JOPLIN, Mo. – Missouri Southern State has announced the resignation of head football coach Denver Johnson effective immediately.

The Lions host Fort Hays State Saturday night.

In three plus seasons under Johnson, the Lions have managed only three wins and are currently in the midst of a 16-game losing streak.

Defensive Coordinator Joe Bettasso has been named the interim head coach for the remainder of the 2018 season and a national search for a head football coach will be conducted at season’s end.

A veteran of more than 30 years on the college football sideline, Johnson has served as the head coach at Illinois State and Murray State, while also serving as an assistant at his alma mater, Tulsa, the University of Colorado and Tennessee-Martin.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State senior defensive tackle Wyatt Parker earned MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week honors on Monday (Sept. 17) for his efforts in the 30-24 win over Washburn this past Saturday. Parker had a great all-around performance, helping the nationally ranked Tigers improve their record to 2-1 overall.

Parker finished with 7 tackles, including 3.0 for loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 1 interception. His forced fumble on a sack of quarterback Blake Peterson in the fourth quarter set up Fort Hays State’s final touchdown drive of the game, extending the lead to 30-10 which proved to be the decisive scoring play. Later in the fourth quarter, Parker intercepted a tipped pass with 2:14 remaining. He helped the Tigers hold Washburn to 299 yards of total offense.

Parker joins Central Missouri’s Jeremy Hunt (Offensive Player of the Week) and Pittsburg State’s Jared Vincent (Special Teams Player of the Week) as the weekly honorees for football from the conference office.

HAYS, Kan. – For yet a third-straight match, the Fort Hays State women’s soccer team took to extra time to decide on a winner. This time, however, the Tigers came out on top as Darby Hirsch netted an early overtime goal off an assist from Cailey Perkins to seal a 1-0 non-conference win over Nebraska-Kearney.

With the win, the Tigers even out to 2-2-2, while the Lopers are now 2-4 overall.

On a windy day in Hays, both teams had to fight against that obstacles on the field. The Tigers saw this advantage with the wind to their back as they attempted 14 shots compared to just five from the Lopers. In the first 45 minutes, Nebraska-Kearney held the shot advantage during the only period for them in favor of the wind as they out-shot the Tigers 4-2. However, in the second with the switch of sides, FHSU recorded 11 shots over just one from the Lopers.

After another 90 minutes of scoreless play, the Tigers headed into a third-straight match needing extra play. The previous two overtime matches have ended in ties for Fort Hays State, making this the first OT win of the season for the Tigers.

After Hirsch attempted the game-high five shots on the day, her final was the most important. In the 93rd minute of play, Perkins slipped behind a Loper defender to find Hirsch waiting near the goal. A quick pass from Perkins found the foot of Hirsch who pushed it past Nebraska-Kearney goalkeeper Ali Hirschmann to give the Tigers their second win of the season at 1-0. This was Hirsch’s first goal of her junior campaign while Perkins captured her second assist for the season.

Hirschmann was a strong presence in the net for the Lopers throughout the rest of the matches, bringing in eight saves even with the wind as her enemy. Hirschmann takes the loss in her first appearance this season for UNK and drops to 0-1.

Megan Kneefel captures her second win of the season to mirror her team’s record at 2-2-2 following two saves on the day, advancing her season total to 35.

Fort Hays State travels to Topeka to take on Washburn in its final non-conference match of the season. Gametime is set for 6 p.m. on Friday (Sept. 21). The Tigers open up MIAA play following that contest with Emporia State on the road on Sunday (Sept. 23) at 2 p.m.

HAYS, Kan. – For the second-straight match this season, 90 minutes of play was not enough as the Fort Hays State women’s soccer team took to two overtime sessions, ultimately ending in a 1-1 tie. With the draw, Fort Hays State drops to 1-2-2 on the season while Emporia State records its first tie of the season to dip to 3-1-1.

