HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State men’s soccer team battled No. 22 Rogers State to a 2-2 draw Sunday afternoon (Nov. 17) inside FHSU Soccer Stadium. But with the GAC/MIAA Championship on the line, the match didn’t end after two overtimes and 110 minutes. The Hillcats of Rogers State prevailed in a penalty kick shootout, besting the Tigers 4-3.

To get to the title match, FHSU handled the Harding University Bisons in a 3-1 victory, while Rogers State commanded a 2-0 victory over Northeastern State University.

The two advancing sides featured the top two seeds in the tournament field. Fort Hays State, the regular season conference champions, entered the match ranked eighth in the latest NCAA Super Region 3 rankings, while the second-seeded Hillcats are listed at No. 11 in the region rankings.

Fort Hays State was able to strike first in the opening half. A cross sent into the middle of the six-yard box provided heaps of trouble for GAC first team goalkeeper Dillon Dean. As the ball bounced through a mixed group of Tigers and Hillcats, junior Arsenio Chamorro was taken down by Dean. After a slight pause, central referee Brian Bauer allotted for a Fort Hays State penalty.

Perfect from the spot this season, junior captain Moritz Walther began his routine. On the blow of the whistle, Walther began his run up and hit a driven ground ball to the center of the goal, sending Dean diving to his left.

Just nine minutes later, Rogers State retaliated with a goal of their own from the foot of Chris Sowder. Callum Hubble sent a ball into the box from the right wing. FHSU goalkeeper Cullen Fisch attempted to make a diving stop to send the ball out of the danger zone, but the ball just grazed off the keeper’s fingertips. Sowder extended his leg and tapped the ball just inside the far post to even the match score up at one in the 19th minute.

The two sides carried a draw into the locker room, featuring a very even matchup with the Tigers leading the Hillcats by two in shots and corners taken over the first 45 minutes.

The second half of regulation featured another back and forth battle, ending with four corners taken and Rogers State leading by just one shot.

Tournament MVP Noah Robson resumed the scoring in the 56th minute when winger Jordan Watson fought off a challenge and relinquished possession to Robson, who was playing just beyond the edge of the 18-yard box. The senior forward took one touch and then ripped a shot through a window of Tiger defenders.

With the ball soaring towards the net, Fisch took two steps and leapt in an attempt to make a save, but was unable to reach the ball that had nestled into the upper most right corner of the goal—putting Rogers State out in front, 2-1.

However, only four minutes later, Fort Hays State junior forward Mauricio Etcheverry equalized the match on a breakaway. With Agudelo to his right and Rogers State freshman defender Manuel Camarena at his tail, the Asuncion, Paraguay native took his shot on goal.

Slipping just in front of the stretched leg of defender Michael Turner, the shot proceeded to one-hop and slide under Dean as it bounced into the back of the net.

There would be six registered shots in the second half, only one requiring a save from Fisch until the horn blew to signal the end of regulation.

A pair of shots were attempted in the first overtime periods. Both sides remained poised and attempted runs in the behind the defense from the wings, but neither team was able to clock in the game-winning goal.

With under two minutes remaining in the second overtime period, a foul was called on Tigers senior Sergio Villalba, who was giving chase to a Hillcats attacker making his move on the Fort Hays State back line. The senior midfielder was ultimately called for a foul, being handed a red card and reducing FHSU to ten men.

The Black and Gold managed to defend the Hillcats free kick and see out the remaining time on the clock.

With regulation and both overtime periods coming to a close, the two sides geared up for penalty kicks.

Both head coaches, Gerry Cleary and Derek Larkin, would enter in two more names on the team sheet for penalty kicks. FHSU’s Kieran Brown and RSU’s Austin Wormell would see their first action of the day and be tasked in goal.

Chamorro was the first player to step up for the Tigers and would miss the target on his attempt. Robson followed with his attempt and beat Brown at the center of the goal. Each penalty kick taker in rounds two, three and four would hit the back of the net, giving the Hillcats a 4-3 advantage heading into the final round.

Junior Ross Boyd stepped up to the spot and rifled a shot to the left of the goal. Wormell jumped off of his line at the moment of impact and created a save that crowned the Hillcats as GAC/MIAA Champions.

The final result of the match snapped the longest home winning streak in the nation at 25 games. But with the official result going in as a draw, the Tigers kept a 27-match unbeaten streak alive in the record books.

Fort Hays State sports a 13-5-2 record on the 2019 campaign. The Black and Gold will now await the NCAA Selection Show, hoping to be selected as a team in a field of 40 to continue their postseason.

Ranked No. 8 in the Super Region Rankings, the Tigers avoided a loss in the conference tournament and remained unbeaten against No. 11 ranked Rogers State this year, officially posting a 2-0-1 record in the head-to-head even though penalty kicks decided which team hoisted the GAC trophy on Sunday in Hays. Rogers State was on the outside of the top 10 of the super region rankings going into conference tournament week, but a tie with the Tigers may not be enough to get into the NCAA field. The GAC does not receive an automatic qualifier for its tournament champion.

