Fort Hays State Football moved up one spot in the latest D2Football.com Poll, released on Tuesday (Oct. 3). The Tigers are No. 12 in the latest edition of the weekly supplemental poll.
This is the first week this season the Tigers rank higher in the official poll of Division II football, tabbed No. 11 by the AFCA on Monday. Up until this week, the Tigers had a higher ranking in the D2Football.com Poll in each of the previous three weeks.
Fort Hays State is one of three MIAA schools currently in the D2Football.com Poll. Northwest Missouri State continues its reign at No. 1, while Washburn jumps in this week at No. 25.
Below is the D2Football.com Poll for Tuesday, October 3.
Team Record Previous
1 Northwest Missouri State 5-0 1
2 Texas A&M-Commerce 4-0 2
3 Indiana (Pa.) 5-0 3
4 Sioux Falls 5-0 5
5 Minnesota State 5-0 7
6 Shepherd 4-0 6
7 Grand Valley State 4-1 8
8 Ashland 4-1 9
9 CSU-Pueblo 4-1 10
10 Ferris State 3-1 11
11 Midwestern State 3-0 12
12 Fort Hays State 5-0 13
13 Indianapolis 5-0 14
14 Delta State 5-0 16
15 Slippery Rock 5-0 17
16 California (Pa.) 4-1 4
17 Winona State 5-0 18
18 Central Washington 5-0 20
19 Bowie State 5-0 21
20 Humboldt State 4-0 25
21 West Alabama 4-1 NR
22 Assumption 5-0 NR
23 West Georgia 4-1 NR
24 Arkansas Tech 4-1 19
25 Washburn 4-1 NR
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State linebacker Jose Delgado earned MIAA Co-Defensive Athlete of the Week on Monday (Oct. 2) for his efforts in the 38-35 win at Lindenwood this past Saturday. Delgado is the fifth Tiger to receive one of the MIAA weekly honors this season.
Delgado produced a season-high 14 tackles while adding a sack in the 38-35 win for Fort Hays State at Lindenwood. The junior linebacker had 3.5 tackles for loss and helped the Tigers limit the Lions to just 56 rushing yards. Nine of Delgado’s 14 tackles were on rushes by the Lions.
Delgado joins Jacob Mezera (Week 1 Offensive Athlete of the Week), Brandon Brown (Weeks 1 and 4 Special Teams Athlete of the Week), Nathan Shepherd (Week 2 Defensive Athlete of the Week) and Monterio Burchfield (Week 3 Offensive Athlete of the Week) as Tigers to earn weekly MIAA honors this season.
Delgado shares the Defensive Athlete of the Week honor with Derrick McGreevy of Washburn. Offensive Athlete of the Week went to Central Oklahoma quarterback Chas Stallard and Special Teams Athlete of the Week went to Perry Schmeideler of Washburn.
WACO, Texas – Fort Hays State Football continued its ascent in the AFCA Division II Poll on Monday (Oct. 2). The Tigers moved up from No. 14 to No. 11 in the latest edition. Fort Hays State moved to 5-0 on the season this past Saturday with a hard-fought 38-35 win at Lindenwood, remaining in a tie for first place in the MIAA with the nation’s top ranked team, Northwest Missouri State.
The Tigers continue to set a new mark for the program’s highest ranking in the AFCA Poll (which began in 2000) the past four weeks. The Tigers entered the poll for the first time ever at No. 21 on September 11, moved to No. 18 on September 18, then jumped to No. 14 on September 25. The Tigers jumped three more spots this week and host Pittsburg State for Homecoming this Saturday (Oct. 7) in Hays at 7 pm.
Fort Hays State and two-time defending national champion Northwest Missouri State remain the only two MIAA schools in the top 25 of the poll. Northwest Missouri survived a scare from Central Missouri this past Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, scoring a touchdown with seven seconds left to defeat UCM 24-20 and run its win streak to 35 games dating back to the start of the 2015 season. Just one game back of Fort Hays State and Northwest Missouri is Washburn at 4-1, the highest receiving votes team from the MIAA in the poll. Washburn is the fourth-highest team receiving votes. Central Missouri is also receiving votes.
Below is the AFCA Division II Poll for October 2, 2017.
Rank School (1st votes) Record Pts. Prev.
