EMPORIA STATE FOOTBALL ON THE ROAD AT CENTRAL MISSOURI

Football | 10/6/2021 9:42:00 PM

Game #6
Emporia State Hornets (3-2, 3-2 MIAA)
at Central Missouri Mules (1-4, 1-4 MIAA)
Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021 • 1:00 p.m. • Walton Stadium • Warrensburg, Mo.
Series Record: UCM leads 41-20-4 Current Streak: UCM 1 Win
Last Meeting: #14 UCM 34, at ESU 27 (October 19, 2019)
Radio: KFFX-FM (104.9) Pregame 12:00 p.m. TV: None
Internet (Audio): www.kvoe.com Internet (Video): themiaanetwork.com/esuhornets
Officials: Announced on Game Day   
Live Stats • Ticket Info • Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next: vs. Neb.-Kearney • Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021 • 1:00 p.m.
Jones Field at Welch Stadium • Emporia, Kan.

SHOW ME
Emporia State travels to Central Missouri at the midway point of the season.

LAST TIME OUT
Emporia State raced out to a 35-10 lead at the start of the fourth quarter and held on for a 35-30 victory over Washburn in the 117th edition of the Turnpike Tussle on a rainy day at Welch Stadium.
The Ichabods would outgain the Hornets 519 yards to 292 but Washburn turned the ball over five times on the day with three interceptions and two fumbles. Braden Gleason went 18 of 25 for 183 yards with four touchdowns while adding 35 yards on ten carries.  Billy Ross, Jr. had one reception for 63 yards and a touchdown, Dalton Cowan had three for 18 yards and a score, Corey Thomas added three catches for 12 yards and a touchdown while Tyler Kahmann had two receptions for 14 yards and a touchdown.  Canaan Brooks gained 72 yards on 21 carries. Gee Stanley was the leading tackler for the Hornets with 11 stops.  Jace McDown had five tackles and a 45 yard interception return for a touchdown.  Kyle Rinck had a 49 yard interception return while Derrick Maxwell had five stops and an interception as well. Ross Brungardt had nine punts for an average of 48.8 yards, including a season long 66 yarder.  Eight of his punts went for at least 42 yards and the only one that didn't he put out of bounds at the Washburn 15 yard line.

THE COACHES
Garin Higgins has a career record of 136-79 in his 19th season as a head coach. He is 85-70 in his 14th season at his alma mater and is 76-45 since the start of the 2010 season. He has led the Hornets to the post season in five of the last eight seasons with three NCAA Playoffs and 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 3-8 against Central Missouri.
Jim Svoboda is 82-40 in his 11th season at Central Missouri and 134-59 in his 18th season as a head coach. He is 5-3 against Emporia State.

SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 3-2 on the year. The Hornets are leading the MIAA in completion percentage, turnover margin, third down defense, sacks, tackles for loss, and interceptions  while ranking third in scoring at 34.0 points per game and fifth in scoring defense at 24.6 points per game. Braden Gleason is leading the MIAA in touchdown passes and completions while ranking second in completion percentage and points responsible for. He is third in the nation in completions, sixth in TD passes, and eighth in completion percentage and points responsible for. Cade Harelson is second in the league in sacks and Jace McDown is second in tackles for loss. Ross Brungardt is leading the nation in punting.
 
SCOUTING THE MULES
Central Missouri is 1-4 on the season. They are leading the MIAA and rank third in the nation in sacks allowed.  They are tenth in the MIAA in scoring at 20.4 points per game and give up 30.4 points per game to rank ninth in scoring defense in the league. Arkell Smith is third in the league in touchdown catches while Cameron Saunders is third in receiving yards.

THE SERIES
This is the 65th meeting in the series that dates back to 1901. The Mules lead the all-time series 41-20-4. The Hornets have won three of the last five meetings.

LAST TIME VS. CENTRAL MISSOURI
Emporia State went toe to toe with #14 Central Missouri but could not recover an onside kick with a minute left in a 34-27 loss to the Mules at Welch Stadium. Dalton Cowan was 36 of 57 for 313 yards with two touchdowns. Rasheed Noel had eight catches for 70 yards in addition to three carries for 48 yards and a touchdown. Cole Schumacher also had eight receptions for 53 yards while Wil Amos had four catches for 54 yards and a touchdown. Gee Stanley and Jace McDown each had ten tackles to lead Emporia State. Lawson Holbert had nine tackles and a 54 yard interception return.

UP NEXT
The Hornets return to Jones Field at Welch Stadium on October 16 to take on Neb.-Kearney.

KNOW THE FOE
This will be the 66th meeting between Emporia State and Central Missouri. In seven of the last nine meetings it has been a one touchdown game in the fourth quarter. In 2009 the Hornets drove 60 yards in 54 seconds only to see a potential game tying 31 yard field goal miss wide left in a 24-21 loss. In 2011 the Hornets led 38-31 with 13:46 left in the game before the Mules scored the final 14 points to take a 45-38 win in Emporia. The teams did not meet in 2012 or 2013. An Austin Morton 26 yard field goal pulled the Hornets within 36-31 to start the fourth quarter in Warrensburg in 2014. LaVance Taylor scored on a 75 yard run on third and 13 to put the Mules up 43-31 and after the Hornets fumbled away the ensuing kickoff Taylor scored from 22 yards out for the final score of 50-31.  The 2015 game was interrupted on Thursday by a severe thunderstorm at the half and resumed on Saturday afternoon in Welch Stadium. Brent Wilson hit Morris Williams for a 14 yard touchdown with 10:16 left to break a 31-31 tie. After a UCM field goal made it 38-34, Wilson found Mitchell Foote on a two yard pass with 2:49 left for the final score of 45-34.  In 2016 the Hornets took a 17-7 lead into the fourth quarter only to see the Mules score 14 straight to go up 21-17 with 9:28 left.  ESU retook the lead on an Antonio Brown one yard run with 36 seconds left, but UCM answered with a 34 yard field goal with :07 left to send the game to OT. The teams traded touchdowns in the first extra period. MJ Mathis pulled an interception in the Mules half of the second overtime. Braxton Marstall hit Mitchell Foote for a 20 yard touchdown on second down to give ESU a 37-31 victory.  In 2018 Emporia State had a 31-21 lead in the fourth quarter, but Central Missouri scored 13 points in the final 4:14, including the game winning defensive touchdown as time expired following a lateral and two fumbles with the score tied. In the last meeting in 2019 the Hornets were trailing 26-20 when they forced a fumble with 2:01 left.  Two plays later the Mules intercepted a pass and returned it 58 yards and got the two point conversion to go up 34-20. Emporia State responded with a three play, 69 yard drive capped by a Dalton Cowan to Wil Amos 26 yard touchdown to make it 34-27 with 1:32 left, but was not able to recover the on-side kick.

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 31-25 and have gone 70-36 since then. Of the 36 losses, 16 have been to teams ranked in the AFCA Top 25 at the time. In Emporia State's first 49 games under Coach Higgins, the Hornets averaged 19.86 points per game while giving up 30.06 points per game. In the 104 games since then Emporia State is averaging 33.19 points while giving up 27.13 points per game and have won nearly two-thirds of their games.

OUTSIDE THE CONFERENCE
The Hornets have gone 14-2 in non-conference games under Garin Higgins and are 25-7 outside the MIAA in the 21st century. Since joining the MIAA, ESU is 34-12 in non-conference games and has lost only three games to unranked non-conference D-II opponents since 1996.  

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 while Emporia State and Northwest Missouri are the only ones to have accomplished the feat in the last decade.