Emporia State led the offensive push in the first 45 minutes of play, leading the Tigers in the shot column with five shots while limiting Fort Hays State to just one attempt. Neither team could find the back of the net, leaving the score knotted up at 0-0 heading into halftime. With the next 45 minutes of play ahead of them, both squads evened out their shot attempts with both the Tigers and Hornets attempting five in the half.

With the potential for overtime looming, the Hornets stung first as Shelby Keyes captured her first goal of the season in the 75th minute to claim the first 1-0 lead of the match. The Tigers would not back down though as they equalized the score at 1-1 with Olympia Katsouridis capturing her first goal of her sophomore campaign in the 83rd minute as she completed a header from an assist by Cailey Perkins on the left side of the goal. The final minutes of regulation resulted in neither team gaining the advantage, sending the match to a first decisive period.

Emporia State tried to end the match with a win as they attempted two shots while leaving the Tigers shot-less in the first overtime. However, the second and final overtime went in favor of Fort Hays State who attempted their share of two shots with neither resulting in a goal. After 110 minutes of play, the Tigers and Hornets ended in a draw in their non-conference match.

Maria Walden for Emporia State led all players with four shots including two on goal, while Darby Hirsch accounted for three of her own for the Tigers. The Hornets ended the match with 12 shots compared to just eight by the Tigers. Taking her second-straight tie in goal for Fort Hays State was Megan Kneefel who tallied five saves in the tilt. Kneefel now owns 33 saves through five matches for the Tigers. Taking the tie on the other side was Hornet keeper Jillian Patton who recorded just one save in the match.

The Tigers are back in action for the second of three-straight non-conference matches against MIAA foes. They host Nebraska-Kearney on Sunday with a kickoff set for 1 p.m.

TOPEKA, Kan. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team opened MIAA play with a 3-0 road loss against Washburn Friday evening (Sept. 14). The Tigers were unable to get into a rhythm against a tough Ichabod defense that totaled 12 blocks in the match.

Fort Hays State moves to 6-7 overall and 0-1 in MIAA play, while the Ichabods remain undefeated at 13-0 and 1-0 in league action.

Washburn took control early and never let up in the first set, capturing the first six points to force the Tigers to use an early timeout. The teams traded points for the rest of the set but Washburn’s defense stood tall, not allowing FHSU more than two consecutive points for the entire frame.

A service error and a kill from Kayla Vitztum gave the Tigers an early 2-0 lead to start the second set, but Washburn grabbed a stranglehold on the game thanks to a 13-2 run, including a seven-straight points to take the lead for good. Later, with the Tigers trailing by nine, the Tigers strung together four-consecutive points to ultimately pull within three, 22-19, thanks to an 8-2 run. Washburn rebounded after taking a timeout, taking the set 25-21 after a kill from Kelsey Gordon.

Azlyn Cassaday handed the Tigers the lead yet again to start the third set with a kill before multiple Ichabod errors and a strike from Christianna Herron gave the Tigers their largest lead of the evening, 5-2. FHSU held the lead as late as 7-6 after a kill from Morgan West, but Washburn slowly established a lead before scoring the final five points to take the match, 25-15.

The Tigers were limited to a .009 hitting percentage, its lowest outing in more than six years (.000 vs. UNK, 9/11/12). Washburn countered with a .262 swing rate. Both sides dug out 48 balls, with the Ichabods holding a 37-24 edge in assists.

Cassaday led the Tigers with 10 kills while adding four digs defensively. Abbie Hayes tallied 18 digs on the back line and dropped in one of two FHSU aces. Amirah Bentley tossed up a team-best 12 assists in the loss.

The Tigers will look to get back to .500 overall and in league play Saturday when they travel to take on Emporia State at 3 p.m.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced the dates and locations for its 2018-19 Championships. The MIAA will crown 17 champions, including 10 in women’s sport and seven in men’s sports. Five championships will be conducted at neutral sites with the remaining sites being held on campuses.

Women’s Soccer is the first championship of the season on Wednesday, October 31. First-round matches will be at campus sites with the semifinals on Friday, November 2 and the championship match on Sunday, November 4 at the campus of the highest remaining seed.