No. 9 ranked Indianapolis sat idle all week after a loss in the early rounds of the GLVC Tournament. No. 12 ranked Wisconsin-Parkside topped No. 10 ranked Saginaw Valley State in the GLIAC title match, so Wisconsin-Parkside will claim one of the three automatic qualifying spots for the NCAA Tournament from Super Region 3. Fort Hays State will have to see if its name is called as one of the seven from the super region to get an at-large selection. The Tigers are hoping to make their eighth-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

That selection process is slated for a 5:30 p.m. CST announcement on Monday, Nov. 18 on NCAA.com.

Fort Hays State wrapped up a two game road trip in Colorado in Sunday against University of Colorado – Colorado Springs.  The Tigers trailed by ten points twice in the first half and didn’t score their first basket for nearly seven minutes but find a way to win against the Mountain Lions 75-68.

Aaron Nicholson played all 40 minutes and hit a three pointer that three pointer with 1:11 left in the game that increased the Tiger lead to 72-68.  Nicholson then forced turnover on the next possession and Nyjee Wright kissed shot off the glass for a 74-68 advantage.

The Tigers trailed by ten in the first half at 15-5 and 23-13.  A 13-4 run got FHSU back within one at 27-26.  The Tigers trailed 33-32 at halftime.  Jake Hutchings hit a three to open the second half and give the Tigers their first lead of the game.  The Mountain Lions took the lead back with under six minutes to go and led 62-59 with 5:30 left.  Aaron Nicholson hit a three pointer for a 64-62 lead, a lead the Tigers would never give back.

Jared Vitztum led the Tigers with 17 points.  Aaron Nicholson and Nyjee Wright each scored 14.  Jakes Hutchings scored 13 points, all in the second half.  Devin Davis added 11 before fouling out.

The Tiger defense held UCCS to 39% shooting and 23% on threes.  The Mountain Lions had been shooting 49% from the field and 38% on threes through two games.

FHSU is now 3-1 as is UCCS.

FHSU Post Game Coach Interview

FHSU Game Highlights

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The winningest senior class in the program’s NCAA Division II history went out with a bang on Saturday as Fort Hays State posted a record-setting 91-7 win at Northeastern State to close out the season at Doc Wadley Stadium. FHSU broke both its single-game and season scoring records, finishing at 8-3 overall.

The 91 points shatters the single-game mark of 66 set earlier this season in a win at Lincoln. The Tigers finish the year with 455 points in just 11 games, going past the mark of 446 set by the 1995 team in 12 games. The Tigers also finish the year averaging 41.4 points per game, and that breaks the 1995 team’s scoring average record of 37.2 per game.

**Note: FHSU had a team in 1913 score 125 points against the Salina All-Stars, which was not a college, so this is a new record against a collegiate opponent.**

It didn’t look like a complete runaway early as FHSU scored just 13 points in the first quarter, but a landslide of points befell NSU in the second quarter, 42 to be exact, and FHSU led 55-7 at halftime. Two consecutive Voshon Waiters rushing touchdowns in the third quarter pushed the Tigers past the single-game scoring record to a 69-7 lead. Te’Corey Tutson added another rushing touchdown late in the third to push the advantage to 76-7.

Senior Kyler Kinnamon picked up his first touchdown in the fourth quarter on a 5-yard pass from Trey McJunkin. Adrian Soto also scored his first collegiate touchdown in the fourth, a 65-yard sprint to the endzone untouched. The senior La Crosse, Kansas duo of Andrew Jay and Sheldon Schmidt connected on a 2-point conversion play that pushed the final tally for the Tigers to 91.

The Tigers had a very senior-themed touchdown scoring compilation in the first half. Harley Hazlett started the scoring on a 19-yard pass from Chance Fuller. Charles Tigner and D.J. Hickman each followed with touchdown plunges from a yard out. Matt Wendelberger joined the scoring act next on a 9-yard pass from Fuller. Tigner added another one-yard touchdown run before Layne Bieberle snagged a 1-yard touchdown pass from Fuller. A defensive touchdown by Sterling Swopes on a 48-yard fumble recovery interrupted the senior scoring streak, but Tigner followed again with a 2-yard pass from Fuller.

With the four passing touchdowns by halftime, Fuller found himself on top of the single-season passing touchdowns list with 35 this season. That topped the school record of 34 thrown by Shawn Behr in 1995. He finished the year with 3,344 passing yards, the fourth most in a single-season in FHSU and his 258 completions for the season are second most.

When the dust settled, Fort Hays State finished with 734 yards of total offense. It was still a little shy of the school record 761 yards produced by the 1970 team against Southern Colorado.

The Tiger defense nearly had a shutout with just one defensive breakdown on a 73-yard touchdown pass by the RiverHawks in the second quarter. The Tigers were rock solid outside of that mistake, allowing just 123 total yards for the game. It was the fewest yards allowed to an opponent since a 15-0 win over Adams State on September 15, 2001. Tanner Hoekman led the Tigers with seven tackles to finish with 294 in his career, tying Layton Hickel for sixth on the career tackles list in the NCAA era.