MIAA IN THE POSTSEASON
Since the MIAA first expanded in 1989 and the new teams became eligible for post season play in 1990, the league has eight national championships and a representative in 15 of 28 national championship games, including ten of the last 15 title games.  In that time the MIAA is 46-21 in the NCAA Playoffs and 21-7 in bowl games for a combined post season record of 67-28 against non-conference opponents. 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 national quarterfinals.  Emporia State's game at Northwest Missouri in 2015 was the fifth all-MIAA regional final 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. The only two schools to have never made the NCAA Playoffs are Lincoln and Northeastern State, who made the NAIA National Championship game four times and won the title in 1994. Northeastern State participated in the 2011 Mineral Water Bowl, meaning 11 of the 12 member schools have participated in an NCAA sanctioned post season game.   
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 69-14 under coach Higgins when scoring 28 or more points with a 64-9 record in their last 73 games in which they have scored at least 28 points. The Hornets have scored at least 40 points in 38 games under Coach Higgins with a record 36-2 in those games. The Hornets have won 21 games when allowing their opponents 28 or more points under coach Higgins, but Emporia State has only won 16 games when the Hornets have scored less than 28 points. The 53-52 loss at Central Oklahoma in 2017 was the first time in school history the Hornets have scored 50 points in regulation and lost a game.

OFFENSIVE OVERVIEW
The Hornets are leading the MIAA in completion percentage while ranking third in scoring, passing offense and red zone offense.  They are fifth in the nation in completion percentage, 18th in passing yards, and 25th in passing efficiency.  

QUARTERBACKS
Over the last decade five different Hornet quarterbacks have thrown for over 300 yards in a game a combined 43 times, with 12 games  of at least 400 yards and an MIAA record 522 yard game by Brent Wilson while eight different QBs have thrown at least two touchdown passes in a season.

TO THE MOON
Quarterback Braden Gleason (Soph./Muldrow, Okla.) is leading the MIAA in passing touchdowns, and completions while ranking second in percentage and points responsible for. He leads the nation in touchdown to interception ratio among QBs with at least 130 attempts and is fourth in the nation in completions per game, seventh in touchdown passes, eighth in percentage and points responsible for.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He threw four touchdown passes against Washburn, going 18 of 25 for 183 yards on the day. He had career highs going 36 of 53 for 348 yards with two touchdowns and added 39 yards and two rushing scores at Pitt State. He was 30 of 45 for 307 yards and three touchdowns at Missouri Western. He led Emporia State on a touchdown drive with under two minutes left to pull with a point of the Griffons. He was 28 of 42 for 280 yards and three touchdowns against Central Oklahoma and connected with eight different receivers. He completed 28 of 40 passes for a career high 327 yards at Northeastern State.
AS A FRESHMAN: He but came in after one play and led Emporia State to a 34-14 win against Central Olahoma. He was 17 of 27 for 160 yards and two touchdowns through the air and added 30 yards on ten rushes. He went 14 of 34 for 222 yards and added 81 rushing yards in his first career start against Missouri Southern. He was ten of 18 for 122 yards and added 45 yards on 12 rushes at Missouri Western. He had 17 yards on five carries at Lincoln. He was five of seven for 39 yards and a touchdown against Northeastern State.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was Honorable Mention All-State for Muldrow (Okla.) HS. He threw for 6,317 yards and 60 touchdowns in his career along with 1,483 yards and 23 touchdowns rushing.

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH
Quarterback Jack Diamond (Jr./Shawnee, Okla.) transferred to Emporia State from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M in December of 2019.
AS A JUNIOR: His first pass as a Hornet was a 62 yard touchdown pass against Northeastern State.
AT NEO A&M: He was 32 of 76 for 426 yards and six touchdowns in seven games for the Norsemen and added 270 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground in 2019.  
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He had 3,024 yards of total offense in 11 games as a senior for Shawnee (Okla.) HS.  He was teammates with current Kansas City Chief center Creed Humphrey

IN THE CHASE
Quarterback Chase Ricke (Fr.-RS/Tulsa, Okla.) earned First-Team All-State honors as he led Lincoln Christian HS to an undefeated state championship in Oklahoma Class 3A.

RECEIVERS
A total of 14 Hornets have caught at least one pass this season with ten players having a reception of at least 20 yards and five have catches of at least 60 yards. It is the first time in school history ESU has had five players with a reception of at least 60 yards in a season.

SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT
Receiver Corey Thomas (Jr./Topeka, Kan.) has 11 catches for 118 yards in four games this year.
AS A JUNIOR: He had a five yard touchdown catch among his three catches against Washburn. He had six catches for 92 yards at Pittsburg State. He did not play against Missouri Western. He caught two passes for 14 yards at Northeastern State.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He had a team high seven catches for 99 yards and a 47 yard touchdown against Northeastern State. He finished the season with 126 yards on 11 catches in just three games.
AS A FRESHMAN: He had one reception for 19 yards against Mo. Southern. He had an eight yard reception at Northwest Missouri.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: 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.

FORMULA ONE
Receiver Cole Schumacher (Jr./Rossville, Kan.) has caught a pass in 20 straight games for the Hornets. He is 14th in the MIAA in catches.
AS A JUNIOR: He had two catches for 25 yards against Washburn. He caught six passes for 42 yards and a game tying touchdown at Pitt State. He had four catches for just 13 yards at Missouri Western. He caught four passes for 58 yards against Central Oklahoma. He had three catches for 77 yards and a touchdown at Northeastern State. His 70 yard reception gave Emporia State a 7-0 lead and is the third longest reception in the MIAA this season.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He had a team high 44 receptions for 461 yards and four touchdowns in 2019. He was eighth in the MIAA in total receptions with 44 in 2019. He caught six balls for 54 yards against Central Oklahoma. He had two catches for 39 yards at Missouri Southern. He had three catches for 32 yards - all on consecutive plays on a third quarter touchdown drive- against Washburn. He had four catches for 48 yards at Missouri Western. He caught eight passes for 53 yards against Central Missouri. He had 59 yards on five receptions with a touchdown against Northwest Missouri. He had three catches for 29 yards at Lincoln. He had six receptions for 45 yards against Neb.-Kearney. He caught four passes for 60 yards at Pittsburg State. He had two catches for 38 yards against Northeastern State, including a 32 yard touchdown.
AS A FRESHMAN: He had a career best five catches for 85 yards and a touchdown against Missouri Southern. He had two key catches for ten yards in the fourth quarter against Ft. Hays State. He finished the year with 112 yards on nine catches with a touchdown in five games last season.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was an All-Class 3A receiver and three-time state champion at Rossville HS.

STRONG ONE
Receiver Dexton Swinehart (So./Lyndon, Kan.) is eighth in the MIAA in receptions.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He had four receptions for 29 yards, with 28 yards coming after the catch, against Washburn. He caught one eight yard pass at Pitt State. He had 78 yards on six receptions at Missouri Western. He had eight receptions for 30 yards and a touchdown against Central Oklahoma. He had four catches for 29 yards at Northeastern State.
AS A FRESHMAN: He finished theseason with 403 yards on 34 receptions. He had four catches for 38 yards at Missouri Western. He had 40 yards on six receptions against Central Missouri. He had four catches for 30 yards at Fort Hays State. He caught seven passes for 97 yards including a 42 yard touchdown at Lincoln. He had a 16 yard reception and a catch for a two-point conversion against Neb.-Kearney. He had one catch for 15 yards at Pittsburg State. He had 112 yards on five catches against Northeastern State and his 74 yard touchdown was the sixth longest reception in the MIAA.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was the Kansas Class 2-1A Offensive Player of the Year and a Topeka Capital Journal Top 33 selection. He earned Topeka Capital Journal and Wichita Eagle 2017 First-Team Offensive and Defensive All-State honors.

A NEW MARSHALL
Receiver Jaylen Varner (Fr.-TR/Marshall, Mo.) is 13th in the MIAA in touchdown receptions. He missed the Pitt State and Washburn games with an injury.
AS A FRESHMAN: He had a 72 yard reception at Missouri Western and finished with two catches for 80 yards against the Griffons. He caught five passes for 53 yards against Central Oklahoma. He had five catches for 65 yards and two touchdowns at Northeastern State.
AT MISSOURI: He is a transfer from Missouri where he was a defensive back during his red-shirt season of 2019.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was a four-time All-Conference selection at Marshall HS and was the district MVP his senior season.