1. Northwest Missouri St. (34) 5-0 850 1
2. Texas A&M-Commerce 4-0 783 2
3. Shepherd (W.Va.) 4-0 770 3
4. Indiana (Pa.) 5-0 740 4
5. Minnesota St. 5-0 711 6
6. Sioux Falls (S.D.) 5-0 679 7
7. Indianapolis (Ind.) 5-0 616 10
8. Grand Valley St. (Mich.) 4-1 569 9
9. Delta St. (Miss.) 5-0 541 13
10. Midwestern St. (Texas) 3-0 540 12
11. Fort Hays State (Kan.) 5-0 487 14
12. Slippery Rock (Pa.) 5-0 421 18
13. Central Washington 5-0 416 16
14. Colorado St.-Pueblo 4-1 391 17
15. Ferris St. (Mich.) 3-1 356 15
16. California (Pa.) 4-1 312 5
17. Humboldt St. (Calif.) 4-0 303 19
18. Ashland (Ohio) 4-1 257 20
19. Bowie St. (Md.) 5-0 241 21
20. Assumption (Mass.) 5-0 237 22
21. Colorado Mesa 4-1 211 8
22. Winona St. (Minn.) 5-0 163 25
23. Southeastern Oklahoma St. 5-0 105 NR
24. Arkansas Tech 4-1 95 11
25. West Georgia 4-1 54 NR
Others Receiving Votes: Shippensburg (Pa.), 42; West Alabama, 35; Wingate (N.C.), 34; Washburn (Kan.), 18; Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 17; Catawba (N.C.), 13; Central Missouri, 12; Virginia St., 11; Eastern New Mexico, 7; Azusa Pacific (Calif.), 4; West Chester (Pa.), 4; Notre Dame (Ohio), 3; LIU-Post (N.Y.), 1; McKendree (Ill.), 1.
HAYS, Kan. – The hopes of breaking the undefeated Central Missouri’s record on Sunday fell short for the Tigers as they suffered their first MIAA loss of the season to the No. 3 Jennies 2-0. With the loss, Fort Hays State falls to 2-1 in the conference and 5-3-2 overall. The Jennies added another win to their record as they now sit at 10-0 overall with a 3-0 MIAA mark.
With the Jennies going into the strong Hays wind in the first half, they were unable to net a goal over the Tigers. However, at the 23 minute mark in the opening half, the Tigers let up on an own goal to give the 1-0 advantage to the No. 3 Jennies. This would be the only mark for either team in the first half as Central Missouri held the lead heading into the half. The Jennies outshot the Tigers 5-2 in the first 45 minutes.
With the second half kicking off, Fort Hays State was now a victim of the wind. Just 13 minutes into the last 45 minutes, the Jennies netted a goal to take the 2-0 lead off a header from Jada Scott from an assist on the left side from Abby Rhodes. This would be Scott’s fifth goal of the season. The Tigers attempted to get on the board with their own points, but failed to gain momentum as they were outshot again in the second 10-3 to the Jennies. The Scott goal would end up being the decisive point as the Jennies captured the 2-0 win over Fort Hays State.
Ana Dilkes for Central Missouri earned her 10th win of the season in goal with two saves. For the Tigers, Megan Kneefel captured three saves in 90 minutes played, but dropped her goalkeeping record this season to 1-2-1.
Next for the Tigers is a pair of MIAA road matches as they first meet up with 4-5, 1-2 MIAA Northwest Missouri State in Maryville, Mo., on Friday (Oct. 6). Sunday promotes another tough challenge for Fort Hays State as they take on No. 24 Missouri Western who is undefeated in conference play at 3-0. That match is slated for a 1 p.m. start on Sunday (Oct. 8).
PITTSBURG, Kan. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team picked up its first conference win of the season Saturday (Sept. 30), knocking off Pittsburg State in four sets (25-27, 25-19, 27-25, 25-22). The Tigers improve to 9-10 overall and 1-4 in conference play, while the Gorillas are now 3-14 on the year and 0-5 in the MIAA.
The Tigers totaled a .196 hitting percentage in the victory while limiting PSU to a .152 swing rate. FHSU also held a 10-8 advantage in blocks. Magan Alexander paced the team with 15 kills, with Callie Christensen adding 11 and Logan Wallick also reaching double figures with 10. Christensen matched Alexander with 15 points to lead the team after adding six blocks (two solo). Becca Page led the team with 25 assists while Taylor White recorded a team-high 18 digs.
