Sports – Page 735 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Kansas coaching legends celebrate 60 Years of Allen Fieldhouse

Posted on October 28, 2014

Four coaches have called the storied limestone basketball monument home over the last 50 years. Monday night, legendary Kansas leaders Ted Owens, Larry Brown, Roy Williams and current head coach Bill Self celebrated the 60th anniversary of Jayhawk basketball in Allen Fieldhouse during an evening unlike any other.

The renowned foursome, who combined have guided the Jayhawks since 1964, enjoyed a night of reliving their favorite Allen Fieldhouse memories. Kansas Athletics and Self’s Assists Foundation teamed up to provide the one of a kind evening, the proceeds of which are benefitting charities designated by each of the four coaches. The fans showed their support in a big way as the tables on the floor sold out and a total of 7,500 were in attendance.

“It’s a great way to pay homage to this building on this is a very unique night,” Self said. “This really came about when we were talking about how to raise money for our foundation. Cindy (Self) and I do big fundraisers every year and when we came up with the idea for this – coincidentally the 60th year tied into it. It’s been very well-received, the coaches jumped on board immediately and, of course, our fans have been unbelievable.”

ESPN analyst and college basketball aficionado, Jay Bilas, served as the evening’s master of ceremonies. Prior to his introduction, the video board played a long tribute to not only men’s basketball highlights, but iconic memories, as well. The crowd lit up when Lynette Woodard flashed across the screen, when Bob Dole and Bill Clinton made a joint appearance in 2004, when Bobby Kennedy spoke in the Fieldhouse in 1968 and when Jim Ryun set a world record on the indoor track in 1967. The coaches, sport and building of which the evening the revolved around, however, got the loudest ovation as Bilas took the stage to begin the program.

“If you love basketball; if you love and respect the history of the game, every road leads back to Lawrence, Kansas,” Bilas said. “This magnificent building cannot be captured in words. This building has a soul. It’s a cathedral of college basketball. It is the ultimate bucket list place for every player, every coach, every fan, every official – everyone.”

Bilas turned over the mic to Gary Padgett, who played in the first-ever game in Allen Fieldhouse, and addressed the crowd with a few memories of his own. He also started the line of unique introductions for each coach that began with an individual video montage before a former player from their time at Kansas came up to welcome their coach to the podium.

All-American Bud Stallworth introduced Owens, 1988 national champion Chris Piper called up Brown and Scot Pollard had the honor of bringing Williams to the Allen Fieldhouse floor for the first time since 2003. KU’s current coach was the last to speak and Academic All-American Tyrel Reed preceded Self to the stage. Each coach took their turn on stage in the order of their stints at Kansas.

Owens spent 19 seasons leading the Jayhawks, the second-longest tenure of the program’s eight head coaches. A five-time Big Eight Coach of the Year, Owens’ 348 victories rank third all-time behind Allen and Williams. In Owens’ tenancy, Kansas won six Big Eight titles and advanced to NCAA Tournament play seven times, including Final Four appearances in 1971 and 1974. In his time on the stage, he was gracious for his tenure at Kansas and thanked the fans for helping him live his dream.

“I never dreamed that I would get to coach the game that I love to some incredibly wonderful young men in the greatest building there is,” Owens said. “Back then, Floyd Temple would be hitting in one corner and we had to stop Bob Timmons from shooting the gun off on the track – so it wasn’t a particularly good practice facility – but it was something special on game night.”

A 40-year coaching veteran, Brown went 71-5 in Allen Fieldhouse and led the Jayhawks to the NCAA Tournament in each of his five years. Named the Big Eight Coach of the Year in 1986, Brown and the Jayhawks went 35-4 that season on their way to the NCAA Final Four. Brown capped his career at Kansas with the 1988 NCAA National Championship and followed that with 23 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In 2004, he led the Detroit Pistons to the NBA Championship, making him the only coach in history to win a title at both the NCAA and NBA levels. When he began his speech, he joked about the many, many places he’s been in his career, but he quickly switched to sentiments about his time in Lawrence.

“I left in 1988 and had the greatest five years here with the opportunity to be around people who love this game and respect this game,” Brown said. “Cherish your time here where you can watch the game played the right way, right here. Nobody else does it better than this.”

