KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State senior kicker Dante Brown earned MIAA Special Teams Athlete of the Week on Monday (Sept. 23) for his efforts in the 41-38 overtime win at Washburn this past Saturday. This is his first time receiving the honor this year.

Brown made two critical field goals to lift Fort Hays State to a 41-38 win at Washburn in overtime. Brown’s first make came at the end of regulation, hitting a 24-yard attempt as time expired to force overtime. After FHSU created a stop on defense in overtime, Brown won the game with a 30-yard field goal. It snapped a string of nine straight losses by the Tigers at Yager Stadium in Topeka. Brown finished the game with 11 points, adding a 5-of-5 effort on PAT attempts to his two field goals.

Brown was a five-time recipient of this honor last season, when he went on to receive MIAA Special Teams Player of the Year and Don Hansen Football Committee National Special Teams Player of the Year honors.

Brown joined Central Missouri quarterback Brook Bolles (Offensive Athlete of the Week) and Northwest Missouri State defensive back Jerrell Green (Defensive Athlete of the Week) as recipients of the conference honors this week.

KEARNEY, Neb. – Fort Hays State women’s soccer team improved to 3-2 on the year with a 2-0 win over Nebraska-Kearney in non-conference play. The Lopers dropped to 1-3-2 overall. All three wins for FHSU this year have been shutouts.

The Tigers controlled the game from the opening kick. They attempted six shots in the first half (all by different players), while locking-down the Lopers to zero shots. Senior Darby Hirsch picked up her second goal of the year in the 20th minute after intercepting a pass from UNK’s goalkeeper Emily Thuss (0-1). Less than 15 minutes later, Olympia Katsouridis netted her first goal of 2019 off a pass from Chloe Montano. The defense and goalkeeper Megan Kneefel (2-1) shut down UNK the rest of the way.

The defense was astounding, allowing the Lopers just one shot the entire match. It allowed Kneefel to pick up her second clean sheet of the season. The Tigers managed four shots on goal with one each from Perkins, Hirsch, Katsouridis, and Woods.

The Tigers return home on Friday (Sept. 27) to wrap-up the non-conference part of their schedule. Kick-off is set for 7 p.m. at FHSU Soccer Stadium against Washburn. MIAA play then begins on Sunday when Emporia State comes to town for a 1 pm start.

TOPEKA, Kan. – Dante Brown booted a 24-yard field goal at the end of regulation to force overtime then kicked a 30-yarder in overtime to lift Fort Hays State to a 41-38 win over Washburn Saturday afternoon to snap their 9-game Yager Stadium losing streak. It’s the Tigers (1-2, 1-2 MIAA) first win in Topeka since 1987 when they won by forfeit and their first win on the field there since 1985.

The game-winner from Brown came after Isaiah Creal-Musgray intercepted a Mitch Schurig pass in the endzone on the Ichabods (1-2, 1-2 MIAA) overtime possession.

The Tigers led by two touchdowns entering the fourth quarter after quarterback Chance Fuller hit Harley Hazlett on a 33-yard scoring strike then Hunter Budke from 18 yards out to put FHSU up 35-21. Fuller finished 23 of 31 for 271 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions before leaving in the fourth quarter after being slammed to the turf on a hard tackle on the Tigers first possession of the fourth quarter.

Washburn took advantage by scoring 17 unanswered points to go up 38-35 following a 2-yard touchdown run from Mitchell Percy with 3:33 to play.

Junior college transfer Vashon Waiters engineered a gutsy 15-play, 68-yard drive to set up Brown’s game tying field goal at the end of regulation. Waiters, playing for the first time this season, hit Harley Hazlett on a 7-yard pass on 3rd and seven then converted with an 8-yard pass to running back Charles Tigner on 4th and five from their own 42 to keep the drive alive.