Bieberle finished second on the all-time receiving yards list at FHSU with 2,625 by adding 68 to his overall total on Saturday. Bieberle was the seventh Tiger to pass the 2,000-yard receiving mark earlier this season and Hazlett joined that fraternity on Saturday as the eighth, now with 2,038 after a 58-yard receiving effort. Hazlett holds the all-time receptions record at FHSU with 184 and Bieberle joins old record holder Eric Busenbark in a tie for second with 168.

Dante Brown finished the year with 109 kicking points (19 field goals and 52 PATs). The 2018 Don Hansen Division II Special Teams Player of the Year put up 232 points over two seasons. He is the only kicker in program history to break the 100 mark, and did it two consecutive years.

Fort Hays State reached eight wins in a season for the fifth straight year and the senior class went out with a record of 36-11. The Tigers also produced their seventh consecutive winning season, which dates back to 2013.

HAYS – The Fort Hays State Tiger women outscored Cameron University 25-4 in the third quarter Saturday on their way to an 89-47 win at Gross Memorial Coliseum.

Tony Hobson postgame interview

Game highlights

The Aggies hung tough with the Tigers in the early minutes of the game and had a pair of leads in the first quarter, the last time with just under three minutes to play before Lauryn Reither hit her first of two three pointers in the first quarter to give the Tigers an 18-16 lead. Fort Hays would never trail again in the game. The Tigers led 27-20 at the end of the first quarter.

Kacey Kennett scored the first five points of the second quarter to spark a 15-6 run to give the Tigers their largest lead of the first half at 16 with a 42-26 with 2:34 to play in the first half. The Tigers led 46-31 at halftime.

Fort Hays State extended their lead in that third quarter thanks in large part to the play of Jaden Hobbs who had her best game as a Tiger. After being held scoreless in the first half she scored 10 of her season-high 16 points in the third quarter and helped the Tigers build the 71-35 third quarter lead.

The fourth quarter saw much of the same as the Tigers outscored the Aggies 14-2 to start the quarter on their way to the 89-47 win.

Belle Barbieri scored a season-high 19 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, Hobbs and Kennett each added 16 each and Taylor Rolfs finished with 11 points.

The Tigers shot a season-high 46.9% from the floor and made 22 of 26 free throw attempts.

Fort Hays State improved to 4-0 with the win and will take on the University of Saint Mary Nov. 25.

LINDSBORG, Kan. – The No. 17 Fort Hays State wrestling team had five wrestlers take first place at the eighth annual Swede Open Saturday (Nov. 16), hosted by Bethany College. The Tigers had more first-place finishers than any other school (Nebraska-Kearney 4, Newman 1). Two of the other nine Tiger wrestlers to compete also finished in the top four in their respective weight class.

Jonathan Ball took the crown at 149 pounds after finishing 4-0 with four different types of wins. The sophomore opened the day with a 17-2 tech fall before pinning his opponent in the quarterfinals. Ball advanced to the finals with a 6-1 decision before winning the title with a 12-3 major decision.

A.J. Cooper had little trouble navigating through the bracket at 285 pounds, winning all five of his matches to secure the title. The junior won his first three bouts via tech fall, dominating Wyatt Wells (Labette CC) 18-3, defeating Dustin Mason (Bethany) 20-2 and crushing Nate Connelly (Hastings) 18-0. Cooper earned a spot in the title bout thanks to an 8-3 decision against Lee Herrington (Nebraska-Kearney) before recording a late pin in the championship bout against Korinthian Nabors (Lindenwood-Belleville).

Tereus Henry had quite the day, going 5-0 to win the 197-pound competition thanks to four pins. The freshman won his opening bout with a pin just seconds before the final horn sounded and added another pin in the first period of the second round. Henry moved on to the semifinals thanks to a sudden victory win over Jace Lacaille of Nebraska-Kearney before getting back to dominating his opponents. He advanced to the championship thanks to another first period fall before taking down another Loper, Andrew Demos, with one minute remaining in the championship bout.

Aryus Jones took home first place at the Swede Open for the second year in a row after dominating the 184-pound bracket. Jones pinned his first two opponents in less than 20 seconds before moving on to the finals with an 18-0 first period technical fall in the semis. The sophomore had to go the full seven minutes in the championship bout, but still did not drop a point in a 5-0 decision.

Marty Verhaeghe took home first place in the 174-pound division thanks to a 4-0 day. He recorded a pin in the first round before winning via decision in the next three rounds. He came away victorious in the championship bout thanks to a go-ahead takedown with 70 seconds left on the clock, earning a 6-4 decision.

Anthony Scantlin reached the championship bout at 157 pounds after three-consecutive wins before finishing in second place. The sophomore picked up a 10-0 major decision in his first match before recording back-to-back decisions in the quarters and semis. Scantlin finished the day 3-1 after dropping the first-place match via a 5-1 decision.