WHERE THERE'S A WIL
Receiver Wil Amos (Fr.-RS/Afton, Okla.) had one catch for four yards against Central Oklahoma. He has missed three games with an injury.
AS A FRESHMAN: He had 25 rushing yards on four carries and added three receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown against Central Oklahoma. He had five catches for 63 yards including a 42 yard touchdown at Missouri Southern. He had two receptions for 40 yards including a 34 yarder at Missouri Western. He had four catches for 54 yards including a 36 yard touchdown that pulled the Hornets within seven points with 1:02 left in the game against Central Missouri. He had 40 yards on two receptions at Fort Hays State. He had five catches for 40 yards against Northwest Missouri. He had a breakout performance with 12 catches for 143 yards and a touchdown at Lincoln.  He added on carry for eight yards to go over 150 all-purpose yards in the game. He had four catches for a team high 51 yards in his first game as a Hornet against Neb.-Kearney including a 36 yard reception. He had 498 yards on 39 catches in nine games as a red-shirt freshman in 2019. He ranked seventh in the MIAA in receptions per game but was just 14th in receiving yards per game despite having a catch of at least 26 yards in all but one game he played in during the 2019 season.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was a Daily Oklahoman and Tulsa World All-State Selection. He had 3,247 yards and 45 touchdowns on the ground and threw for 1,269 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior to lead Afton to state championship. He was a two-time 800m and 400m State Champion in track.

UNCOMMON
Receiver Tyler Kahmann (Fr.-RS/Haysville, Kan.) is in his third year with the program.
AS A FRESHMAN: He had a four yard touchdown grab against Washburn. He erupted for nine receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown at Pitt State. He had a 69 yard catch against Central Oklahoma.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He had 35 receptions for 694 yards and 14 touchdowns to earn All-State honors. He was also a Class 6A honorable mention All-State selection in basketball and baseball.

MAKE LEMONADE
Receiver Kai Lemons (Jr./Wichita, Kan.) is in his fourth year with the Hornets.
AS A JUNIOR: He had a 21 yard reception against Washburn. He had two catches for 13 yards in a start at Pittsburg State. He had a 19 yard reception at Missouri Western. He caught one pass for five yards at Northeastern State.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He played in three games and had a ten yard catch against Northeastern State.
AT HUTCHINSON CC: Played for the Blue Dragons in the 2017 season.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was a Second-Team All-State selection for Derby HS and earned First-Team All-Senior Class honors.

KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES
Receiver Zion Jones (Fr.-RS/Wichita, Kan.) caught two passes at Missouri Western and had two receptions for 12 yards at Northeastern State.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was a two-time All-City League and All-State selection at Wichita Northwest HS.

IT'S NOT BRAGGING
Receiver Deontei Braggs (Fr.-RS/Spiro, Okla.) took a shovel pass 62 yards for a touchdown at Northeastern State.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was the Oklahoma District 2A-5 Offensive/Defensive MVP and Player of the Year. He was a first-team OCA All-State selection with 1,469 passing yards with 15 touchdowns while adding 751 yards with 14 touchdowns on the ground. He had 32 total tackles with four interceptions.

THE THINKER
Receiver Rasheed Noel (Soph./Coppell, Texas) had his red-shirt pulled prior to the Central Missouri game in 2019.
AS A FRESHMAN: He had 118 all-purpose yards against Central Missouri with 70 receiving on eight catches while carrying the ball three times for 48 yards. He had a 45 yard touchdown run on a reverse against the Mules.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was a Texas All-District 6-6A performer.  He had 387 all purpose yards with nine touchdowns as a senior. Defensively he recorded 21 total tackles with a sack.

TURN UP THE HEAT
Receiver Devin Stoker (Fr-RS/Olathe, Kan.) is in his third year with the Hornets.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He had 548 all-purpose yards on 42 touches as a senior for Olathe North HS, an average of 13.0 yards every time he touched the ball and scored six touchdowns.

S-BACK
The Hornets have S-Backs have combined to catch four touchdowns this season.

DALTON GANG
S-Back Dalton Cowan (Jr./Topeka, Kan.) is sixth in the MIAA in receptions and 14th in receiving yards.
AS A JUNIOR: He had a career high six catches for 93 yards at Pittsburg State. He caught three passes for 30 yards at Missouri Western. He had five receptions for 40 yards and his first career touchdown against Central Oklahoma. He had five catches for 65 yards at Northeastern State.
AS A SOPHOMORE: Playing quarterback the first nine games, he had 241 rushing yards as a sophomore in 2019 with six rushing touchdowns while throwing for 1,683 yards with 11 touchdowns. He was third in the MIAA in completion percentage, sixth in completions, seventh in total offense and passing efficiency, and eighth in passing yards and passing touchdowns despite playing only nine games at quarterback. He had rushing touchdowns against Central Oklahoma and at Missouri Southern. He went 36 of 57 for 313 yards with two touchdowns against Central Missouri. He was the leading rusher for the Hornets at Fort Hays State with 56 yards on 13 carries while going 14 of 29 for 129 yards through the air. He was 19 of 40 for 156 yards and two touchdowns against Northwest Missouri. He was 28 of 40 for 331 yards and three touchdowns against Lincoln. He went 21 of 32 for 161 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns against Neb.-Kearney. He went 15 of 25 for 261 yards with three touchdowns through the air and added 88 rushing yards on nine carries against Northeastern State in his first career start
AS A FRESHMAN: He threw a 54 yard touchdown in his only snap against Ft. Hays State. He played the final series against Pittsburg State and had the majority of the fourth quarter at Northeastern State.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: 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. His brother Reid is also on the Hornet football team while his sister Riley is on the soccer team. His father Jeff Cowan played linebacker for the Hornets while his mother Cassie (Henry) Cowan played basketball for the Lady Hornets.

THE Z-MAN
S-Back Tommy Zimmerman (Fr.-RS/Overland Park, Kan.) is eighth in the MIAA in touchdown receptions.
AS A FRESHMAN: He had two catches, both for touchdowns, for a total of 23 yards at Missouri Western. He caught two passes for 31 yards including his first career touchdown against Central Oklahoma. He saw his first action as a Hornet at Northeastern State and had a key block on Deonti Braggs 62 yard touchdown.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He earned all-league honors at both tight end and defensive line for Blue Valley Southwest HS. He was a Kansas Football Coaches Association (KFBCA) All-State pick on the defensive line and was named a Greater Kansas City Football Coaches Association MoKan All Star.

FAMILY AFFAIR
S-Back Case Cochran (Soph./Cashion, Okla.) is in his third year with the Hornets.
AS A FRESHMAN: He started and had his first career touchdown on a three yard reception at Lincoln.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was the 2016 District Offensive MVP and 2017 District Receiver of the Year. He is the brother of former Emporia State assistant coaches Cayden and Cale Cochran.

RUNNING BACKS
The Hornets three primary running backs are averaging 3.7 yards per carry and have each scored a rushing touchdown this season.

PROMISED LAND
Running back Canaan Brooks (Jr./St. Louis, Mo.) is 12th in the MIAA in rushing yards per game despite missing the Pittsburg State and Missouri Western games with an injury.
AS A JUNIOR: He had 72 yards on 21 carries against Washburn. He ran for 80 yards on nine carries against Central Oklahoma with a long rush of 52 yards. He had a team high 52 rushing yards on 11 carries with an 18 yard touchdown run at Northeastern State. He added 19 yards on three pass receptions.
AT SOUTH DAKOTA: He played in all 12 games as a sophomore in 2019 with 114 carries for 505 yards and four touchdowns. He was the third leading rusher for the Coyotes in 2019. He had a season high 112 yards on 11 carries against Youngstown State. As a freshman he played in ten games including the season opener at Kansas State. He finished with 144 yards on 55 carries.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He earned all-conference, all-metro and all-state honors after rushing for 1,438 yards and 33 touchdowns for Lutheran North HS. He averaged 9.8 yards per carry as he led the Crusaders to their first conference championship since 2002. He played at  Hazelwood West HS before transferring to Lutheran North HS prior to the 2017 season.