Charles Tigner scored on a 14-yard touchdown run to cap a 10-play, 75-yard drive on the Tigers first possession to give them the early 7-0 lead. Fuller hit Jacoby Williams on a 3-yard touchdown pass to give FHSU a 14-7 lead early in the fourth.

James Letcher, Jr. returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to tie the game 14-14. The Tigers then muffed the kickoff giving the Ichabods the ball back at the FHSU 37 which led to another score and put the Ichabods up 21-14.

Fuller would engineer a 6-play, 52-yard drive which ended with a 7-yard TD pass to Harley Hazlett with 3:25 in the second quarter to tie the game 21-21.

The Tigers finished with 494 total yards of offense which included a season-high 161 on the ground. Charles Tigner led the ground attack with 125 yards. Harley Hazlett had a team-best 105 receiving yards on nine catches and two touchdowns. Layne Bieberle hauled in six passes for 77 yards to move past Xavier Brown and Eric Busenbark into fourth on the all-time receiving yards list with 2,087.

HAYS, Kan. – After facing a two-sets-to-one deficit, the Fort Hays State volleyball team captured the fourth and fifth sets in convincing fashion to knock off Emporia State Saturday (Sept. 21) inside Gross Memorial Coliseum (22-25, 25-20, 22-25, 25-13, 15-6). The Tigers are now 4-6 overall and 1-1 in MIAA play, while the Hornets move to 4-6 on the year and 0-2 in league action.

The teams were evenly matched through the first three sets, with Emporia State holding a slim 70-69 advantage in points scored. However, the momentum started to shift towards the Tigers in the final two frames.

The Tigers swung at an astounding .422 clip (21-2-45) over the final two sets to help put the hammer down. The defense was just as impressive, holding ESU to a .066 attack percentage (17-13-61).

Neither side could gain much of an edge in the opening set, with the score staying within three points the entire way. A three-point run put ESU in front 21-18, but the Tigers clawed back to take four of the next five points and tie things up at 22. The Hornets rallied to take the final three points, winning the opening set 25-22.

Delaney Humm was big in the second set win for FHSU, dropping in six of her team-high 17 kills. The Tigers led by as many as seven late in the set before ESU closed within three, 23-20. Kills from Humm and Morgan Christiansen ended the Hornet rally and tied the match at one set each.

Christiansen and Isabelle Reynolds anchored the Tiger offense in the third set, dropping in five kills each. Emporia State built a five-point lead through the early portions of the set, but a big rally put the Tigers right back in it. Trailing 16-11, Reynolds opened the run with a kill before teaming up with Tatum Bartels for a block. Reynolds and Bartels each added kills a few rallies later before Madison Miller dropped in a service ace, putting the Tigers in front 20-18. Emporia State battled back to take the next five rallies and went on to take the third set, 25-22.

The fourth set opened as an even affair, but the Tigers quickly turned a 9-9 tie into a set victory after winning 16 of the last 20 rallies. The Black and Gold posted a .312 attack percentage in the frame, totaling 12 kills to just two attack errors. The Tigers scored nine-straight points during the heart of the rally thanks to five attack errors, three setting miscues and one blocking mistake. FHSU made the most of the Hornet mistakes, dropping in four kills down the stretch to secure the 25-13 win.

It was more of the same for the Tigers in the fifth set, who hit an incredibly efficient .692 in the final set. FHSU attempted 13 swings in the final frame, totaling nine kills and zero attack errors. The Tigers never trailed in the set, scoring four of the first five points. Bartels led the team with three kills in the final set before capturing the final point when she combined with Humm for a block.

Five Tigers reached double figures in kills, with Reynolds (13), Christiansen (12), Bartels (11) and West (10) joining Humm. Humm posted her fourth double-double of the year, totaling a season-high 14 digs to go along with her 17 kills. Katie Darnell tossed up 49 assists while matching Taylor White with a team-high 15 digs. Abbie Hayes chipped in 14 digs while Madison Miller added 13.