Conrad Cole reached the semifinals after three-straight victories, including an 11-0 major decision and a pin. The senior dropped a narrow 6-3 decision in the semis before recovering with a 15-0 technical fall in the consolation semis. He finished fourth after coming up short in the third-place match.

The Tigers will return to the mat next weekend when they travel north to Kearney, Neb. for the Younes Hospitality Open on Saturday, Nov. 23.

Mason Turner – 125 pounds
Champ. Round 1 – Mason Turner (Fort Hays State) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Mason Turner (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Konner Alejandro (Hastings) (Fall 1:50)
Quarterfinal – Studd Morris (Unattached Central Oklahoma) won by decision over Mason Turner (Fort Hays State) (Dec 8-4)
Cons. Round 4 – Blayne Harris (Cloud County Comm College) won by medical forfeit over Mason Turner (Fort Hays State) (MFF)

Dy’Juan Carney – 133 pounds
Champ. Round 1 – Dy’Juan Carney (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Alec Segarra (Nebraska Kearney) (Fall 1:42)
Champ. Round 2 – Dy’Juan Carney (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Rhett Miner (Colby CC) (Fall 4:34)
Quarterfinal – Tyler Lawley (Newman) won by fall over Dy’Juan Carney (Fort Hays State) (Fall 2:13)
Cons. Round 4 – Bobby Robinson (Ottawa) won by fall over Dy’Juan Carney (Fort Hays State) (Fall 1:38)

Conrad Cole – 133 pounds – 4th place
Champ. Round 1 – Conrad Cole (Fort Hays State) won by major decision over Andy Rojas (Colby CC) (Maj 11-0)
Champ. Round 2 – Conrad Cole (Fort Hays State) won by decision over Blake Leiszler (Cloud County Comm College) (Dec 7-4)
Quarterfinal – Conrad Cole (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Parker Hardy (Hastings) (Fall 2:14)
Semifinal – Austin Kolvek (Baker) won by decision over Conrad Cole (Fort Hays State) (Dec 6-3)
Cons. Semi – Conrad Cole (Fort Hays State) won by tech fall over De`Khyale McFarland (Neosho community college) (TF 15-0)
3rd Place Match – Edrich Nortje (Hastings) won by fall over Conrad Cole (Fort Hays State) (Fall 2:58)

Kadin Heacock – 149 pounds
Champ. Round 1 – Ethan Ewing (Neosho community college) won by decision over Kadin Heacock (Fort Hays State) (Dec 7-6)
Cons. Round 1 – Mouhammad Sangariev (Colby CC) won by decision over Kadin Heacock (Fort Hays State) (Dec 9-3)

Jonathan Ball – 149 pounds – 1st place
Champ. Round 1 – Jonathan Ball (Fort Hays State) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Jonathan Ball (Fort Hays State) won by tech fall over Cordell Hunt (Labette Community College) (TF 17-2)
Quarterfinal – Jonathan Ball (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Teontae Wilson (Nebraska Kearney) (Fall 5:00)
Semifinal – Jonathan Ball (Fort Hays State) won by decision over Kaleb Canoyer (Nebraska Kearney) (Dec 6-1)
1st Place Match – Jonathan Ball (Fort Hays State) won by major decision over John Fox (York) (Maj 12-3)

Anthony Scantlin – 157 pounds – 2nd place
Champ. Round 1 – Anthony Scantlin (Fort Hays State) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Anthony Scantlin (Fort Hays State) won by major decision over Cole Denny (Neosho community college) (Maj 10-0)
Quarterfinal – Anthony Scantlin (Fort Hays State) won by decision over Cole Halouska (Dakota Wesleyan) (Dec 7-1)
Semifinal – Anthony Scantlin (Fort Hays State) won by decision over Taygen Smith (Hastings) (Dec 8-7)
1st Place Match – Tyler Cunningham (Nebraska Kearney) won by decision over Anthony Scantlin (Fort Hays State) (Dec 5-1)

Josh Lenker – 157 pounds
Champ. Round 1 – Josh Lenker (Fort Hays State) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Dallas Boone (Neosho community college) won by tech fall over Josh Lenker (Fort Hays State) (TF 21-3)
Cons. Round 2 – Josh Lenker (Fort Hays State) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 3 – Brenner Vogan (Unattached) won by decision over Josh Lenker (Fort Hays State) (Dec 9-3)

Marty Verhaeghe – 174 pounds – 1st place
Champ. Round 1 – Marty Verhaeghe (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Dailen Presgrove (Oklahoma Wesleyan) (Fall 4:36)
Quarterfinal – Marty Verhaeghe (Fort Hays State) won by decision over Jensen McDermott (Benedictine) (Dec 8-3)
Semifinal – Marty Verhaeghe (Fort Hays State) won by decision over Wyatt Hayes (Nebraska Kearney) (Dec 10-5)
1st Place Match – Marty Verhaeghe (Fort Hays State) won by decision over Cameron Young-Leggett (Ottawa) (Dec 6-4)