SPEEDSTER
Running back Billy Ross Jr. (Fr.-RS/Oklahoma City, Okla.) is seventh in the MIAA in all-purpose yardage, eighth in total touchdowns, and 12th in rushing yards while leading the league and ranking second in the nation in punt return touchdowns..
AS A FRESHMAN: He had a 63 yard touchdown reception on a screen pass against Washburn. He gained 73 yards on 22 carries at Pittsburg State. He had 169 all-purpose yards at Missouri Western with 66 rushing yards, 49 receiving yards and 54 yards on two punt returns.  He returned a punt 52 yards for a touchdown to open the scoring and was named the MIAA Special Teams Player of the Week. It was the first punt return for a touchdown by a Hornet since 2016. He had 65 all-purpose yards against Central Oklahoma with 21 rushing yards on seven carries, 42 yards on two kick-off returns and a two yard punt return. He had 93 all-purpose yards at Northeastern State with 29 rushing, 39 receiving and 25 yards on punt returns.
ON THE TRACK: He has already competed in one outdoor and two indoor seasons for the ESU track team. He ran a personal best 10.67 to place tenth in the 100m at the MIAA Outdoor Championships.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He had 860 receiving yards, 660 rushing yards, 1,800 all purpose yards, and 22 total touchdowns for Heritage Hall HS  He was a five-time State Champion in track in the 100m, 200m, and 4x200m.

CALVIN AND HOBBES
Running back Calvin Boyce (Soph./Prague,Okla.) is 19th in the MIAA in yards per rush among players with at least ten carries.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He scored on a one yard touchdown run at Missouri Western. He closed out the Central Oklahoma game with four carries for 18 yards including a key 12 yard gain for a first down. He had 50 yards on ten carries with a long rush of 18 yards at Northeastern State.
AS A FRESHMAN: He had 44 carries for 159 yards and two touchdowns as a red-shirt freshman in 2019. He had four carries for 18 yards against Central Missouri. He had six carries for 24 yards at Fort Hays State. He had seven carries for 18 yards and two catches for five yards in his first career start at Lincoln. He gained 50 yards on nine carries and added a seven yard reception against Northeastern State and was the only player to have both a rush and a catch.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was an Oklahoma VYPE Magazine All-Star Team Selection after he scored 36 touchdowns as a senior.

OFFENSIVE LINE
The Hornets have re-tooled the offensive line with just two players with previous starting experience returning for 2021.

FRESHMAN PHENOM
Center Hayden Reed (Jr./Celina, Texas) is in his fifth year with the Hornets and has already graduated. He has started all 28 games for Emporia State over the last three seasons with 26 of those starts at center.
AS A JUNIOR: Anchors the offensive line from the center position. He was named the Squarehead Award winner against Washburn. He had five knockdowns at Pitt State.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He moved back to the starting center at Fort Hays State and finished the season at that position. He was named the Squarehead Award winner against Lincoln as a guard. He started the season at center for three games before moving to guard for two.
AS A FRESHMAN: He became the first freshman to start at center for the Hornets under coach Higgins since Lance Uhles in 2008.
IN HIGH SCHOOL:  He was a first-team All-District performer on the offensive line for Celina HS.

X MARKS THE SPOT
Tackle Xavier Cason (Jr./Junction City, Kan.) is in his fourth year with the Hornets. He has played in 24 games with nine starts over the last three seasons, but missed the Pittsburg State game with an injury.
AS A JUNIOR: He had a team high five knockdowns against Central Oklahoma. He was second on the team with five knockdowns at Northeastern State.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He was named the Squarehead Award winner after the Northwest Missouri game. He made his first career start against Neb.-Kearney after he played most of the second half at Pittsburg State.
AS A FRESHMAN: He made the two-deep as a true freshman and played in four games.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was a Class 6A All-State Honorable Mention pick and 2018 Shrine Bowl Participant. He is the younger brother of former Hornet linebacker Manny Cason.

MILES AND MILES
Guard Miles Wade (Jr./Chicago, Ill.) is in his fifth year at Emporia State.
AS A JUNIOR: He had four knockdowns against Washburn. He had a team high 8.5 knock downs at Pittsburg State on the way to his second Squarehead Award of the season. He was named the Squarehead Award winner against Northeastern State
AS A SOPHOMORE: He played in six games on the offensive line in 2019 after making the switch from the defensive line.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was a two-time All-Conference performer and three year starter for Rich Central HS. He had 20 solo tackles with ten tackles for loss, five sacks and a forced fumble as a senior.

MEET THE CONNER
Guard Conner Lierz (Jr./Manhattan,Kan.) transferred to Emporia State from Hutchinson CC in December of 2019.
AS A JUNIOR: He recorded a season high 8.5 knockdowns against Washburn. He had 4.5 knockdowns at Pittsburg State. He earned his second straight Squarehead Award at Missouri Western. He was named the Squarehead Award winner against Central Oklahoma and was second on the team with four knockdowns. He had a team high eight knockdowns at Northeastern State.
AT HUTCHINSON CC: He was an honorable mention All-Jayhawk performer for the Blue Dragons.

SHERMAN'S MARCH
Tackle Sherman Deaton (Fr.-RS/Fountain, Colo.) has started all five games for Emporia State since he earned his first career start at Northeastern State.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was a two-time All Conference selection and earned First-Team Colorado All State honors at Fountain HS.

THE INFERNO
Tackle Dante Smith-Posey (Fr.-RS./Lenexa, Kan.) made his first career start at Pittsburg State.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was a two-time All-Sunflower League pick. He was a Wichita Eagle and Topeka Capital Journal All-State selection as well a 2019 Shrine Bowl selection.

AMERICAN IDOL
Center Colton Dodd (Soph./Enid, Okla.) was an All-Conference and All-District performer for Enid HS.  He earned the Offensive Line MVP Award at Emporia State's O-Line Camp prior to his senior year.

GREAT ESCAPE
Guard Will Valentas (Sr./Andover, Kan.) was an honorable mention All-Jayhawk selection at Butler CC before transferring to Emporia State.

BRING THE WOOD
Guard Ian Carpenter (Fr.-RS/Andover, Kan.) was a First-Team Topeka Capital Journal and KFBCA All-State selection and a 2019 Shrine Bowl selection.

A GOOD MAN
Tackle Carlos Guzman (Fr.-RS/Denver, Colo.) was a First-Team All-Conference and the Offensive MVP for Bear Creek HS.

HULL CITY
Tackle Josh Hull (Fr.-RS/Humboldt, Kan.) was a two-time First-Team Kansas All State Offensive Lineman and a KFBCA First-Team All-State performer. His mother Mona (Scantlin) Hull played basketball for the Lady Hornets.

DEFENSE
Emporia State has six returners that have earned All-MIAA honors in their career. The Hornets lead the MIAA in sacks, interceptions, tackles for loss and third down defense while ranking second in rushing defense and passing efficiency defense. They are fifth in the nation in interceptions, 11th in third down conversion defense, and 14th in tackles for loss.

LINEBACKERS
The heart of the Hornet defense is at the linebacker position where they had three All-MIAA performers returning from 2019. All three starters this season rank in the top six of the MIAA for tackles for loss.