The teams went back and forth in the early going before FHSU put together six-straight points to go in front 14-9. The Tigers later built the lead as high as nine, 21-12, but the Gorillas bounced back to score 10 of the next 11 points to tie things up at 22-22. The home team completed the incredible comeback by closing the set on a 5-2 run, winning the opening frame 27-25.
Fort Hays State never trailed in the second set, jumping in front 9-4 to force a Gorilla timeout. The Tigers kept the pressure on out of the huddle, scoring five of the next seven points to build the lead to eight, 14-6. The Gorillas closed as close as five, 22-17, but a kill from Christensen gave the Tigers a 25-19 victory and sent the teams into the locker room tied up at one.
Both teams went on several big runs in the third set, with the Tigers ultimately coming out on top to take a commanding 2-1 lead in the match. PSU scored five in a row early in the frame to go up 6-1 before the Tigers rallied to tie things up at 7-7. The Gorillas went back up by two, but FHSU once again responded with five consecutive points to grab a 14-11 lead. The Tigers led by as many as four, 19-15, before reaching set point, 24-21. The Gorillas fought off three-straight set points to tie things up, ultimately taking the lead to end a four-point run. Thankfully the Tigers had one final run in them, capturing the next three rallies to win the set on a kill from Wallick.
Fort Hays State was in control for the entirety of the fourth set, trailing only once by just one point. The teams traded points early on before PSU took a momentary 7-6 lead, followed quickly by three straight points for the Tigers. FHSU would lead for the remainder of the set, ultimately securing the match with a 25-22 victory. The Tigers built their lead up to six, 19-13, thanks to four consecutive points. As was the theme all night, Pittsburg State would not go away quietly, using an 8-3 run to close within one, 22-21. The Black and Gold secured the next two points to reach match point before Alexander sealed the victory with a kill two rallies later.
The Tigers are set to return to Gross Memorial Coliseum for a four-match homestand beginning Friday (Oct. 6) when FHSU will host Missouri Western at 6 p.m.
HAYS, Kan. – With the match tied at 1-1 leading into the final minutes, Eden Stoddard earned her seventh goal of the season to lead the Tigers to a 2-1 MIAA win over Lindenwood Friday night. Fort Hays State now improves its record to 5-2-2 and 2-0 in the early conference season. The Lions drop to 3-6 and 0-2 in MIAA play.
The Lions got on the board first in the game as they earned a 1-0 advantage at the 20:19 minute mark in the match behind Becky Roberts’ third goal of the season on a solo shot in front of FHSU keeper Kristen Thompson. It took less than 20 minutes for the Tigers to even up the score after Silvana Romero netted her season-first goal from the feet of Stoddard who earned her third assist of the season as she set up a Romero goal up the right side of the pitch. The Tigers and Lions headed into the halftime tied at 1-1.
The second half remained even with neither team adding another goal to their name. Despite Fort Hays State outshooting Lindenwood 9-2 in the second half, the Tigers were not able to capture another goal until four minutes left in the match. Stoddard netted her team-high seventh goal of the season off a header and pass from Darby Hirsch and Romero at the 86:10 mark. The huge goal ultimately would seal the win for the Tigers 2-1 to help them remain unbeaten at 2-0 in the MIAA.
In the match, Fort Hays State out-shot Lindenwood by 17 with the 22-5 advantage in the category. Mary McGilvray for the Lions got dealt her third loss of the season to drop her record behind the net for Lindenwood to 3-6 behind seven saves on the night. For the Tigers, Thompson and Megan Kneefel split the goal security duties with Thompson earning the lone save of the match for Fort Hays State in the first half. Kneefel earned the victory, however, as she anchored the Tigers in the second half to earn her first win in goal this season. Kneefel now sits at 1-1-1 on the year.
The road for the Tigers doesn’t get any easier as they play host to No. 3 Central Missouri Sunday for a 1 p.m. kickoff. The Jennies are 9-0 overall and 2-0 in the MIAA as they have held their opponents scoreless by holding a 38-0 advantage.
