./Gardner, Kan) had a career high five tackles against Pittsburg State. He was credited with two solo tackles at Northeastern State.
He had two tackles and a quarterback hurry against Northeastern State last year. He was credited with two tackles against Central Missouri. He had an assisted tackle, a fumble recovery and a blocked PAT at Missouri Southern. He had three tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a quarterback hurry in his first career start at Northwest Missouri.
He had an assisted tackle at Northwest Missouri in the 2016 playoffs. He had three tackles against Washburn.  He had a pass break up at Northeastern State.
As a red-shirt freshman he had a tackle and a pass break up against Washburn in 2015.
He was a second-team All-State performer for Gardner-Edgerton HS as a senior in 2013.

MAASE WINDU
Defensive lineman Jackson Maase (Jr./Overland Park, Kan.) had three tackles at Neb.-Kearney. He was credited with three assisted tackles with one of them behind the line of scrimmage against Pittsburg State. He had two tackles including an assist behind the line of scrimmage and had a fumble recovery of 26 yards.
He was credited with a solo tackle against Central Missouri last year. He had one tackle at Northwest Missouri.
He played in four games last year and recorded a solo tackle against Minnesota Duluth in the playoffs as a freshman in 2016.
He was named second-team All-Eastern Kansas League as a junior when he helped lead Blue Valley HS to the Class 5A State championship but missed several games as a senior due to an injury.

BLOWIN' IN THE WIND
Defensive lineman Dyllan Haworth (So./Weatherford, Okla.) had two solo stops against Pittsburg State. He was in on a tackle for loss at Northeastern State.
He recorded two solo tackles against Pittsburg State last season. He had two tackles against Northeastern State. He was credited with two assisted tackles in his Emporia State debut at Northwest Missouri.
He was a first-team Class 4A All-Star in Oklahoma on the offensive line for Weatherford HS.

OFF THE FERRY
Defensive lineman Jahmek Murphy (Jr./Staten Island, N.Y.) had a tackle for loss on second and goal that helped hold Pittsburg State to a field goal. He had a solo tackle in his first game with the Hornets at Northeastern State.
He is in his first year with Emporia State after transferring from ASA College. He had nine tackles in seven games with three tackles for loss and a sack at ASA College in New York last season. He graduated from Tottenville HS.

HIGH WATTAGE
Defensive lineman Brance Watts (Jr./Sanger, Texas) is in his junior season with the Hornets.
He appeared in three games for the Hornets as a sophomore last season.
He knocked down a pass at the line of scrimmage against Washburn as a freshman. He moved from offensive line to defense prior to the Northeastern State game and was credited with three tackles against the RiverHawks.
He was a first-team All-District and honorable mention all-state performer in class 4A for Sanger HS on the offensive line.

CLOSE THE GATE
Safety Roscoe Gatewood III (Jr./Midwest City, Okla.) had seven tackles at Neb.-Kearney. He had a career high ten tackles including an assisted TFL against Pittsburg State. He had three tackles at Northeastern State.
He had a career high six tackles and a pass break up against Missouri Western. He recorded five tackles with a solo tackle for loss of six yards at Ft. Hays State in his first career start. He had three solo tackles against Pittsburg State. He forced a fumble at Lindenwood. He had two tackles and a pass break up against Northeastern State. He recorded four tackles at Missouri Southern. He had three tackles, two of them solo, at Northwest Missouri.
He moved into the post season roster as a red-shirt freshman in 2016. He had one tackle at Washburn. He was credited with one tackle at Northeastern State.
He was an all-state performer as a senior defensive back for Midwest City HS. He was a three-year starter that recorded over 300 career tackles and a three-time state qualifier in power-lifting.

AIR JORDAN
Safety Jordan Wallace (So./Denton, Texas) recorded a career high five tackles at Neb.-Kearney. He had four tackles and returned an interception 35 yards against Pittsburg State. He had two solo tackles at Northeastern State.
He is in his first year with the Hornets after transferring from Coffeyville CC. He had 21 tackles and two pass break ups for the Red Ravens last year. He originally Signed with Iowa State out of high school.
He was ranked as a Three Star Recruit, and listed in the top 100 in the state of Texas. He was a First-Team All-District at Guyer HS. He had 76 tackles, two forced fumbles and an interception as a senior.

SAVAGES
Safety Cody Savage (Sr./Canton, Kan.) is in his second year with Emporia State. He played at cornerback at Neb.-Kearney and finished with two tackles and a pass break up.
He was credited with half a tackle for loss against Missouri Western last year. He had six tackles and an interception he returned 13 yards at Ft. Hays State. He had four tackles including one for a nine yard loss against Pittsburg State. He recorded three tackles at Lindenwood. He had an interception return of 20 yards and was credited with one tackle and a pass break up against Northeastern State. He recorded a solo tackle at Central Oklahoma. He had a solo tackle at Missouri Southern.
He transferred to Emporia State from Kansas State. He played one season at receiver for Hutchinson CC and caught three passes for 89 yards. He was a two-year starting quarterback for Canton-Galva HS and earned honorable mention all-state honors.