GET DOWN
Linebacker Jace McDown (Sr./Columbus, Kan.) is a two-time All-MIAA performer and was an honorable mention All-American as a junior in 2019. He is third in the league lead in tackles for loss and 16th in solo tackles.
AS A SENIOR: He was named MIAA Defensive Player of the Week after returning an interception 45 yards for a touchdown against Washburn. He had a team high ten tackles at Pitt State with 2.5 TFL. He recorded eight tackles, three for a loss and one sack at Missouri Western. He was credited with three solo tackles, one for a loss and a forced fumble against Central Oklahoma. He had six tackles, five of them solo, and 1.5 tackles for loss at Northeastern State. He also had a quarterback hurry on fourth down that forced an errant pass.
AS A JUNIOR: He was a first-team All-MIAA selection and honorable mention All-American by the Football Gazette. He was second the MIAA in tackles as a junior while ranking 30th in the nation in solo tackles. He was credited with six tackles and two sacks against Central Oklahoma. He recorded six tackles with one for a loss at Missouri Southern. He had nine tackles against Washburn. He was credited with seven tackles including one for a loss against Missouri Western. He had ten tackles with 1.5 TFL against Central Missouri. He was credited with eight tackles at Fort Hays State. He had a game high 13 tackles with an interception against Northwest Missouri. He recorded a career high 15 tackles against Neb.-Kearney. He had a game high 14 tackles with two for a loss at Pittsburg State. He had a team high six tackles against Northeastern State. He was named a preseason All-American by Lindy's.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He was named Second-Team All-MIAA after leading the MIAA with 127 total tackles, 79 solo tackles, and five forced fumbles. He was ranked third in the nation in forced fumbles, fourth in total tackles and eighth in solo tackles. He had 12 tackles at Central Oklahoma, eight of them solo. He had nine tackles with one for a loss against Missouri Southern. He earned his second MIAA Defensive Player of the Week award after recording a career high 14 tackles and forcing two fumbles at Washburn. He had 11 tackles and one tackle for loss against Missouri Western. He was credited with nine tackles, 2.0 TFL and a quarterback hurry at Central Missouri. He had 12 tackles, a forced fumble, pass break up and an interception against Ft. Hays State to earn MIAA and D2Football.com Defensive Player of the Week honors. He had nine tackles, a forced fumble and a pass break up at Northwest Missouri. He had 11 solo stops, 2.5 TFL and a sack against Lindenwood. He was credited with 12 tackles including a sack at Neb.-Kearney. He had 11 tackles against Pitt State. He had six tackles with a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry in his first career start at Northeastern State.
AS A FRESHMAN: He was a regular on special teams for Emporia State as a freshman. He had four tackles on special teams against Missouri Western.  
IN HIGH SCHOOL: 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.
IN McDOWN'S CAREER: McDown has 263 career tackles in 38 career games, with 255 of them coming in the last 28 games.  
He has graduated with a 3.99 GPA in health and human performance. He is a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American and was named the Newberg Distinguished Senior at Emporia State. He is a member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll and ESU Athletic Director's Honor Roll as well as being an MIAA Scholar Athlete. He is also a D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award recipient and member of Chi Apha Sigma Athletic Honor Society. He was named Emporia State's Outstanding Male Student-Athlete of the Year in 2019-20 and was voted best teammate and most outstanding player on the football team by his fellow players. He was a semifinalist for the 2020 William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda and was named the MIAA Fall Male Student-Athlete of the Year for 2019-20.

DAWSON'S CREEK
Linebacker Dawson Hammes (Jr./Rossville, Kan.) ranks sixth in the MIAA in tackles for loss, is 11th in total tackles and 12th in solo tackles.
AS A JUNIOR: He was credited with six tackles against Washburn. He had nine tackles with one for a loss at Pittsburg State. He was credited with eight stops at Missouri Western. He had eight tackles, a sack and a quarterback hurry against Central Oklahoma. He was credited with a team high eight tackles, seven of them solo, with three tackles for loss at Northeastern State.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He was an honorable mention All-MIAA performer as a sophomore. He had five tackles and a forced fumble against Central Oklahoma. He recorded nine tackles at Missouri Southern. He had a career high 11 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss against Washburn. He was credited with six tackles in three of his previous four games-at Missouri Western, at Fort Hays State and against Northwest Missouri. He had a team high nine tackles with a sack and a quarterback hurry at Lincoln. He recorded six tackles and a quarterback hurry against Neb.-Kearney. He had a career high seven tackles at Pittsburg State with a sack. He had three tackles against Northeastern State.
AS A FRESHMAN: He played in all 11 games last season. He had a career high four tackles against Missouri Southern. He had two stops against Missouri Western. He had two solo tackles against Ft. Hays State. He was credited with a solo tackle at Northwest Missouri.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was an All-State and Top 33 selection in the state of Kansas. He earned first-team All-Mid-East League with 172 tackles, with six sacks and three pass deflections as a senior. He was a three-time state champ at Rossville HS playing for his father, former Hornet Derick Hammes.

PROCESSIONAL
Linebacker Cade Harelson (Jr./Davenport, Okla.) is second in the MIAA in sacks and fourth in tackles for loss.
AS A JUNIOR: He recorded eight tackles and a pass break up against Washburn. He had seven tackles and a pass break up at Pittsburg State. He was credited with a career high 15 tackles at Missouri Western with three tackles for loss and a sack. He recorded six tackles with two sacks and quarterback hurry against Central Oklahoma. He had seven tackles, three for a loss including a sack at Northeastern State.  His sack took the RiverHawks back to their own one yard line and almost resulted in a safety.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He was tied for sixth in the MIAA with two fumble recoveries and ranked 25th in the nation. He had four tackles at Missouri Southern. He missed two games with an injury before returning with three tackles at Missouri Western. He had two tackles, one for a loss, and a pass break up against Northwest Missouri. He was credited with four solo tackles and a fumble recovery at Lincoln. He had three tackles and a fumble recovery against Neb.-Kearney. He recorded four tackles and forced a fumble at Pittsburg State. He had two tackles against Northeastern State with one for a loss.
AS A FRESHMAN: He was credited with four unassisted tackles against Missouri Southern. He had four solo tackles against Missouri Western. He had two tackles and his first career interception at Central Missouri. He was credited with an assisted tackle and a pass break up at Northwest Missouri. He had three tackles at Neb.-Kearney.  He recorded four tackles with 1.5 sacks in his Emporia State debut at Northeastern State.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was an All-Little City First team selection and all-state honoree for Davenport HS. He was the eight man football Class B-7 District MVP.

BARGE RIGHT IN
Linebacker Jack Barger (Soph./De Soto, Kan.) has already graduated but is only a sophomore in eligibility. He had a pick-six interception during the Hornets spring scrimmage.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He had two tackles at Missouri Western. He had a solo tackle against Central Oklahoma.
AS A FRESHMAN: Played in ten games and had a career high three tackles at Lincoln.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was an all-state linebacker for De Soto HS and a finalist for the Get Busy Livin' KPreps Player of the Year Award.

TAKE A CHANCE
Linebacker Chance Rodriguez (Soph./Holcomb, Kan.) is in his fourth year with the Hornets.He played in two games as a redshirt freshman in 2019.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was a first-team All-State selection at tight end as Holcomb won the Class 4A-II state championship. He was a first-team Garden City Telegraph All-Area performer at tight end and linebacker.

JOHNSON & JOHNSON
Linebacker David Johnson (Soph./LAwrence, Kan.) is in his fourth year with the Hornets. He had an interception during Emporia State's spring scrimmage with Southeastern Oklahoma.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was a first-team All-Conference and honorable mention All-State performer at linebacker for Lawrence Free State HS.

LIVIN ON THE EDGE
Linebacker Lavon Jones (Fr.-RS/St. Louis, Mo.) was a First-Team All-Conference and First-Team All-District performer for Desmet Jesuit HS.

EVERY DAY
Linebacker Declan Haub (Fr.-RS/Kingfisher, Okla.) earned first-team All-State honors as a senior with 98 tackles, 15 TFL, five sacks and two forced fumbles.  He was also a member of Kingfisher HS state championship basketball team.

DEFENSIVE LINE
The defensive line has combined for eight sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss in the first five games despite just having one starter back from 2019.

STRENGTH FROM WITHIN
Defensive lineman Marek Thompson (Sr./Osceola, Mo.) is in his sixth year with the Hornets and is a two-time All-MIAA selection.
AS A SENIOR: He had two solo stops against Washburn. He had five tackles with an assisted tackle for loss at Pittsburg State. He recorded four tackles at Missouri Western. He had three tackles, including an assisted tackle for loss and a pass break up against Central Oklahoma. He had a solo tackle at Northeastern State while routinely taking on double teams at the line of scrimmage.
AS A JUNIOR: He was a third-team All-MIAA pick in 2019 when he was eighth on the Hornets with 30 tackles, 5.0 TFL, and a sack. He tied his career high with six tackles at Missouri Southern and against Washburn. He was credited with a tackle for loss and two quarterback hurries against Central Missouri. He had five tackles at Fort Hays State. He forced a fumble and had a tackle for loss against Northwest Missouri. He had four tackles against Neb.-Kearney. He had four tackles, three of them solo, with 1.5 TFL at Pittsburg State.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He recorded five tackles at Central Okla. He had a career high six tackles at Washburn. He had four tackles including two sacks and a pass break up at Central Missouri. He was credited with five assisted tackles at Neb.-Kearney. He recorded three tackles against Pittsburg State.
AS A FRESHMAN: 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 Ft. Hays State. He had four tackles with two TFL against Pittsburg State. He had three tackles against Central Missouri. He had four tackles at Northwest Missouri.
IN HIS CAREER-Was a member of the ESU track team and placed 11th in the MIAA in discus in 2018.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: 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.

