Area football scoreboard: No. 3 Gorillas hold off ESU; Bearcats’ Harris runs for 4 TDs
With Pittsburg State holding a commanding 27-3 halftime advantage in Saturday afternoon’s Hall of Fame Game at Carnie Smith Stadium, the home crowd was no doubt feeling pretty good.
But Emporia State carved steadily into that lead in the second half, and the third-ranked Gorillas (6-0) had to fight hard at the end for a 33-25 victory in Pittsburg, Kansas
Pitt State quarterbacks Chad Dodson Jr. and Ty Pennington each passed for a pair of scores. Devon Garrison hauled in seven receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns..
Hornets quarterback Braden Gleason helped make things interesting for ESU (4-2) down the stretch. He finished 35 of 51 through the air for 310 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for a team-leading 62 yards on 10 carries.
Tyler Kahmann caught 12 of Gleason’s passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns.
In other Saturday games:
North Dakota State 38, Missouri State 10: The Bison were too much for the Bears in Springfield. NDSU QB Cam Miller was 16 of 20 for 256 yards and 2 TDs. For MSU, Jordan Pachot 25 of 44 for 269 yards and a TD ... but much of that good work was offset by his 3 picks. Teammate Raylen Sharp hauled in 13 of his passes for 153 yards and a TD, and Jacardia Wright added 65 yards on 15 carries. MSU fell to 1-4, while NDSU improved to 4-1.
Central Missouri 38, Nebraska-Kearney 14: The 18th-ranked Mules improved to 5-1 with an easy victory over UNK in Saturday’s Breast Cancer Awareness Game at Walton Stadium in Warrensburg. UCM QB Zach Zebrowski was 38 of 56 for 434 yards and 5 TDs. The Mules’ defense, meanwhile, picked off UNK’s TJ Davis 3 times. It’s the third straight win for the Mules, who next weekend head to Tahlequah, Okla., to take on Northeastern State.
Northwest Missouri State 34, Central Oklahoma 21: Northwest Missouri State got an epic 274 rushing yards and four touchdowns from running back Jay Harris to quiet UCO on Military Appreciation Day at Bearcat Stadium in Maryville. Harris, a sophomore from St. Louis who totaled 22 carries on Saturday, scored three of his four TDs before halftime for Northwest (3-3).
Fort Hays State 35, Missouri Southern 22: De Soto High product Shane Watts accounted for 150 yards and two touchdowns as the Tigers spoiled MSSU’s homecoming at Fred G. Hughes Stadium in Joplin. Watts had 19 carries for 96 yards and a TD and 3 catches for 47 yards and a TD. Older brother Trevor Watts added 8 catches for 57 yards. FHSU improved to 4-2; MSSU fell to 3-3.
Northeastern State 28, Lincoln 13: NSU’s Ben Ward tossed a pair of touchdown passes and Blake May and Jordan Guidry each ran for scores as the visitors prevailed in a battle of 0-5 teams at Reed Stadium in Jefferson City. Northeastern State improved to 1-5, while Lincoln dropped to 0-6.
Missouri Western 61, Washburn 21: The Griffons dominated in Topeka, using their relentless ground game to wear down Washburn and deny the host Ichabods their second win of the season. Missouri Western’s Jared Scott rushed for 3 TDs, finishing with 71 yards on 9 carries. Seth Cromwell gained 154 yards and a TD on 11 carries. Missouri Western improved to 5-1; Washburn fell to 1-5.
University of Indianapolis 59, William Jewell 17: William Jewell kept things close in the first quarter, as the undefeated Greyhounds were playing on their field on Homecoming. Indianapolis had a 14-10 lead at the end of the first period but dominated from there for the victory. The Greyhounds, ranked No. 12 in the coaches’ poll in NCAA Division II, improved to 5-0 on the season. William Jewell dropped to 2-3 and 1-1 in Great Lakes Valley Conference action. AJ Austen caught four passes for 66 yards for the Cardinals. Keaundre McCullough rushed for a 57-yard TD at the end of the first quarter for Jewell.