Clint Herrick – 184 pounds
Champ. Round 1 – Clint Herrick (Fort Hays State) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Branden Cardwell (Neosho community college) won by decision over Clint Herrick (Fort Hays State) (Dec 3-2)
Cons. Round 2 – Clint Herrick (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Matthew Ordonez (Bethany) (Fall 4:25)
Cons. Round 3 – Clint Herrick (Fort Hays State) won by decision over Eli White (Benedictine) (Dec 3-1)
Cons. Round 4 – Clint Herrick (Fort Hays State) won by major decision over Ridge Smith (Oklahoma Wesleyan) (Maj 8-0)
Cons. Round 5 – Clint Herrick (Fort Hays State) won by decision over Tyson Villalpando (Neosho community college) (Dec 8-4)
Cons. Semi – Joey Ewalt (Barton) won by tech fall over Clint Herrick (Fort Hays State) (TF 15-0)

Matt Hook – 184 pounds
Champ. Round 1 – Matt Hook (Fort Hays State) won by decision over Matthew Ordonez (Bethany) (Dec 7-3)
Champ. Round 2 – Nate Panagakis (Newman) won by fall over Matt Hook (Fort Hays State) (Fall 1:44)
Cons. Round 2 – Matt Hook (Fort Hays State) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 3 – Dakota McCaleb (Labette Community College) won by decision over Matt Hook (Fort Hays State) (Dec 5-1)

Aryus Jones – 184 pounds – 1st place
Champ. Round 1 – Aryus Jones (Fort Hays State) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Aryus Jones (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Tyson Villalpando (Neosho community college) (Fall 0:15)
Quarterfinal – Aryus Jones (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Chase Pywell (Bethany) (Fall 0:20)
Semifinal – Aryus Jones (Fort Hays State) won by tech fall over Joey Ewalt (Barton) (TF 18-0)
1st Place Match – Aryus Jones (Fort Hays State) won by decision over Nate Panagakis (Newman) (Dec 5-0)

Tereus Henry – 197 pounds – 1st place
Champ. Round 1 – Tereus Henry (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Joshua Wilson (Bethany) (Fall 6:48)
Champ. Round 2 – Tereus Henry (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Timothy Carter (Lindenwood-Bellville) (Fall 1:48)
Quarterfinal – Tereus Henry (Fort Hays State) won in sudden victory – 1 over Jace Lacaille (Nebraska Kearney) (SV-1 12-10)
Semifinal – Tereus Henry (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Dylan Newton (Neosho community college) (Fall 2:53)
1st Place Match – Tereus Henry (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Andrew Demos (Nebraska Kearney) (Fall 6:02)

LJ Flax – 285 pounds
Champ. Round 1 – LJ Flax (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Mateo Pena (Labette Community College) (Fall 6:12)
Champ. Round 2 – Elwin Trejo (Cloud County Comm College) won by fall over LJ Flax (Fort Hays State) (Fall 3:36)
Cons. Round 2 – LJ Flax (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Jacob Sabus (Central Christian College) (Fall 2:40)
Cons. Round 3 – Malique Trumbo (Unattached) won by fall over LJ Flax (Fort Hays State) (Fall 3:21)

A.J. Cooper – 285 pounds – 1st place
Champ. Round 1 – A.J. Cooper (Fort Hays State) won by tech fall over Wyatt Wells (Labette Community College) (TF 18-3)
Champ. Round 2 – A.J. Cooper (Fort Hays State) won by tech fall over Dustin Mason (Bethany) (TF 20-2)
Quarterfinal – A.J. Cooper (Fort Hays State) won by tech fall over Nate Connelly (Hastings) (TF 18-0)
Semifinal – A.J. Cooper (Fort Hays State) won by decision over Lee Herrington (Nebraska Kearney) (Dec 8-3)
1st Place Match – A.J. Cooper (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Korinthian Nabors (Lindenwood-Bellville) (Fall 7:00)

The Fort Hays State Tigers embarked on a throwback weekend with a trip through the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.  The trip opened Saturday with a stop in Golden, Colorado against the 14th ranked Colorado School of Mines Orediggers.

The Tigers and Orediggers were tied twice to start he game at two and four points.  Mines never trailed and pushed their advantage to 19-10 on the strength of a 9-2 run midway through the first half.  Devin Davis converted on back-to-back three point plays to close the gap down to 19-16 with 8:07 remaining before halftime.

Fort Hays State got within two points at 22-20 with 6:00 remaining in the half on another Davis basket.  The Orediggers then when on a 15-7 run that built the first double digit lead of the game at 37-27.  Before the run concluded the Tigers got within four points at 31-27 and forced an Oredigger timeout.  Fort Hays State through fouled on a made three pointer and Mason Baker converted the free throw for a four point play.

The Orediggers kept the Tigers at arms length for rest of the half entering the locker room with a 43-32 lead.  FHSU opened the game shooting just 3-12 then closed the half 10-19.

Highlights

 

 

The Orediggers made nine of their first ten shots in the second half and opened the second twenty minutes on a 22-10 run.  The lead at the end of the stretch swelled to 23 at 65-42 with 13:15 left in the game.  The Tigers never were closer than 17 points rest of the way falling 91-72.