OFF THE FERRY
Defensive lineman Jahmek Murphy (Sr./Staten Island, N.Y.) is in his fourth year with Emporia State. He has graduated and is a graduate assistant in the ESU Admissions office. He is ninth in the MIAA in sacks
AS A SENIOR: He was credited with two solo tackles and a quarterback hurry against Washburn. He had a solo sack against Central Oklahoma. He had a sack and three tackles at Northeastern State.
AS A JUNIOR: He had a solo tackle against Northwest Missouri. He recorded a tackle for loss at Lincoln. He had one tackle at Pittsburg State. He had one tackle for loss against Northeastern State.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He had a solo tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry at Central Missouri. He sealed the win against Ft. Hays State with a sack on the final play of the game. He had a tackle for loss on second and goal that helped hold Pittsburg State to a field goal.
IN HIGH SCHOOL/CC-He had nine tackles in seven games with three tackles for loss and a sack at ASA College in New York. He graduated from Tottenville HS.

WILLIAMS AUTOMOTIVE
Defensive lineman Jordan Williams (Soph./St Louis, Mo.) is tied for ninth in the MIAA in sacks.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He had a sack, a quarterback hurry and two tackles against Washburn. He had a career high eight tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss and a pass break up at Pittsburg State. He was credited with three tackles at Missouri Western. He had four tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack against Central Oklahoma.
AS A FRESHMAN: He had three tackles with half a tackle for loss at Missouri Western. He recorded a career high five tackles against Northwest Missouri. He had a sack at Lincoln. He had two unassisted tackles against Neb.-Kearney. He had a solo stop at Pittsburg State. He was credited with a solo tackle against Northeastern State.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was a First-Team All-Conference Defensive Lineman as a senior. He also participated on the track & field team for Hazelwood East HS where he threw shot put.

LIKE A HAWK
Defensive lineman Hawkens Taylor (Jr./Flower Mound, Texas) is in his fifth year with the Hornets.
AS A JUNIOR: He recorded a sack against Washburn. He had an assist on a tackle for loss at Missouri Western. He had his first career sack against Central Oklahoma.
AT ESU: He played in three games as a sophomore and had two tackles against Northeastern State as a red-shirt freshman in 2018.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was a First-Team All-District 6-6A selection at defensive tackle as a senior after earning first-team All-District 5-6A as a defensive end his junior year at Marcus HS.

WISE WOLF
Defensive lineman Rafe Goucher (Fr.-RS/El Reno, Okla.) is in his third year with the Hornets.
AS A FRESHMAN: He was credited with two tackles against Washburn. He had a career high six tackles, two for a loss, and a sack at Pittsburg State. He had an assisted tackle at Missouri Western.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was the Class 5A District 1 Defensive Player of the Year for El Reno HS. He earned Oklahoma All-State honors as a defensive lineman.

BEAR DOWN
Defensive lineman Maquay Shaw (Soph./Haskell, Okla.) got his first career start at Missouri Western.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He had two assisted tackles against Central Oklahoma. He was credited with four tackles including a tackle for loss at Northeastern State.
IN HIGH SCHOOL:  He was the two-time Haskell HS Offensive Lineman of the Year and has switched to the defensive side of the ball at Emporia State.

BECKER ADDITION
Defensive lineman Daniel Becker (Fr.-RS/Conway Springs, Kan.) was a KFBCA First-Team All-State selection and a Topeka Capital Journal Top 33 player in the state of Kansas. He was the Central Plains Defensive Player of the Year and a 2018 Kansas Defensive Player of The Year finalist.

BOOMER SOONER
Defensive lineman Charlie Suenram (Fr.-RS/Edmond, Okla.) was a Second-Team COAC All-Conference and Honorable Mention OCA All-State selection. He recorded 80 tackles with seven sacks.

ISLAND MEADOW
Defensive lineman Rylan Miller (Fr.-RS/Overland Park, Kan.) had a pair of assisted tackles at Missouri Western. He had a sack and two tackles in his first game as a Hornet at Northeastern State.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was Second-Team All-Sunflower League at Shawnee Mission North HS.

DEFENSIVE BACKS
The defensive secondary is one of the deepest position groups for the Hornets with five players having starting experience.

GEE-WHIZ
Rover Gee Stanley (Sr./Miami, Fla.) was an honorable mention All-MIAA selection at linebacker as a junior in 2019 but has moved to the defensive backfield. He is ninth in the MIAA in passes defended.
AS A SENIOR: He 11 tackles, two of them for a loss against Washburn. He had three solo tackles at Pitt State. He intercepted a pass at Missouri Western and ended the game with eight tackles. He was credited with five tackles at Northeastern State including an assist on a tackle for loss.
AS A JUNIOR: He was second in the MIAA in tackles for loss per game. He had five tackles, two forced fumbles, a recovery and a sack against Central Oklahoma. He had seven tackles including 2.5 TFL at Missouri Southern. He matched his career high with ten tackles at Missouri Western and added 1.5 TFL. He recorded ten tackles against Central Missouri. He had seven tackles at Fort Hays State. He recorded six tackles with one for a seven yard loss against Northwest Missouri. He had his first career interception at Lincoln. He had six tackles against Neb.-Kearney. He had a sack at Pittsburg State. He had three tackles, all for a loss including a sack against Northeastern State.
AT COFFEYVILLE CC-He recorded 47 tackles and 9.5 TFL's and three sacks for the Ravens.
AT ROBERT MORRIS-He was the Northeast Conference Defensive Rookie of the Year and was named a HERO Sports FCS Freshman All-American. He had 59 tackles with 12.5 tackles for loss.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was a three-star prospect by 247sports.com and a two-star prospect by Rivals. He was a Top 100 outside linebacker recruit in the 2016 class according to 247sports. He was Florida All-Class 8A third team after recording 104 tackles, 56 of them solo, in his senior season.

JUMP IN THE POOL
Safety Jaedon Pool (Jr./Midwest City, Okla.) is fourth in the MIAA in interceptions.  
AS A JUNIOR: Against Washburn he had seven tackles, broke up a two point conversion and recovered an Ichabod on-side kick attempt. He had an interception and three tackles at Pittsburg State. He had three solo tackles at Missouri Western. He had two solo tackles, an interception and a pass break up against Central Oklahoma.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He was 19th in the MIAA in pass break ups. He had five tackles against Central Oklahoma. He recorded four solo tackles at Missouri Southern. He had two tackles and a pass break up against Washburn. He was credited with two tackles and a pass break up at Missouri Western. He had three tackles and three pass break ups against Central Missouri. He was credited with a career high nine tackles at Ft. Hays State. He had eight tackles against Neb.-Kearney.  
AS A FRESHMAN: He had a solo tackle and a pass break up at Washburn. He had two tackles and a pass break up at Northwest Missouri. He two tackles and two pass break ups against Lindenwood. He 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 at Northeastern State.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was First-Team All-District at Carl Albert HS. He had 75 tackles, five sacks and an interception while catching 22 passes for 335 yards and four touchdowns. He was on back-to-back State Championship football teams and the 2017 Track & Field State Championship team.  

iSPY
Cornerback Kyle Rinck (Sr./Independence, Kan.) earned All-MIAA honors in 2019 and led the MIAA in pass breakups in 2018. He has already graduated.
AS A SENIOR: His 49 yard interception return against Washburn is the longest return in the MIAA this season. He was credited with three tackles at Pittsburg State. He had four tackles, a sack and a pass break up at Missouri Western.
AS A JUNIOR: He recorded three solo tackles and a pass break up against Central Oklahoma. He had five tackles at Missouri Southern. He was credited with four solo tackles with one for a loss, and two pass break ups against Washburn. He had four tackles and a pass break up against Central Missouri. He recorded two tackles and a pass break up at Fort Hays State. He had three solo tackles and a fumble recovery against Northwest Missouri. He recorded four tackles and a pass break up against Neb.-Kearney.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He was ranked second in the MIAA with 14 passes defended. It was the most pass break ups without an interception in the MIAA last year. He had a career high ten solo tackles at Central Oklahoma along with a pass break up. He broke up three passes and had seven tackles at Washburn. He had four tackles, one tackle for loss, a pass break up and a blocked PAT against Missouri Western. He matched his career high with eight tackles and had two pass break ups at Central Missouri. He had a career high eight tackles, three pass break ups and recovered a fumble against Ft. Hays State. He had five tackles, four of them unassisted, against Lindenwood. 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.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was an honorable mention all-state performer for Independence HS.