The MIAA Cross Country Championships will be held in Emporia, Kansas at the Jones Park Cross Country Course on Saturday, November 3. The final fall MIAA Championship is volleyball, which begins on Tuesday, November 6 at campus sites. Friday, November 9 and Saturday, November 10 will be the semifinal and final matches on the campus of the highest remaining seed.

Winter Championships get underway with Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field. The indoor championships will be hosted in Maryville, Missouri at the newly completed Hughes Family Fieldhouse on Friday, February 22 and end on Sunday, February 24.

A change to the championship schedule will be for Men’s and Women’s Basketball. The championships move to five days, beginning on Wednesday, March 5 and will include 20 teams playing at Kansas City’s historic Municipal Auditorium. The basketball championships conclude with a men’s and women’s team cutting down the nets on Sunday, March 10.

Women’s Bowling wraps up the Winter Championships on Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24. Springfield, Missouri’s Andy B’s will host this year’s championship.

Golf starts off the 2019 Spring Championship schedule on Monday, April 22 and ends on Wednesday, April 24. The Women’s Championship will be played at Firekeeper Golf Course in Mayetta, Kansas. Men’s Golf will hit the course the same days at a site still to be finalized. The Oklahoma City Tennis Center will be the site of the 2019 Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships on Friday, April 26 through Sunday, April 28.

The MIAA Softball Championship will be held on Wednesday, May 1 through Saturday, May 4 with a location still to be finalized. Walton Stadium in Warrensburg, Missouri will be the site of the Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Championships starting on Friday, May 3 and ending Sunday, May 5.

The final MIAA Championship of the season will be baseball. The Baseball Championship is set to open on Thursday, May 9 with the final day on Sunday, May 12 at Al Ortoani Field in Pittsburg, Kansas.

“The MIAA is one of the strongest Division II conferences in the country and a big reason why is the quality championship venues we provide for our student-athletes each year,” explained MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy. “This year’s line-up of championship sites will provide a first-class championship experience to some of the nation’s most talented students.”

All MIAA Championships will be streamed live on the MIAA Network. The complete list of the 2018-19 MIAA Championship schedule, dates and locations can be found here.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The 18th-ranked Fort Hays State men’s soccer team fell to Point Loma Nazarene on Thursday (Sept. 13), 1-0. The Tigers dip to 3-2 overall on the season, while the Sea Lions improve to 2-2 on the year.

The Tigers were able to have a couple scoring opportunities in the first half, but the Sea Lion defense stifled any momentum from Fort Hays State. Both teams could not get anything going as the match was scoreless at intermission.

FHSU outshot Point Loma Nazarene 16-3 in the second but could not capitalize on those advantages. The Sea Lions were able to slip past the Tiger defense late with the deciding goal in the 88th minute. PLNU scored on a ball that got past Tiger goalkeeper Cullen Fisch near the crossbar and slipped in for the score.

Santiago Agudelo led the Tigers with six shots in the contest. Fisch took the loss in goal for the Tigers as he moves to 3-2 in goal on the season. The opportunities were there for the Tigers as they out-shot the Sea Lions 21-6 in the contest.

The Tigers continue their west coast swing on Saturday as they head up north to take on Biola University in La Mirada, Calif. The Tigers and Eagles are slated to kick off at 6 p.m. CT/4 p.m. PT.

Fort Hays State holds the No. 16 ranking in the latest D2Football.com Poll, released on Tuesday (Sept. 11). A day after seeing their AFCA ranking drop from No. 5 to No. 17, the Tigers move down eight spots from No. 8 to No. 16 on the D2Football.com list.

Like the AFCA poll, the MIAA has four representatives in the D2Football.com Poll. Northwest Missouri State is No. 3, Pittsburg State is No. 14, and Central Missouri is No. 19, joining FHSU in the rankings. Only three undefeated teams remain in the MIAA, which includes Northwest Missouri State, Pittsburg State, and Nebraska-Kearney.

