HORNETS ROLL TO 56-21 VICTORY ON SENIOR DAY

November 6, 2021-Emporia State jumped out to a 35-0 lead at the half on the way to a 56-21 Senior Day victory over Lincoln on Saturday at Welch Stadium.
 
The Hornets wasted little time getting on the board.  They forced a three and out on the Blue Tigers first possession and then used a 28 yard punt return by Billy Ross Jr. to set up at the Lincoln 47 yard line. Six plays later Braden Gleason hit Kai Lemons for a 15 yard touchdown strike and Emporia State led 7-0 with 10:58 left in the first. 
 
On the second play of the next series Dawson Hammes forced a Hosea Franklin fumble and Montrell Wilson jumped on it at the Hornet 43 yard line.  On the next play Gleason connected with Corey Thomas for a 57 yard touchdown and 14-0 Hornet lead with 10:02 left in the quarter. 
 
The Hornet defense stopped Desmond Hunter on a fourth and one play at the ESU 23 yard line and the offense answered again. They went 77 yards in five plays capped by a 24 yard touchdown pass from Gleason to Dexton Swinehart with 4:20 left in the half for a 21-0 lead.
 
Emporia State went up 28-0 on a one yard touchdown run by Calvin Boyce with 12:27 left in the half and Boyce made it 35-0 with another one yard plunge with just 40 seconds left in the half.
 
The Hornets got the ball to start the second half and Gleason hit Jaylen Varner for a 30 yard touchdown to put Emporia State up 42-0 with 11:33 left in the third quarter.  On the following possession Gee Stanley forced a fumble by Aderias Ealy and Kyle Rinck returned it 37 yards for a touchdown to give the Hornets a 49-0 lead.
 
The Blue Tigers finally got on the board thanks to an 81 yard pass from Hunter to Chrisshun Robinson with 8:50 left in the third quarter to make it 49-7.
 
Jack Diamond took over at quarterback on the Hornets next possession.  He took Emporia State on a seven play, 69 yard drive capped by his own five yard run to make it 56-7 with 5:55 left in the third quarter.
 
Lincoln put together their best drive of the game to end the third quarter and start the fourth.  They went 75 yards in 14 plays and used up 6:39 of the clock before Franklin scored from one yard out to make it 56-14 with 14:16 remaining.    The final score came on a 60 yard pass from Hunter to Winston Ausmer with 9:52 left for the final score of 56-21.
 
As a team the Hornets gained 537 yards on 73 plays as they scored on seven of their first eight possessions.  Braden Gleason was 21 of 27 for 297 yards and four touchdowns while adding 38 yards on four carries.  Eleven different Hornets caught a pass with Corey Thomas hauling in a team high six catches for 75 yards and a touchdown.  Kai Lemons, Jaylen Varner, and Dexton Swinehart also had touchdown grabs.  Jack Petz was the leading ground gainer with 63 yards on nine fourth quarter carries while Calvin Boyce had 38 yards on 12 carries with two touchdowns. 

Jace McDown had a team high eight tackles while Dawson Hammes and Gee Stanly both had a forced fumble to go with six and five tackles respectively.  Kyle Rinck had two tackles and 37 yard fumble return for a touchdown.
 
Emporia State will wrap up the regular season on November 13 when they travel to Northwest Missouri.  Kick-off from Tjeerdsma Field/Bearcat Stadium in Maryville, Mo. is set for 1:30 p.m.
 
NOTES
The 56 points are the most scored by Emporia State since scoring 59 in a 59-26 victory over Minn.-Duluth in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Playoffs.
Rinck's fumble recovery was the first time a Hornet had a fumble recovery for a touchdown since Tr'Vaun Ammons recovered a fumble in the endzone against UCO in 2019.
The 35 point victory snapped a string of seven straight games for Emporia State decided by seven points or less.