Christiansen recorded six blocks in the victory, including one solo and five block assists. Bartels added five block assists while Reynolds added four blocks (one solo).

The Tigers posted a .258 attack percentage overall compared to a .129 swing rate for ESU. Both teams were active at the net, with FHSU holding a slim 12-10 advantage in blocks. The back row stayed busy for the home team all evening, with Tigers combining for 77 digs.

The home stand continues for Fort Hays State next weekend when the Tigers host two more conference rivals. First up is a Friday evening contest against Central Oklahoma, with the first serve set for 6 p.m.

HAYS, Kan. – On a sunny Saturday afternoon, Fort Hays State faced off against No. 15 Rogers State University — a match that resulted in a 2-0 victory. For the Tigers, this marks their 19th consecutive victory at home.

Senior forward Santiago Agudelo opened up the scoring in the 32nd minute for his third of the season after scoring two goals on Thursday night against Northeastern State University.

Defender Joey McCain intercepted a pass from the Hillcats and found Agudelo at the edge of the 18-yard box. With a one-touch turn, the forward struck ball into the lower left-hand corner of the net.

In the 46th minute, the Tigers found their back against the wall. With only a one goal lead, the referee awarded a penalty kick to the Hillcats. No. 10 Jordan Watson stepped up to the spot and began his run-up.

On the strike, Watson aimed for the bottom left corner of the goal but was denied by senior Cullen Fisch to keep Fort Hays State’s momentum intact.

30 minutes later, Agudelo had part in another Tigers goal, but this time he was not on the receiving end.

Agudelo, with the ball at his feet and three men to beat, saw a sprinting Rogelio Lopez making a run to the far post. With the outside of his right boot, he flicked the ball in on a grounded cross. Lopez ended the play with a sliding finish back across the goal for his first of the 2019 campaign.

The Tigers ended the day attempting four more shots than Rogers State. Fisch’s poise in net lead to his four crucial saves for Fort Hays.

Agudelo, finding the goal early in the contest, tallied his third goal of the season and the assist was his first of 2019.

The Tigers will hit the road to Arkansas for their next match against Ouachita Baptist, who are 1-4-1 on the season. The two teams have yet to meet in program history.

Fort Hays State (0-2, 0-2 MIAA) at
Washburn (1-1, 1-1 MIAA)
Saturday, Sept. 21 – 1 pm
Topeka, Kan. – Yager Stadium
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Fort Hays State Football looks for its first win of the 2019 season on Saturday when it takes on Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas at Yager Stadium. The Tigers enter the game at 0-2, while the Ichabods are 1-1. FHSU has not won in Topeka since 1987, looking to snap a string of nine-straight losses at Yager Stadium.

 

Fort Hays State is 0-2 to start a season for the first time since 2013, when it started 0-4. The Tigers won the last two meetings with Washburn, winning 37-20 in 2017 and 30-24 in 2018. Both of those contests were in Hays. FHSU has been very close to snapping its skid at Yager Stadium in its last two attempts. In 2016, the last meeting between the teams in Topeka, FHSU was just a touchdown short of a victory in a 30-24 loss. In 2014, FHSU forced overtime with a touchdown in the final minute of the game, but after FHSU settled for a field goal to start overtime, Washburn won the game 27-24 with a touchdown.

The home team in this series claimed the last six meetings. FHSU won all three meetings with Washburn in Hays since 2015, while Washburn has won all three meetings in Topeka since 2013. A Washburn win during the 2012 season in Hays was the last time the road team won. Washburn ranked No. 15 in the nation in that meeting.

Fort Hays State ranks seventh in NCAA Division II for passing yards per game so far this year, averaging 333 per game. Quarterback Chance Fuller threw for exactly 333 yards in each of the first two games this year. It marks the first consecutive 300-yard passing games for FHSU since the 2015 season when former Tiger Jacob Mezera threw for 446, 354, and 309 in three consecutive games. Harley Hazlett has been the top target for Mezera so far with 11 catches for 160 yards. Manny Ramsey and Layne Bieberle also have over 100 receiving yards this season.