The Tigers host Washburn University on Saturday night in Hays at 7 pm. Both teams enter the game at 1-1. Washburn received votes in the AFCA Preseason Poll, coming off a 7-5 record in 2017 with a win in the Heart of Texas Bowl.

Below is the D2Football.com Top 25 for September 11, 2018.

Team Record Last Week
1 Minnesota State 2-0 1
2 Texas A&M-Commerce 2-0 2
3 Northwest Missouri State 2-0 5
4 Indiana (Pa.) 2-0 4
5 Ferris State 2-0 6
6 Midwestern State 2-0 7
7 Grand Valley State 2-0 12
8 West Alabama 2-0 10
9 CSU-Pueblo 2-0 11
10 Winona State 2-0 14
11 West Florida 1-1 3
12 Central Washington 1-1 13
13 West Georgia 2-0 15
14 Pittsburg State 2-0 17
15 Ouachita Baptist 2-0 20
16 Fort Hays State 1-1 8
17 Harding 1-1 9
18 Ohio Dominican 2-0 24
19 Central Missouri 1-1 21
20 Minnesota Duluth 2-0 23
21 Indianapolis 1-1 22
22 West Chester 2-0 25
23 Sioux Falls 1-1 16
24 Southern Arkansas 2-0 NR
25 Colorado Mesa 2-0 NR

WARRENSBURG, Mo. – The Fort Hays State men’s golf team finished ninth among MIAA teams and 18th overall at the Mule Invitational (Sept. 10-11), hosted at Mules National Golf Course in Missouri. Senior Mac McNish led the Fort Hays State with rounds of 75, 75 and 73 to post a total score of 223 and tie for 63rd place.

Isaiah Grover posted rounds of 73, 77 and 79 to finish in a tie for 82nd individually. Connor Schultz finished in a tie for 84th after carding rounds of 74, 80 and 76. Freshman Bryce Cowan fired off rounds of 71, 84 and 79 to finish solo 89th in his first collegiate golf tournament. Colton Bobek shot a 75 in round one before posting identical scores of 80 in the final two rounds.

Washburn took the team title with an aggregate score of 845. Fellow MIAA team Central Missouri placed second with a score of 846 and Henderson State (854) placed third. Fort Hays State finished 18th as a team with a score of 293-312-307 for a total of 912.

Craig Stefureak of Drury claimed the individual title in a playoff with Yente Van Doren of Lindenwood. They both shot 7-under for the tournament and a total score of 203.

The Tigers are in action next week (Sept. 17-18) when they travel to Muskogee, Okla. to compete in the NSU Men’s Golf Classic at the Muskogee Country Club.

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Fort Hays State women’s golf team finished 14th at the season-opening NSU Golf Classic (Sept. 10-11). The event was held at Cherokee Springs Golf Club, a par-72, 5,964-yard course. The Tigers shot rounds of 309 and 331 to finish 64-over (640) for the tournament.

Senior Hannah Perkins led Fort Hays State as she finished in a tie for 19th individually. She fired rounds of 4-over (76) and 6-over (78) to finish 10-over (154) for the week.

Taylor DeBoer tied for 56th individually with rounds of 77 and 85. Madison Roether and teammate Katie Brungardt tied for 61st. Roether shot rounds of 81 and 82, while Brungardt carded rounds of 77 and 86. Kelsey McCarthy shot 79 and 87.

Oklahoma Christian won the tournament, shooting 12-over (594) as a team, shattering the tournament record which was previously held by Northeastern State in 2011 (597). Southwestern Oklahoma State finished second after shooting 604 as a team. Fellow MIAA program Central Oklahoma finished third with a total score of 607. Gloria Choi of Southwestern Oklahoma State was the individual champion at 1-under par (143).

The Tigers are back in action next week as they will compete in the Mesa Invitational (Sept. 17-18) in Grand Junction, Colo. hosted at the Tiara Rado Golf Course.