EDMOND, Okla. – Despite collecting 11 team blocks, the Fort Hays State volleyball team was unable to slow the powerful No. 9 Central Oklahoma offense, falling in straight sets Friday inside Hamilton Field House (18-25, 14-25, 20-25). The Tigers fall to 8-10 overall and 0-4 in MIAA play, while the Bronchos are now 17-1 and 4-0 in conference action after earning their eighth-straight sweep.
The Tigers were limited to a .100 attack percentage while UCO countered with a .274 swing rate. Fort Hays State picked up four more blocks than the Bronchos, 11-7, but the home team held an edge in every other statistical category.
Callie Christensen led the Tigers with 10 kills, recording just two errors to accumulate a .381 attack percentage while adding five blocks (one solo) defensively. Kylie Rollman chipped in seven kills and seven blocks (one solo), posting a .385 swing rate. Taylor White totaled a match-high 18 digs in the loss.
The Bronchos ran away with the first set when they scored nine consecutive points, turning a 4-3 deficit into a 12-4 lead. The Tigers scored four in a row late in the set to close within 22-18, but UCO finished things off by winning the next three rallies. It was more of the same in the second set as the Bronchos used 12-1 run to jump in front by double figures, 17-6.
Fort Hays State didn’t go down without a fight, forcing 10 ties and six lead changes in the third set. UCO scored the first three points in the frame, but the Tigers went on a 5-1 run to jump in front 7-6. FHSU led by as many as two, 9-7, before the Bronchos rallied to retake the lead, 11-9. The momentum quickly shifted once again, with the Tigers grabbing the next three points to move back in front, 12-11. The Tigers led as late as 16-15 before UCO finished the match with a 10-4 run, taking the final set 25-20. It was only the second time this conference season that a UCO opponent has reached 20 points in a set.
The Tigers wrap up the weekend Saturday when they travel to Pittsburg State for a 6 p.m. contest.
Fort Hays State Football heads to St. Charles, Missouri to face Lindenwood University on Saturday (Sept. 30). Ranked No. 14 in the latest AFCA Poll, Fort Hays State enters the game at 4-0 and looks to continue its best start since the 1983 season. Lindenwood enters at 2-2, but is coming off a big 45-11 win at Pittsburg State last week.
You can listen to Saturday’s game on Tiger Radio Mix-103 or by clicking on this link. Listen live
Fort Hays State is off to the best start in its NCAA Division II history. Not only are the Tigers looking to run an overall win streak of six games (dating back to last year) to seven, they are looking for their fifth straight win over Lindenwood. The Tigers are 2-0 against the Lions in St. Charles and have defeated the Lions each year since 2013. Lindenwood won the first-ever meeting between the teams in 2012 in Hays, so overall the Tigers enter with a 4-1 advantage in the all-time series.
Fort Hays State enters the week tied for first place in the MIAA with two-time defending national champion Northwest Missouri State, which continues its run at No. 1 in the national rankings. The Bearcats face Central Missouri at Arrowhead Stadium this weekend. Washburn and Central Missouri are just a game back of Northwest Missouri and Fort Hays State, both at 3-1.
The Tiger defense has been solid so far this year, sitting at ninth in the nation in points allowed per game (11.0) and 13th in total defense (269 yards allowed per game). The Tigers have the sixth-best run defense in the nation, allowing 62.3 yards per game on the ground and have yet to allow more than 100 yards on the ground in a game this year. The Tigers have twice held opponents under 50 rushing yards this season. The numbers will be put to the test this weekend as Lindenwood averages 228.8 rushing yards per game. The Lions average 31 points per game and 438.3 yards of total offense per game.
Fort Hays State counters with the best scoring offense in the MIAA at 36.3 points per game and the conference’s top passing offense at 291.3 yards per game. The Tigers add 165.3 yards per game on the ground, giving them a total offense average of 456.5 yards per game. Lindenwood is allowing 366 yards per game and 20.5 points per game. The Lions have the second-best pass defense in the conference, allowing 169.8 yards per game through the air.
Jacob Mezera has been efficient for the Tigers at quarterback, completing 69.6 percent of his passes for 1,085 yards and nine touchdowns this season. He averages 271.3 yards per game. Kenneth Iheme is averaging a team-best 114.5 all-purpose yards per game. He is the team’s leading rusher with 303 yards, averaging 75.8 per game. Monterio Burchfield and Tyler Bacon each have a team-high 19 receptions, while Burchfield leads the team in receiving yards at 325. Layne Bieberlie has 18 catches for 245 yards this year.