COMEBACK KID
Cornerback Kelin Gordon (Jr./Del City, Okla.) is in his fifth season with the Hornets. He sat out 2018 with an injury.
AS A JUNIOR: He had two tackles and a fumble recovery against Washburn. He had five solo stops at Pittsburg State. He was credited with two tackles at Missouri Western. He recorded seven tackles against Central Oklahoma. He had one tackle against Northeastern State.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He had two pass breakups against Central Oklahoma. He was credited with a solo stop at Fort Hays State. He had two tackles at Lincoln. He was credited with two tackles at Pittsburg State. He had three solo tackles and an interception against Northeastern State.
AS A TRUE FRESHMAN-He had a pass break up and a tackle at Ft. Hays State. He had a solo tackle and a pass break up against Pittsburg State along with a 26 yard kick off return. He had three tackles at Lindenwood. He was credited with one tackle and returned two kicks for 13 yards against Northeastern State. He had two tackles at Central Oklahoma and returned two kicks for a total of 37 yards. He was credited with three tackles at Missouri Southern and had three kick returns for a total of 50 yards. He had a solo tackle against Neb.-Kearney and returned one kick 25 yards. The only true freshman on the travel roster, he had two assisted tackles at Northwest Missouri.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was the District 5A-1 defensive back of the year for Del City HS. He earned All-District and All-Big City selection after recording 44 tackles, seven interceptions and one fumble recovery as a senior. He was also a member of Del City HS state championship 4x100m relay team.

THE FLASH
Safety Garrick Martin (Fr.-RS/Stillwater, Okla.) is in his third year with the Hornets.
AS A FRESHMAN: He had four tackles and half a tackle for loss in his first start at Pittsburg State. He had two assisted tackles at Missouri Western.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was a 6A-II All-Conference and All-District and First-Team All-Area performer for Stillwater HS.

AIR JORDAN
Safety Jordan Wallace (Sr./Denton, Texas) is in his fourth year with the Hornets after transferring from Coffeyville CC.
AS A SENIOR: He recorded two tackles and two pass breakups against Washburn. He had two tackles against Central Oklahoma.
AS A JUNIOR: He had six tackles, five of them solo, against Washburn. He was credited with four tackles and an assist on a sack against Central Missouri. He had four solo stops and a pass break up against Northwest Missouri. He had four tackles, two for a loss, and a pass break up against Neb.-Kearney. He was credited with a solo tackle at Pittsburg State. He had an unassisted tackle for loss and a pass break up against Northeastern State.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He matched his career high with six tackles at Central Oklahoma. He recorded a career high six tackles with a pass break up at Washburn. He had five tackles against Missouri Western. He was credited with five tackles against Lindenwood. He 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.
AT COFFEYVILLE CC-He had 21 tackles and two pass break ups for the Red Ravens in 2017. He originally Signed with Iowa State out of high school.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was ranked as a Three Star Recruit. He was a First-Team All-District at Guyer HS. He had 76 tackles, two forced fumbles and an interception as a senior.

MAXWELL HOUSE
Defensive back Derrick Maxwell (Fr.-RS./Chicago, Ill.) had five tackles and his first career interception against Washburn. He had two tackles at Pittsburg State.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was a First-Team All-Conference selection at Rich Central HS.

THE BAIRD OF THE LAKE
Safety Cole Baird (Jr./Silver Lake, Kan.) is in his sixth year with the Hornets. He has played both defensive back and linebacker during his Emporia State career.
AS A SENIOR: He was credited with two solo tackles at Missouri Western. He a career high five tackles with one for a loss against Central Oklahoma. He had two solo tackles at Northeastern State.
AS A JUNIOR: He had three tackles at Missouri Southern. He was credited with a quarterback hurry at Central Missouri. He had two solo tackles at Lincoln. He was credited with three tackles at Pittsburg State. He had three tackles against Northeastern State.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He had two tackles at Washburn.
AS A FRESHMAN: He played in five games for Emporia State as a freshman.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was a first team All-Class 3A selection for Silver Lake HS. He had 65 tackles and two interceptions for the Eagles as a senior.

SPEED FORCE
Cornerback Juwan Johnson (Jr./Tulsa, Okla.) is in his third year at Emporia State and placed tenth in the nation in the 100m at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
AS A JUNIOR: He was credited with a solo tackle against Central Oklahoma. He got his first career interception at Northeastern State.
ON THE TRACK: He qualified for the NCAA Championships with a career best 10.40 in the prelims of the 100m at the MIAA Championships and placed fifth in the finals at 10.81. He was also a part of 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams that placed fifth at the outdoor championships. He was seventh in the 60m at the 2021 MIAA Indoor Championships and placed fifth in 2020.
AT NEO A&M: He was a SWJCFC Honorable Mention All-Conference performer at receiver. He had 23 catches for 370 yards and three touchdowns as a sophomore including a 98 yard reception. He caught four passes for 53 yards and a touchdown as a freshman.

ARICH'S AMBUSH
Safety Arich Ansley (Fr.-RS/Oklahoma City HS) had an interception in the spring scrimmage against Southeastern Oklahoma.
AS A FRESHMAN: He had a fumble recovery against Washburn. He had a pass break up at Northeastern State.
IN HIGH SCHOOL:  He was Honorable Mention OCA All-State and All-City for Putnam City HS.

BUFFALO BILL
Safety Cody Ladson (Jr./Topeka, Kan.) had a solo tackle against Washburn and at Missouri Western.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He played in four games in 2019.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was First-team All-Centennial League and Class 6A Honorable Mention All-State. He had 103 tackles, three interceptions with a touchdown and one kick return touchdown.

SAFETY FIRST
Defensive back Khalil Rasheed (Fr.-RS/Coppell, Texas) is in his third year with the Hornets.
AS A FRESHMAN: He was credited with six tackles and two pass breakups against Washburn. He had three tackles and an assisted tackle for loss at Pitt State. He had a solo tackle at Missouri Western.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He had 70 tackles, two sacks, six tackles for loss,  two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and a defensive touchdown as a senior at Coppell HS.

MOUNTAIN
Cornerback Montrell Wilson (Soph./Oklahoma City, Okla.) had two solo stops at Northeastern State.
AS A FRESHMAN: He recorded two tackles against Washburn. He had a career high six tackles including 1.5 tackles for loss against UCO.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was a Second-Team All-City Selection for two-time Oklahoma State Football Champion Millwood HS.

THE BIRD
Safety Trey Morris (Jr./Cushing, Okla.) is in his fifth year at Emporia State.
AS A JUNIOR: He was credited with a solo tackle and returned three kicks for a total of 47 yards at Missouri Western.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He had a career high nine tackles at Missouri Western in his first start. He had two tackles including an assisted tackle for loss at Fort Hays State. He recorded three tackles with one for a loss against Northwest Missouri. He  had his first career interception at Lincoln. He had three tackles including one for a loss against Northeastern State.
AS A FRESHMAN: He forced a fumble at Central Oklahoma. He had a career high five tackles at Northwest Missouri. He had a tackle and returned a kick-off 46 yards against Lindenwood.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He earned All-District, all-area, and all-state honors at Cushing HS. He had 35 catches for 873 yards and 15 touchdowns with 36 rushes for 365 yards and two touchdowns.

SPECIAL TEAMS
The Hornets return all three players that kicked/punted for them in 2019. Emporia State is second in the MIAA and are 13th in the nation in net punting.