THE BIRD
Safety Trey Morris (Fr.-RS/Cushing, Okla.) had a solo tackle in his first game at Northeastern State.
He earned All-District, all-area, and all-state honors at Cushing HS. He had 35 catches for 873 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior and carried the ball 36 times for 365 yards and two touchdowns. He played in Blue-Grey HS All-American Bowl at the Oakland Coliseum. He graduated with a 4.0 GPA and was ranked #1 in his class at Cushing HS.

CHANGE UP
Cornerback Brent Davenport (Sr./Dallas, Texas) had a solo tackle at Neb.-Kearney. He recorded two tackles and two pass break ups against Pittsburg State. He had a pair of tackles at Northeastern State.
 He is in his fifth year with the Hornets but just his second on the defensive side of the ball. He had two tackles against Missouri Western last year. He had four tackles at Ft. Hays State.
He came to Emporia State as a quarterback and has played wide receiver for two years before moving to defense.  

iSPY
Cornerback Kyle Rinck (So./Independence, Kan.) is in his third year with the Hornets. He is ranked third in the MIAA in passes defended per game. He had two tackles and a pass break up at Neb.-Kearney. He had a tackle and two pass break ups in his first career start against Pittsburg State.
He was an honorable mention all-state performer for Independence HS.

JUMP IN THE POOL
Cornerback Jaedon Pool (Fr./Midwest City, Okla.) had a pair of tackles at Neb.-Kearney. He was credited with five solo tackles and a pass break up against Pittsburg State. He had two solo tackles and a fumble recovery in his first game as a Hornet at Northeastern State.
He was a First-Team All-District pick on defense for Carl Albert HS. He had 75 tackles, five Sacks and an Interception on defense while catching 22 passes for 335 yards and four touchdowns. He was part of back-to-back State Championship teams in football in 2016 and 2017 and was a part of the 2017 Track & Field State Championship team.  

CHI-TOWN
Cornerback Jawil Aldridge (Jr./Chicago, Ill.) had two solo tackles at Neb.-Kearney. He had a tackle, a fumble recovery and two pass break ups at Northeastern State in his first game with Emporia State.
He is in his first year with the Hornets after transferring from Butler CC. He had 29 tackles for the Grizzlies as a sophomore last season. He redshirted at Illinois State in 2015.
He recorded 78 tackles and picked off four passes, while causing two fumbles at Marist HS. He led Marist to the semifinals of the IHSA state playoffs.

GOLD FINGER
Cornerback Asher Goldston (Sr./Lenexa, Kan.) is in his second year with the Hornets. He played safety last season.
He recorded six solo tackles with a fumble recovery against Washburn last season. He had four solo tackles against Missouri Western. He recorded five tackles and a pass break up at Ft. Hays State. He had seven tackles against Pittsburg State. He had five tackles and two pass break ups in his first career start at Central Oklahoma.
He is a transfer from Hutchingson CC. He Had 51 tackles with four interceptions and a touchdown for the Blue Dragons. He was an All-Sunflower League kick returner for Shawnee Mission West HS.

HEAD COACH GARIN HIGGINS
Former Hornet Garin Higgins is in his 12th season at his alma mater having transformed Hornet football into a national power. He has a 123-67 record in his 17 years as a head coach and 72-58 in his 12th season at Emporia State. His 72 wins are the second most in Emporia State history behind Fan Welch's 115 from 1928-54. He has built the Hornets the right way during his 12 seasons and orchestrated one of the great turnarounds in Emporia State history. The Hornets have gone 53-22 over the last seven years after going 19-36 in his first five seasons.
He is the 21st head football coach at Emporia State, was the first to lead the Hornets to ten wins in two different seasons and has now done it in three seasons. He has coached in more post season games than any one in Emporia State history. He completed his ninth season by taking his alma mater deeper into the NCAA Division II playoffs than ever before in 2015 while winning seven more games than in 2014. In 2013 he became just the second coach to take the Hornets to the NCAA Playoffs and is one of just six Emporia State coaches to take the Hornets to a post season game of any type.
He had led the Hornets to within just one game of a post season berth in 2010 and 2011 before winning the Kanza Bowl in 2012 and was one win away in 2017. He is one of six Hornet coaches to win at least five games in four straight years.
He compiled a 51-9 record as the head coach at Northwestern Oklahoma State University before becoming the co-offensive coordinator at Minnesota State in 2005. He was the offensive coordinator at Northeastern State in 2006.  
While at Northwestern Oklahoma State, he was named the Central State Football League Coach of the Year five straight years from 2000 through 2004. The Rangers won 31 consecutive games from 1998 through 2000 and were 15-3 against NCAA Division II schools under Higgins.
A native of Blackwell, Okla., Higgins graduated from Emporia State in 1992. He was a four-year letterman for the Hornets and helped lead the team to a national runner-up finish in 1989. He has been involved with four teams that have played for or won national championships as a player, coordinator or head coach. Higgins and his wife Heather, a 1995 graduate of ESU, are the parents of three children - son Halen and daughters Harlee and Gracyn.