The Tigers are still looking to establish a running game this season after struggling to just 75.5 yards per game on the ground so far. Charles Tigner leads the team in rushing so far with 109 yards, though he’s been valuable in the passing game as well with 71 yards on 11 catches.

Defensively, Tanner Hoekman leads the Tigers in tackles with 15, followed by Drew Harvey and Hayden Kreutzer each with 14. Sheldon Schmidt and Jonathan Williams share the only sack by the Tigers so far this season.

— FHSU Sports Information —

TOPEKA, Kan. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team came up empty against No. 3 Washburn Friday evening (Sept. 20), falling in three sets (18-25, 24-26, 16-25). The Tigers committed a season-low nine attack errors in the loss, but it was not enough to overcome 49 kills and a .259 attack rate from the Ichabods. The Tigers move to 3-6 overall and 0-1 in MIAA play while the Ichabods are now 9-0 on the year and 1-0 in league action.

After dropping the first set, Fort Hays State led for nearly all of the second frame. The Tigers scored the first two points of the match and soon doubled up the Ichabods, 12-6, after a five-point run with Tatum Bartels serving. Washburn later closed within one, but three-straight kills from Mykah Eshbaugh pushed the FHSU advantage back to four, 19-15. The Ichabods continued to chip away at the lead, finally tying things up at 23-23. A kill from Bartels gave the Tigers a chance at set point, but WU rallied to score the final three points and take the set.

The freshman trio of Delaney Humm, Morgan Christiansen and Mykah Eshbaugh had a strong day on offense, combining for 21 kills and just three errors. Katie Darnell handled the setting duties, tossing up 20 assists while adding three kills and eight digs. Senior Abbie Hayes paced the team with 14 digs and tallied the fifth kill of her career.

Washburn posted four more attack errors than FHSU, but a sizeable 49-32 advantage in kills made the biggest difference in the match. The Ichabods also held a big lead in digs, 65-54, assists, 43-25, and aces, 7-2.

The Tigers return to Hays Saturday (Sept. 21) when they host Emporia State. First serve is set for 5 p.m. from Gross Memorial Coliseum.

EMPORIA, Kan. – The Fort Hays State women’s soccer team could not overcome Emporia State’s offense, falling to the Hornets 4-2 in a non-conference match Friday (Sept. 20). The Tigers move to 2-2 on the year, while ESU is now 4-1 this season.

Fort Hays State got on the board early in the first half when senior Nikita Woods put one in the back of the net at the 10-minute mark. Emporia State’s Gaby Crowell tallied the equalizer 10 minutes later before the teams went into the locker room tied 1-1.

Each side picked up the pace to start the second half until Crowell broke the tie with her second goal of the match in the 67th minute. The Hornets doubled their lead 12 minutes later with a goal from Joanie Westcoat.

Taryn Schnell got the Tigers back within one when she found the back of the net two minutes later, but ESU’s Hannah Woolery sealed the 4-2 victory with a goal in the 85th minute.

Emporia State held a 17-11 edge in shots, including 11 shots after halftime. The Hornets took four corners in the second half.

Deonna Wellbrock (1-1) made five saves after facing nine shots on goal. Woods, Cailey Perkins and Tessa Irvine all attempted two shots for the Tigers.

The road trip continues for Tigers on Sunday when they take on Nebraska-Kearney in another non-conference matchup. Kick off is set for 1:00 p.m.

The Fort Hays State Tiger football team travels to the state capital this Saturday afternoon for a week three showdown with the Washburn Ichabods.

The Tigers are coming off their second straight loss to open the season, a 28-17 loss to Missouri Western State last Thursday.