Mines shot 56% for the game and made 13-27 on three pointers.  The Tigers did shoot 60% in the second half and 49% for the game.  Devin Davis tied a career high with 18 points.  Nyjee Wright added 15, Jake Hutchings 12 and Perry Caroll 11.  Brendan Sullivan led the Orediggers with a career high 24 leading five players in double figures.

The Tigers went into the game averaging 45 rebounds per contest but grabbed just 17 in the loss.

Coach Mark Johnson

 

 

The Tigers fall to 2-1 on the year.  #14 Colorado School of Mines improves to 2-1.  FHSU will continue their Colorado RMAC weekend with a trip to Colorado Springs to take on UCCS Sunday at 3:00 Mountain Time.

HAYS, Kan – Fort Hays State volleyball rolled to a 3-1 senior day victory over the Missouri Southern State Lions on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 16).

This victory moves FHSU to a 7-21 overall record and a 4-16 mark in conference action to end the 2019 campaign.

After an early 9-8 scoreline in favor of the Tigers, Missouri Southern, lead by Janelle Brehm with 17 kills throughout the match, snatched five straight points to push out to a 13-9 lead.

Continuing their fight, FHSU saw kills landed from freshman Delaney Humm, senior Morgan West, and freshman Mykah Eshbaugh, but couldn’t crack further than three points into the Lions lead. Missouri Southern would go on to take the first set, 25-20, on a service ace by Alicia Pickett.

The Tigers opened up the second set with the first point on a service error from Missouri Southern’s Morgan Nash. However, the Lions entered a three-point swing to own a 3-1 lead. Fort Hays State would regain the advantage on a five-point run headed up by Humm, which included two of her three service aces in the match.

The second frame would move on to feature runs by both sides, until the Tigers were able to establish control with senior Abbie Hayes behind the service line. FHSU would continue to enter their fifth run of the set by collecting the final three points at the hands of Humm and Eshbaugh.

Humm and freshman Emily Ellis lead the opening action in the third frame for FHSU, claiming responsibility for six of the first 10 points. Still down by two, junior Tatum Bartels’ kill provided a spark that lead to lead-changing momentum.

With the Tigers recently gaining the lead at 13-12, junior Taylor White stepped behind the line and sent her second ace of the afternoon over the net, forcing the Lions to call a timeout. Eshbaugh, Humm, and Bartels would be the only Tiger athletes to register points for the remainder of the set.

FHSU locked up their second consecutive set victory on Humm’s 18th kill of the match.

Holding their first 2-1 lead since facing off against No. 14 Northwest Missouri State on Nov. 2, the Tigers battled to open the final frame. Neither the Lions or the Tigers were able to establish much separation until the Black and Gold earned five straight points, headlined by three kills from freshman Morgan Christiansen. This created their first lead since a 6-5 score earlier in the set.

Missouri Southern evened the game back up at 21 points each. A bad set by the Lions’ Morgan Nash and an attack error by Shaylon Sharp created a small window of separation for the Tigers. Two points later, Bartels would end the day with her 11th kill.

Freshman Delaney Humm lead the way for the Black and Gold, landing 20 kills at a .370 clip and notching 19 digs—two shy of her career best in both kills and digs. Bartels was responsible for 11 kills on the day while Ellis and Christiansen trailed her with five each.

All three of the seniors honored on Saturday afternoon saw action in the match. West contributed three kills and a block in two sets played, while Kyle Brown collected her minutes in the first frame.

Hayes starred at libero in her final appearance as a Tiger and featured a team-leading 21 digs, just one behind Missouri Southern’s Emalee Lowe. Following the match, the Tigers No. 43 moved into sole possession of fifth place all-time for digs per set in a career with 3.51.

Fort Hays State (7-3, 7-3 MIAA) at
Northeastern State (0-10, 0-10 MIAA)
Saturday, November 16, 2019 – 2 pm
Gable Field at Doc Wadley Stadium – Tahlequah, Okla.
LISTEN LIVE

Fort Hays State Football will complete its 2019 schedule on Saturday at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The Tigers (7-3) will attempt to extend their streak of winning at least eight games in a season to five straight years against a winless RiverHawks (0-10) squad inside Doc Wadley Stadium at 2 pm.

Unless there is an unforeseen shake up and several upsets among teams in the NCAA Super Region rankings, this game will close out the season for the Tigers. Head Coach Chris Brown addressed media on Tuesday saying “Our goal and expectation this year was to win the conference, get to the playoffs, and win in the playoffs. A bowl game was not going to be an option for us, because that is not who we are right now.”

“I told our kids (Monday) this is going to be our last game, and I’m going to stick to my word. When we first started building this program and went to the two bowl games (2015 and 2016), it was great, because we were still trying to build a championship tradition. We’ve done that now and we did not take care of business in the in the regular season,” said Brown. FHSU was the two-time defending MIAA Champion going into this season and made two straight appearances in the NCAA Playoffs before falling just short of both accomplishments this year. Central Missouri will either win the MIAA title outright on Saturday or share it with Northwest Missouri State, pending what happens when they square off in Maryville. Both are among the top seven in the Super Region 3 rankings.