On the defensive side of the ball, Connor Shedeed leads the team in tackles with 27, followed by Tanner Hoekman with 25. Doyin Jibowu picked up the team’s first interception of the season last week. Wyatt Parker and Nathan Shepherd lead the team in sacks, each with 1.5 for the season.
HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State men’s soccer team defeated the Oklahoma Baptist Bison 3-0 on Thursday night (Sept. 28) in the first of two non-conference home matches this weekend. The Tigers improve to 3-4-2 on the season, while the Bison dip to 2-5-1 overall.
Abdoulaye Cisse got the scoring started for the Tigers with his third goal of the season on a delivery from Raul Fierro and Derick Gonzalez in the 12th minute. Later in the first half, Fierro added a goal to his season total with his fourth on a header from six yards away, with an assist from Cisse and Gonzalez. The Tigers took a 2-0 lead into halftime. Nathan De La Hoya scored the third and final goal on the night as Cisse picked up his second assist, pushing their lead to 3-0. Cisse rifled a shot off the diving keeper that De La Hoya collected to score his first goal of the season. Michael Yantz picked up his third victory of the season in goal, moving to 3-3-2.
Fort Hays State outshot OBU 14-7. Yantz made two critical saves early in the second half, but the Bison never threatened again.
The Tigers will be back in action Saturday (Sept. 30) as they host the Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm for an afternoon matchup set to begin at 1:30 p.m.
The Fort Hays State volleyball team heads south in search of its first conference victory this weekend, facing off with No. 9 Central Oklahoma Friday before dueling Pittsburg State on Saturday. Both matches are slated to begin at 6 p.m.
The Tigers dropped their first three conference matches at home over the last week, moving to 8-9 overall on the year. Fort Hays State leads the country with 776 assists while ranking second after accumulating 821 kills through 17 matches this season.
Amirah Bentley orchestrates the Tiger offense, sending up 563 assists to date to rank 15th in Division II. Logan Wallick picked up 11 kills in just three sets Tuesday against Nebraska-Kearney, raising her average to a team-best 2.90 kills per set. Callie Christensen has been a prominent force at the net, leading the team in hitting percentage (.234) and blocks (74).
FHSU at #9 Central Oklahoma • Friday, September 29 • 6 p.m. • UCO leads all-time series, 14-10
Edmond, Okla. • Hamilton Field House
The Tigers will face off with a ranked opponent for the third-straight match Friday when they go up against the ninth-ranked Bronchos. Central Oklahoma enters the weekend on a 13-game winning streak, dropping only one set since September 2. The Bronchos are 16-1 overall and 3-0 in conference play so far this year, easily sweeping Southwest Baptist, Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State to open MIAA play.
Central Oklahoma holds a 14-10 edge in the all-time series, including victories in the last two meetings. FHSU last beat the Bronchos in 2014, a four-set victory in Edmond (10/18/14). The Tigers are 2-6 against UCO since the Bronchos joined the MIAA in 2012.
The Bronchos rank 10th in the country in attack percentage, leading the MIAA with a .272 swing rate. Their defense is nearly as efficient as their offense, limiting opponents to a .132 attack rate, third-best in the conference.
Taylor Bevis is the go-to threat for the Bronchos at the net, leading the conference and ranking fourth in the nation with 5.05 kills per set. However, setter McKenzie Fyfe (9.72 assists per set) has several other effective options to utilize on offense, with Jordan Spence (.334), Alexis Washington (.328) and Karyn Chrisman (.306) all carrying attack percentages better than .300.
Head coach Edgar Miraku has developed a powerhouse since taking over in 2012, earning a 142-43 record in five-plus seasons.
FHSU at Pittsburg State • Saturday, September 30 • 6 p.m. • FHSU leads all-time series, 32-27
Pittsburg, Kan. • John Lance Arena
Fort Hays State will wrap up the quick two-game road swing Saturday against Pittsburg State. The Gorillas have limped to a 3-12 record this season, including six-straight losses heading into the weekend. They are 0-3 to open conference play, dropping a five-setter against Southwest Baptist before being swept by Missouri Southern and Central Oklahoma.