If you missed any of the action you can check out the highlights below with our Sounds of the Game

HAYS, Kan. – In their first match in Great American Conference play, the Fort Hays State University men’s soccer program: ended a three-game losing streak, defeated rival Northeastern State University, and extended their run of victories in Hays to eighteen consecutive matches at the conclusion of their 2-1 win in overtime.

With just under six minutes left to play in the extra period, senior midfielder Sergio Villalba sent a ball down the sideline, just sliding around the defender in pursuit. Santiago Agudelo sprinted in behind the RiverHawks defense. Using shear pace and poise, the reigning National Player of the Year dribbled to the edge of the 18-yard box.

Behind the entirety of the Northeastern State outfield players, Agudelo only had one man to beat. Goalkeeper Justin Hinman jumped off his line and into action. The senior forward took one side step and slotted the ball into the back of the net for his second goal of the night to secure a Tigers victory.

Agudelo’s first goal came in the 19th minute. Forward Arsenio Chamorro controlled the ball off of a header won by Agudelo within the Tigers’ attacking third. He played a ground ball to midfielder Rogelio Lopez who played with a bit of skill and side stepped his defender. Lopez crossed the ball and found Agudelo at the far post and slotted the ball to the keeper’s right.

Before FHSU scored, the RiverHawks saw a screaming strike by Aaron Ugbah be goal-bound. Stepping into a swing, Ugbah drilled a ball into the top corner of the net on a near 25-yard strike.

For Fort Hays, this marks their second victory of the 2019 campaign and their fourth consecutive victory over the RiverHawks.

Seven players played all 94 minutes on Thursday night for the black and gold. Senior goalkeeper Cullen Fisch added two saves on 11 shots in the victory.

The Tigers will remain at home on Saturday, Sept. 21 and take on No. 15 Rogers State for a 1 p.m. kickoff. The only time that the two sides have faced off was in 2017 in Claremore, Okla. which resulted in 1-0 defeat for FHSU.

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State battled through windy conditions in Hays to defeat Sterling College 6-1 on Tuesday (Sept. 17). The Tigers swept doubles play and took five of six singles matches for the win. FHSU improved to 3-2 overall on the season.

The No. 1 team of Natalie Lubbers and Ellea Ediger, and No. 3 team of Grace Holgerson and Kimberly Stone cruised to victory to give FHSU the team point yielded from doubles play. The No. 1 Tiger team defeated Janae Ryan and Keeley Hipp 6-1, while the No. 3 Tiger team defeated Brooklyn Bauman and Cortney Blackburn 6-0. The No. 2 team of Macy Moyers and Sydney McAdoo battled to a 7-5 win over Nicole Marin and Maddie Thrasher.

All singles matches finished in straight sets with the Tigers on top in five of six. Lubbers turned in the most dominant performance of the six at the No. 1 position, defeating Thrasher 6-1, 6-0. Holgerson claimed a 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 6 over Bauman. Ediger (No. 3) and McAdoo (No. 4) put the match away for the Tigers. Ediger won 6-2, 6-3 over Hipp and McAdoo won 6-2, 6-4 over Blackburn. Moyers battled Ryan at No. 2, coming out victorious in scores of 6-4, 7-5. Stone was the only Tiger to drop a match, falling 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 to Marin at the No. 5 position.

Fort Hays State will scrimmage Barton (Kan.) Community College on Monday (Sept. 23) before returning to countable competition against Bethel (Kan.) College on Friday (Sept. 27) in Hays at 3:30 pm.

Fort Hays State coach Chris Brown held his weekly press conference Tuesday following the Tigers loss to Missouri Western State. It’s the Tigers second straight loss and the first time since 2013 the Tigers have starter 0-2. Fort Hays State travels to Topeka for a Saturday afternoon matchup with Washburn.

You can hear his comments along with comments from junior offensive lineman Amari Angram-Boldin and senior defensive back Tanner Hoekman below:

Chris Brown

Amari Angram-Boldin

Tanner Hoekman