CLYDESDALE
Kicker Sam Dobbins (Jr./Emporia, Kan.) is in his fifth year with the Hornets. He is third in the MIAA in field goals made and field goal percentage.
AS A JUNIOR: He is 22 for 22 on PATs this season and is averaging 55.1 yards per kickoff with five touchbacks. He had a 30 yard field goal at Missouri Western.  He gave ESU the lead with a 22 yard field against Central Oklahoma. He hit a career best 34 yard field goal at Northeastern State.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He handled kick-offs at home. He averaged 56.0 yards per kick on 41 kick-offs with ten touchbacks. He averaged 61.2 yards on ten kick-offs against Northeastern State.
AS A FRESHMAN: He missed seven games with an injury. He hit both field goals made by the Hornets last year, connecting on tries from 30 and 24 yards against Missouri Southern.  He was 19 of 23 on PATs and at one point hit 18 straight. He averaged 47.7 yards on three punts with a 55 yarder in Emporia State's Corsicana Bowl win.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was an all-state kicker as a junior for Emporia HS.

WAY/NO WAY
Punter Ross Brungardt (Soph./Lawrence, Kan.) is leading the nation in average punt and has a league high ten punts of at least 50 yards and eight placed inside the 20 yard line.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He has had a punt of at least 50 yards in every game this year and one of at least 60 yards in each of his last four games. He averaged 48.8 yards on nine punts against Washburn and the only punt that did not go 40 yards went out of bounds at the WU 15 yard line. He averaged 45.6 yards on five punts with a long of 64 yards at Pittsburg State. He averaged 42.8 yards on eight punts with a long of 61 at Missouri Western. He averaged 42.6 yards on nine punts including a long of 64 yards against Central Oklahoma. He averaged 46.0 yards on six punts, placing two inside the 20 yard line with three of at least 50 yards at Northeastern State.
AS A FRESHMAN: He was second in the MIAA in fair catches forced, third with nine punts of at least 50 yards and punts inside the 20 yard line. His 67 yarder against Neb.-Kearney was tied for the fourth longest in the league in 2019. He averaged 39.4 yards on eight punts at Missouri Southern. He was credited with six punts for an average of 40.3 yards against Central Missouri. He averaged 40.8 yards per punt on eight punts at Fort Hays State. He averaged 41.2 yards on eight punts a long of 58 yards and three inside the 20 against Northwest Missouri. He averaged 36.5 yards on two punts at Lincoln with one of them inside the 20 yard line. He averaged 40.7 yards per punt with a 35.4 yard net against Neb.-Kearney. He averaged 38.0 yards per punt at Pittsburg State. He had four punts for 33.0 yard average with two of them placed inside the 20 yard line against Northeastern State.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He had six punts of at least 50 yards for Lawrence HS.

GOING LONG
Long snapper Kenneth Harding (Fr-RS./Ballwin, Mo.) is in his first year as deep snapper for the Hornets. He had an assisted tackle at Pitt State and was credited with two tackles at Northeastern State.

SCHOON-OVER MIAMI
Kicker Clark Schoonover (Jr./Andover, Kan.) was third in the MIAA and 14th in the nation in made field goals while ranking third in the league and 24th in the nation in field goal percentage.
AS A SOPHOMORE: He was fourth in single season field goals for Emporia State with 14 makes. He had a career best 37 yard field goal at Missouri Southern. He set an MIAA record with 20 kick points and tied the Emporia State single game record with five made field goals at Lincoln. He broke Central Missouri's Steve Huff's league record of 19 points scored against SEMO on Nov. 2, 1985 and tied Austin Morton's Emporia State and NCAA Playoff record of five made field goals set on Nov. 28, 2015 at Henderson State. He also hit all five PAT's in Jefferson City. He went six of six on PATs and three for three on field goals against Northeastern State.
AS A FRESHMAN: He was 21 of 25 on PATs and missed his only field goal attempt.
IN HIGH SCHOOL: He was a First-Team All-State Kicker and First-Team All-League kicker/punter for Andover Central HS.

CAPTAINS
This year's team captains are linebackers Jace McDown and Dawson Hammes, defensive back Jaedon Pool, S-back Dalton Cowan, receiver Corey Thomas and offensive lineman Xavier Cason.

THE POLLS SAY
The MIAA has two teams ranked in the top 25 in this week's AFCA national poll and two in the D2Football.com national poll with another team receiving votes in the AFCA poll. By getting votes during the second week, the Hornets have been ranked or received votes in the AFCA Poll at some point during the regular season for seven straight years. Emporia State is 8-14 against teams ranked in the AFCA Top 25 over the last seven years, with an 8-5 record against teams other than Northwest Missouri.

BEST IN THE STATE  
Emporia State's 66 victories are the most wins among NCAA schools in the state of Kansas since the beginning of the 2012 season. Their three NCAA playoff appearances and five total years in the post season are the most among Division II teams in the state.

HEAD COACH GARIN HIGGINS
Former Hornet Garin Higgins is in his 14th season as the Hornets head coach in 2019 and has moved into the top ten of the MIAA's all-time wins list and is the second winningest active coach in the league. He has taken his alma mater to the postseason five times, including a national quarterfinal appearance in 2015.
He ranks second in career wins at Emporia State behind stadium namesake Fran Welch's 115 wins from 1928-54. He has a 136-79 record in 18 seasons as a head coach with an 85-70 record in 14 seasons at his alma mater.  
His 85 wins are the second most in Emporia State history behind Fan Welch's 115 from 1928-54 and ranks tenth in MIAA history. He has built the Hornets the right way during his 14 seasons and orchestrated one of the great turnarounds in Emporia State history. The Hornets have gone 66-34 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 done it in three seasons with three different quarterbacks. 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 joins Larry Kramer, Fran Welch and Bill Hargis as the only Emporia State coaches to have a span of four straight winning seasons.
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.
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 NFL EXPERIENCE
The Hornets have had 16 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 appeared in the playoffs in 2019 with the Los Angeles Chargers 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. Higgins has coached four players that have gone on to play in the NFL regular season - Jeff Richards with the Chargers, Lynn Scott with the Dallas Cowboys, Sam Breeden with the Green Bay Packers, and Patrick Crayton with the Cowboys and San Diego Chargers. Most recently Jeff Richards appeared in six regular season and two playoff games in for the Chargers in 2018. Three former Hornets - Adam Schiltz with the Kansas City Chiefs, Austin Willis with the Buffalo Bills, Harold Ayodele with the Chiefs have appeared in NFL Preseason games since in 2011.
Both Jeff Richards and Patrick Crayton spent time on the Emporia State coaching staff.

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 and is immediately archived for on-demand viewing after each event.  Fans can find 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 ESU Hall of Honor members Greg Rahe and Fred McClain on the call along with Tagan Trahoon on the sidelines. KFFX is in their 34th 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 Pittsburg State game was the 22nd time the Hornets have played a game on live television since 1997. 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. The Hornets are third behind Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri for the most appearances on live television over the last ten 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.

A Hornet win would...
•make Emporia State 4-2 overall, 4-2 in the MIAA;
•make Emporia State 4-2 after six games for the first time since 2010;
•make Emporia State 21-41-4 all-time against Central Missouri;
•be Emporia State's fourth win over the Mules in the last six meetings;
•be the fifth straight win by the road team in the series;
•be the Hornets first win over the Mules since 2018;
•be the Hornets first win over the Mules in Warrensburg since 2018;
•make Coach Higgins 86-70 at Emporia State and 137-79 overall.

A Hornet loss would...
•make Emporia State 3-3 overall, 3-3 in the MIAA;
•make Emporia State 3-3 after six games for the first time since 2018;
•make Emporia State 20-42-4 all-time against Central Missouri;
•be the first win by the home team since a 45-34 Hornet win in 2015 that started on a Thursday and ended on Saturday;
•be the Hornets second straight loss to the Mules;
•make Coach Higgins 85-71 at Emporia State and 136-80 overall.

WORKING OVERTIME
• The Hornets are 6-8 in overtime games with wins in six of their last eight after dropping their first four extra period contests.
• Emporia State is 4-1 in overtime games under Garin Higgins with wins in the last four 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.