The Tigers have won three-straight against the Gorillas, helping them extend a 32-27 lead in the all-time series. PSU last knocked off the Tigers in 2014, earning a five-set win in Pittsburg (9/27/14).
The Gorillas rank 11th in the conference in attack percentage, swinging at a .144 clip so far this year. Carolina VanBuskirk is among the league leaders in service aces, compiling 16 to date. Junior Lauren Regier leads the team offensively, totaling 164 kills (2.93 k/s) and a .239 swing rate through 15 matches.
Second year head coach Jen Gomez, who has compiled a 9-36 record in her career at PSU, leads the Gorillas. Pittsburg State was picked to finish 10th in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll.
HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State volleyball gave fifth-ranked Nebraska-Kearney Lopers all they could handle Tuesday evening (Sept. 26) inside Gross Memorial Coliseum, but the visitors bounced back from a second-set defeat to take the match, 3-1 (19-25, 25-23, 15-25, 18-25). The Tigers fall to 8-9 overall and 0-3 in the MIAA, while the Lopers are now 13-1 this season and 3-0 in league play.
Interim head coach Brandi Fairbank
The Tigers hit .124 in the match, better than UNK’s opponent average of .111 for the season. The perennial powers countered with a .230 attack percentage, including three sets with swing rates better than .260. Fort Hays State picked up two more blocks than UNK, 10-8, but the Lopers had a strong edge in digs, picking up a season-high 92 compared to 79 for the home team.
Tatum Bartels had a strong night for the Tigers, totaling nine kills and six blocks while making just two errors to compile a .292 attack percentage. Logan Wallick picked up a team-high 11 kills after playing just three sets, swinging at a .182 clip. Kylie Rollman also reached double-figures in kills, chipping in 10 kills and six blocks. Libero Taylor White totaled a team-best 23 digs while adding the lone service ace in the match for either team. Amiriah Bentley tossed up 38 assists, also adding nine digs, three kills and one block.
UNK’s Tara Ziegelbein picked up a match-high 17 kills and a .469 attack percentage while chipping in four blocks on defense. Lindsey Smith tossed up 52 assists for the Lopers, adding four kills, seven digs and two blocks.
Fort Hays State kept things close to open the first set, never trailing by more than two until UNK went on a 5-1 run to stretch the advantage to 14-10. A kill from Magan Alexander triggered a three-point run for the Tigers, culminated by White’s service ace to narrow the gap to 14-13. UNK proceeded to score the next six points, taking a commanding seven-point lead. The Tigers were unable to get any closer than five points for the remainder of the set, ultimately dropping the frame 25-19.
The Lopers jumped out to an early lead in the second frame, quickly leading 6-3. Multiple kills from Sydney Dixon and a block from Dixon and Bartels helped the Tigers respond with a 5-2 run, tying things up at eight. Another big block from Bartels and Rollman put FHSU in front 12-10 later in the set, prompting a UNK timeout. After the Tigers stretched the lead to 15-12, the visitors put together a four-point run to take back the lead, 16-15. Trailing 18-16 three points later, the Tigers muscled together three-straight points to regain the advantage, 19-18. Callie Christensen dropped in one of her five kills on the night before Bartels and Bentley combined on a block to tie things up. The Lopers bounced back to take four of the next six rallies, retaking the lead 22-21. A UNK service error tied things up at 22 and opened the door for the Tigers, who took full advantage after a block from Wallick and Christensen put FHSU in front 23-22. A Loper attack sailed wide to help FHSU reach set point before Rollman and Christensen teamed up for the set-winning block two serves later, tying the match at one.
Nebraska-Kearney proved why it is one of the top teams in the country coming out of the locker room, totaling just eight errors in the final two sets and swinging at a .264 clip after intermission. The Lopers scored the first six points in both the third and fourth sets, putting all the pressure on the Tigers. FHSU was unable to respond in the third set, falling 25-15, but managed to bounce back in the fourth set and take the lead.
After the visitors went up 6-0 to open the fourth, Fort Hays State responded with a 9-3 run to tie things up at nine. The Tigers later took a momentary lead after scoring three-straight points, giving them a 12-11 advantage. Nebraska-Kearney regained the momentum after that three-point spurt, scoring 11 of the final 14 points to secure the win, 25-18.