Even with the Tigers falling just short of their postseason goals this year, the 2019 senior class has the opportunity to go out as the winningest in the program’s NCAA Division II history by percentage. A win would push the group of seniors that have been part of the team from 2016-2019 to 36-11 overall, which would be one-loss better than the 2018 senior class mark of 36-12. They can match the 2018 class for most wins by any senior class in the entire program’s history.

The Tigers go into this contest with the fourth-best passing offense in the nation, averaging 328 yards per game. Quarterback Chance Fuller ranks sixth nationally in passing yards per game (309) and fourth in completions per game (24). With 3,090 passing yards, he is the fourth Tiger quarterback in history to throw for at least 3,000 in a season. He is 423 shy of the single-season record of 3,513 by Mike Garrison in 2010. With 31 touchdowns, he is three shy of the single-season passing touchdown record set by Shawn Behr in 1995 with 34.

Harley Hazlett has a chance to become the eighth Tiger receiver in history to reach 2,000 yards in his career. He is just 20 yards shy at 1,980. He leads the Tigers with 803 receiving yards on the season. He already owns the all-time receptions record at FHSU with 180. Manny Ramsey (785) and Layne Bieberle (673) give the Tigers three receivers with over 600 receiving yards this year.

On defense, Drew Harvey is pacing the tackles list with 84 for the season. Jordan Starks (77) and Tanner Hoekman (76), the team leaders in interceptions with three each, rank second and third respectively in tackles. Sheldon Schmidt leads the Tigers in sacks with three.

Fort Hays State is looking for a sixth-straight win against Northeastern State. The Tigers have claimed all five meetings against the RiverHawks in MIAA play.

Northeastern State has struggled mightily this year, allowing 62.6 points

Fort Hays State at Colorado School of Mines
Saturday, November 16, 2019 – 4 pm CST
Radio: KFIX (96.9-FM)
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Fort Hays State at UC-Colorado Springs
Sunday, November 17, 2019 – 4 pm CST
Radio: KJLS (103-3.FM)
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After a 2-0 start to the season, Fort Hays State Men’s Basketball returns to action on Saturday and Sunday in Colorado. The first stop on the road trip is Colorado School of Mines, the No. 14 ranked team in the nation by the NABC, in Golden before traveling to UC-Colorado Springs. Colorado School of Mines is 1-1 so far, while UCCS sits at 2-0 going into the weekend. Games on both days begin at 4 pm CT / 3 pm MT.

Fort Hays State claimed a pair of wins in Arkansas last week with an 88-78 win over Arkansas Tech and a 58-53 win over Southwestern Oklahoma State. The Tigers had a balanced scoring effort over the two games with seven players reaching double figures at least once. Aaron Nicholson, Jared Vitztum, and Nyjee Wright are all averaging a team-high 12 points per game.

Colorado School of Mines plays its third game of a seven-game home stand to open the season. The Orediggers were upset on their home floor in the season opener against St. Mary’s University (Texas), 85-84 in overtime. However, they bounced back with a blowout 75-47 win over Lubbock Christian. Fort Hays State claimed a 75-71 win over Colorado School of Mines last year in Hays, but the Tigers fell in double overtime in the 2017-18 meeting in Golden by a score of 109-101.

The meeting between UC-Colorado Springs and FHSU on Sunday will be the final game of a four-game home stand to open the year for UCCS. The Mountain Lions won their first two games last week, 69-61 over Midwestern State (Texas) and 90-62 over Cameron (Okla.). UCCS will play Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday before hosting the Tigers on Sunday. FHSU defeated UCCS 67-51 last year in Hays as FHSU extended its record in the all-time series with UCCS to 12-0.

A 20-5 second quarter blew open a three point ball game as #7 Fort Hays State moved to 3-0 on the young season.  The Tigers jumped out a seven point lead twice in the first quarter but could not build on the advantage.  Adams State cut the Tiger lead down to three by the end of the quarter at 13-10 and started the second quarter with the ball but failed to score.

The Tigers launched into a 12-0 run that three different players scored during.  That stretch pushed the Fort Hays State advantage to 25-10 over Adams State.  The Grizzlies would never get closer than 12 points rest of the night.  The Tigers led by 18 at halftime 33-15.  That gap would never get closer than 16 in the second half winning 79-39.

Highlights

 

 

Fort Hays State held Adams State to single digits in the second and third quarter.  The Tigers outscored the Grizzlies 20-5 and 23-6 in those two quarters.  Lanie Page led the way in scoring for the home team at 11 points.  Belle Barbieri added her second double-double of the season at ten points and ten rebounds.  Each one of the 13 players suited up for the Tigers scored during the forty point victory.  Adams State was led by Zakiya Beckles who came off the bench to score a game high 16.

The Tiger bench came through with a season high 42 points, no player was on the floor for more than 21 minutes and turnovers were cut nearly in have at nine in the game.