THE POLLS SAY
The MIAA has four teams ranked in the top 25 in this week's AFCA National Poll and four in the D2Football.com Poll. The Hornets have been ranked in the AFCA Poll during the regular season for six straight years. Emporia State is 7-10 against teams ranked in the AFCA Top 25 over the last four years, with a 7-3 record against teams other than Northwest Missouri.

LISTEN & WATCH LIVE
Video webcasts for all of Emporia State's regular season games are available on a pay per view basis from the MIAA Digital Network. The MIAA Network content is available live, via live DVR, and is immediately archived for on-demand viewing after each event.  Fans can find all of the action on www.themiaanetwork.com and on The MIAA Network apps for Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku.
Audio of all Emporia State games are available on KFFX 104.9FM and at www.kvoe.com with Greg Rahe, Reid Buckingham and Tagan Trahoon providing the call. KFFX is in their 31st straight year as the radio home of Hornet Athletics, the longest active streak between a commercial station and an MIAA school.

DID YOU CATCH IT
The Emporia State football game at Northwest Missouri on Saturday, November 7, 2015 was selected for the DII Football Showcase on the American Sports Network, giving the Hornets three televised games that season. For the entire six year run of the MIAA Television Network the Hornets had a home game featured, capped by their 45-34 win over Central Missouri in the 2015 home opener. It was the first of two scheduled appearances on television for Emporia State as they later defeated Lindenwood 20-13 on October 3 on MIAA TV as well. The Hornets are third behind Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri for the most appearances on live television over the last seven years. The Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012 game against Missouri Western was the first televised match-up of nationally ranked teams from Jones Field at Welch Stadium. The Hornets have played 21 games on live television since 1997.

CAPTAINS
This year's team captains are quarterback Braxton Marstall, running back Landon Nault, receiver Justin Brown, linebacker Gary Woods II, linebacker Jayce McDown, and defensive back Roscoe Gatewood.

THE NFL EXPERIENCE
The Hornets have had 15 players play in one of the major professional football leagues.  Two Hornets have won Super Bowl rings - Kelly Goodburn with the Washington Redskins and Leon Lett with the Dallas Cowboys. Jeff Richards played in exhibition games with the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Chargers over the past two seasons after winning a Grey Cup with the Ottawa Redblacks in the CFL in 2016. Adam Schiltz saw action in exhibition games with the Chiefs in 2015 while Austin Willis played in exhibition action for the Buffalo Bills in 2016. Harold Ayodele was a part of the Kansas City Chiefs during training camp and saw action in exhibition games in 2011. Garin Higgins has coached three players that have gone on to play in the NFL regular season - Lynn Scott with the Dallas Cowboys, Sam Breeden with the Green Bay Packers, and Patrick Crayton with the Cowboys and San Diego Chargers.

A Hornet win would...
•make Emporia State 3-1 overall, 3-1 in the MIAA;
•make Emporia State 7-0 all-time against Lindenwood;
•make the Hornets 3-1 for the fourth straight year:
•make Coach Higgins 73-58 at Emporia State and 124-67 overall.

A Hornet loss would...
•make Emporia State 2-2 overall, 2-2 in the MIAA;
•make Emporia State 6-1 all-time against Lindenwood;
•be the Hornets first loss to the Lions in history;
•make Emporia State 2-2 for the first time since 2014;
•make Coach Higgins 72-59 at Emporia State and 123-68 overall.

WORKING OVERTIME
• The Hornets are 5-8 in overtime games with wins in five of their last seven after dropping their first four extra period contests.
• Emporia State is 3-1 in overtime games under Garin Higgins with wins in the last three games.
• The quadruple overtime game in 2006 between Emporia State and Pittsburg State was the first MIAA regular season game to go to four overtimes and the first involving an MIAA team since Northwest Missouri's 4 OT win against Carson Newman in the 1999 National Championship Game.
• The 18 point deficit (28-10) in the second quarter at Minnesota State is the largest deficit Emporia State has overcome to win a game as an NCAA school.
• Emporia State has twice overcome a 17 point deficit at the half for a win in MIAA play. Most recently they trailed 17-0 at Neb.-Kearney before rallying for a 20-17 win in week three this year. The first was against Missouri Southern in 2011 when the Hornets trailed 17-0 and eventually won 31-24 in Welch Stadium.
• Emporia State came from 17-0 down at the end of the first quarter to defeat Ft. Hays State 24-17 to open the 1992 season.