The Tigers head back out on the road this weekend, first traveling to Edmond, Okla. for a date with ninth-ranked Central Oklahoma Friday (Sept. 29) at 6 p.m. FHSU will wrap up the quick road trip with a Saturday (Sept. 30) evening contest at Pittsburg State, with first serve also set for 6 p.m.
Fort Hays State Football moved up three spots in the latest D2Football.com Poll, released on Tuesday (Sept. 26). The Tigers are No. 13 in the weekly supplemental poll.
Fort Hays State is currently No. 14 in the AFCA Division II Poll, recognized as the official national poll of NCAA Division II, but is now nearly identical in rank in both polls this week. Each week the Tigers have been ranked this season, they have been higher in the rankings in the D2Football.com poll.
The MIAA has four teams in the D2Football.com Top 25 as compared to just two in the AFCA Poll. Northwest Missouri State is No. 1 in both polls, while in the D2Football.com poll Central Missouri ranks No. 23 and Emporia State ranks No. 24.
FHSU plays at Lindenwood this Saturday (Sept. 30) at 1 pm.
Below is the D2Football.com Poll for September 26, 2017.
WACO, Texas – Fort Hays State Football moved up four more spots in the latest AFCA Division II Top 25 Poll, released on Monday (Sept. 25). The Tigers are now 4-0 on the season after a 31-7 win over Northeastern State in Hays this past Saturday.
Ninth-ranked Grand Valley State is the only team in front of FHSU in the poll that is not undefeated, currently 3-1. The Lakers started the year at No. 2 in the nation and were knocked off in the opening week of the season by the current No. 10 ranked team, Indianapolis. Twenty of the teams in the top 25 are undefeated.
Northwest Missouri State sits in a tie atop the MIAA with Fort Hays State and remains the No. 1 ranked team in the nation. Emporia State dropped out of the top 25 after a loss to Central Missouri this past week. Northwest Missouri and Fort Hays are the only remaining MIAA teams inside the top 25 going into the fifth week of the season, but Central Missouri is the highest receiving votes team beyond the top 25. Washburn and Emporia State are also receiving votes this week.
Fort Hays State will get another strong test this week at Lindenwood. The Lions knocked off Pittsburg State in Pittsburg this past Saturday 45-11.
Below is the AFCA Top 25 Poll for September 25, 2017.
Rank School (1st Place Votes) Record Points Previous Rank
1. Northwest Missouri St. (34) 4-0 850 1
2. Texas A&M-Commerce 4-0 808 3
3. Shepherd (W.Va.) 3-0 763 4
4. Indiana (Pa.) 4-0 717 6
5. California (Pa.) 4-0 691 5
6. Minnesota St. 4-0 665 8
7. Sioux Falls (S.D.) 4-0 663 7
8. Colorado Mesa 4-0 599 11
9. Grand Valley St. (Mich.) 3-1 515 12
10. Indianapolis (Ind.) 4-0 487 14
11. Arkansas Tech 4-0 454 16
12. Midwestern St. (Texas) 2-0 451 13
13. Delta St. (Miss.) 4-0 428 17
14. Fort Hays State (Kan.) 4-0 394 18
15. Ferris St. (Mich.) 2-1 329 2
16. Central Washington 4-0 325 20
17. Colorado St.-Pueblo 3-1 294 19
18. Slippery Rock (Pa.) 4-0 253 21
19. Humboldt St. (Calif.) 3-0 215 22
20. Ashland (Ohio) 3-1 210 NR
21. Bowie St. (Md.) 4-0 209 23
22. Assumption (Mass.) 4-0 176 24
23. Catawba (N.C.) 4-0 170 25
24. LIU-Post (N.Y.) 3-1 125 9
25. Winona St. (Minn.) 4-0 59 NR
Others Receiving Votes: Central Missouri, 38; Southeastern Oklahoma St., 33; North Alabama, 32; Wingate (N.C.), 23; West Georgia, 22; West Alabama, 18; Washburn (Kan.), 8; Florida Tech, 7; Emporia St. (Kan.), 4; Shippensburg (Pa.), 4; West Chester (Pa.), 4; Eastern New Mexico, 3; Azusa Pacific (Calif.), 2; Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 1; Virginia St., 1.