Coach Tony Hobson

 

Fort Hays State improves to 3-0 on the year.  They will play at home Saturday evening at 5:00 against Cameron University who is 1-2.  The Aggies lost to Nebraska-Kearney 79-73 earlier in the night.

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State men’s soccer defeated the Harding University Bisons 3-1 in the first GAC/MIAA semifinal on Friday to advance to the title game Sunday. The Tigers victory improves their record to 13-5-1 overall in 2019, while the Bisons fall to 9-7-2.

GAC Freshman of the Year Alec Bevis put the Tigers on the board early in the match. In the eighth minute, junior Mauricio Etcheverry sent a corner into the box. Flying over the heads of every defender, Bevis beat his man at the opposite edge of the six-yard box and tapped the ball into the back of the net—beating goalkeeper Carlos Calderon to the near post.

Fort Hays State was able to strike again just 10 minutes later. A cross from Etcheverry rattled between a trio of Harding defenders. After a pair of touches from the Bisons, the ball fell right to the feet of Arsenio Chamorro, who displayed a clinical finish past a diving Calderon to extend the Tiger lead to two goals.

With just under three minutes remaining in the first half, FHSU won a free kick spotted in their attacking third. Senior Moises Peralta stepped up with confidence and drilled a ball towards the goal, rattling off of the crossbar from nearly 40-yards out.

The Black and Gold grabbed their third goal of the match in the 69th minute. Seniors Joey McCain and Santiago Agudelo played a pair of passes, the first off of McCain’s throw-in and the second from Agudelo’s back-heel, down the line. McCain, sprinting from the sideline put a cross towards the center of the six-yard box. Chamorro, who had scored previously, jumped in front of his defender. Sticking his foot out, he redirected the ball to the far post, past the outstretched hands of Calderon.

While Fort Hays State persisted with aggression on the offensive end and retained possession for a majority of the match, Harding was able to lessen the margin in the 72nd minute when Jeremy Nwonumah was sent through on goal and beat goalkeeper Cullen Fisch for the Bisons only score of the contest.

The Tigers registered 17 total shots on Friday afternoon, four of which hit the target. Fisch remained active at the anchor of FHSU’s defense, notching five saves.

The victory puts Fort Hays State through to their match on Sunday afternoon against Rogers State. The Hillcats fought to a 2-0 victory over the Northeastern State RiverHawks on Friday night (Nov. 15).

FHSU defeated Rogers State in both meetings throughout the 2019 campaign—the first meeting resulted in a 2-0 victory in Hays, Kan. while the latter match was a 1-0 scoreline in Claremore, Okla.

The Tigers hold a 2-1 series lead all-time over the Hillcats.

Sunday’s championship contest between the two sides is slated for a 1 p.m. kickoff.

HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team dropped a hard-fought match against Pittsburg State on Friday (Nov. 15), 28-30, 23-25, 25-16, 25-14. The Tigers outhit the Gorillas on the day, but late PSU rallies in the first and second set made the difference. The Tigers move to 6-21 overall and 3-16 in MIAA play, while the Gorillas improve to 14-14 on the year and 9-10 in conference action.

Fort Hays State tallied a .198 attack percentage on the day while limiting Pittsburg State to a swing rate of .176 thanks to nine total team blocks. The Tigers had a significant edge in digs, 105-90.

Morgan Christiansen led the team with an impressive .526 attack percentage, recording 11 kills and just one error on 19 swings while adding four blocks (one solo). Tatum Bartels added 10 kills, six digs and five blocks (two solo). Morgan West and Mykah Eshbaugh tallied nine kills each, with Paige Baird and Delaney Humm adding eight kills apiece. Katie Darnell recorded a double-double with 38 assists and a career-high 21 digs. Abbie Hayes led the team with 28 assists and added the lone service ace for the Tigers.

The teams went back and forth for the entirety of the opening set, with neither team leading by more than two. Pittsburg State was the first team to reach set point at 24-23, but a kill from Christiansen extended the set. Baird and West added kills to extend the set before Darnell added a kill to give the Tigers a chance at set point, 27-26. After the Gorillas tied things up, Humm found the floor with a big kill to give the Tigers another chance at the set, but the Gorillas responded with three consecutive points to secure the win, 30-28.

The Tigers trailed by as many as five late in the first set, 22-17, before going on a 6-1 run to tie things up. Kills from Christiansen and West combined with four Pitt State errors combined to help the Tigers level the score at 23-23 before the Gorillas used another late run to take the set, 25-23.

Fort Hays State never trailed in the third set, taking the first two points and seven of the first 10. Two kills from Mykah Eshbaugh anchored a 6-0 run late in the set to help the Tigers take complete control, 20-9. Christiansen recorded a solo block to give the Tigers a chance at set point before combining with Humm on a set-clinching block, giving the Tigers a 25-16 win. Pittsburg State responded with its best set of the afternoon, posting a .302 attack percentage en route to a 25-14 win.

The Tigers will wrap up the regular season Saturday (Nov. 16) when they host Missouri Southern for Senior Day. First serve is set for noon from Gross Memorial Coliseum.