A long-awaited return to Lawrence came next. The last time Williams stepped on the Allen Fieldhouse floor was his KU team’s last practice before the Final Four in 2003. Williams is the second-winningest coach in Kansas history, behind the building’s namesake – Dr. Forrest “Phog” Allen. During Williams’ 15 years leading the Jayhawks or at the helm of the Jayhawks, Kansas made four trips to the NCAA Final Four and totaled a 418-101 record. He guided KU to nine conference titles and his 2002 team is the only in Big 12 Conference history to go 16-0. Though the altered setup in the Fieldhouse, to accommodate the night’s festivities, kept the capacity from its normal volume, the cheers from the crowd sounded like a full house. Williams walked to the stage to one of multiple standing ovations.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be here,” said Williams, who paused several times due to continued applause. “I know that it’s not about me, it’s about this building. Bill (Self), I appreciate the way you’ve handled this and invited me back. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. On game night, there’s nothing like it. The only thing that I think would be better than coming through that tunnel as a coach is coming through it as a player. There is no better home court advantage than this.”

The current leader of the Jayhawks with 10-straight Big 12 regular-season titles to his credit, Self concluded the speeches. He thanked the staff that put the evening together, the architects and, of course, the family of Phog Allen in attendance. He honored the reason behind the building and the coaches that joined him onstage.

“This is very humbling for me, to be part of something so much bigger than myself and to be the caretaker of something so precious,” Self said. “There is no place and no fans that love their players the way they do in Lawrence, Kansas.”

The three-hour event concluded with a round-table discussion. Bilas moderated a light-hearted joint conversation between the four coaches before thanking the fans and bidding them goodnight.

— KU Sports Information —

Kansas State’s Barnett named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week

Posted on October 27, 2014

Following a seven-tackle contest in which he batted away four Texas passes, Kansas State junior defensive back Dante Barnett was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday.

It was Barnett’s first career honor and the fourth this season for the Wildcats as Jake Waters earned the offensive honor following the Iowa State game, Dakorey Johnson was the defensive player of the week after the Auburn game and Tyler Lockett earned the special teams honors following the UTEP game.

The accolade was also Kansas State’s Big 12-leading 28th weekly conference honor since the beginning of 2011.

A product of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Barnett led the Wildcat defense to a shutout of Texas in a 23-0 victory on Saturday. It was the first home conference shutout for a K-State team since 1999 and marked the first time in 10 seasons that a Texas team had been held scoreless. His four passes defended are tied for the eighth most nationally in a game this season and the most by a Wildcat since 2003. Barnett has six passes broken up in 2014, just one away from tying his high for a season.

No. 11 Kansas State hosts Oklahoma State this Saturday in a 7 p.m., contest at Bill Snyder Family Stadium this Saturday.

— KSU Sports Information —

MIAA hands out weekly football honors

Posted on October 27, 2014October 27, 2014

Emporia State’s Deveon Dinwiddie has been named the MIAA Football Defensive Athlete of the Week with his teammate Austin Morton being named Special Teams Athlete of the Week. Chas Stallard of Central Oklahoma has been named the Offensive Athlete of the Week for the second time.

MIAA Offensive Athlete of the Week
Chas Stallard, QB, Central Oklahoma

Stallard rushed for 158 yards — believed to be a school-record for a quarterback — and one touchdown on just 14 carries while hitting 11-of-19 passes for 112 yards and one score in UCO’s 35-26 win over Washburn. The redshirt freshman had a pair of 15-yard runs in a 90-yard TD drive that gave UCO the lead for good at 14-10 in the first quarter, rushed three times for 34 yards in a 74-yard drive that made it 21-13, had a 32-yard carry and then a seven-yard TD pass in the 4th quarter to give UCO a 28-19 lead and then clinched the win with a 60-yard scoring dash with 3:40 left. The 6-0 redshirt freshman quarterback is a native of Cleveland, Okla. where he competed at Cleveland High School.

MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week
Deveon Dinwiddie, DB, Emporia State

Deveon Dinwiddie had six unassisted tackles, an interception and two pass break ups in the Hornets 30-10 win at Missouri Western. He had a pass break up in the endzone to start the second quarter and keep the game scoreless. His interception came at the ESU 40 and he returned it to the MWSU 32 with 27 seconds left in the second quarter and set up a field goal that gave the Hornets a 10-3 lead as time expired in the first half. Early in the third quarter he made the tackle on a fake punt for a loss of four back to the MWSU 12 yard line that would lead to an ESU touchdown and 17-3 lead. The 5-9 senior defensive back is a native of Hutchinson, Kan. where he competed at Hutchinson High School prior to playing at North Dakota State.

MIAA Special Teams Athlete of the Week
Austin Morton, K, Emporia State

Morton had a career high of three made field goals including a career best 42 yarder and was perfect on PAT in the Hornets 30-10 win at Missouri Western. His first field goal came as time expired in the first half and gave Emporia State a 10-3 lead. He hit a career long 42 yarder to give the Hornets a 20-10 lead after the Griffons had cut their deficit to seven points. The 5-9 redshirt freshman kicker is a native of Rockwall, Texas where he competed at Rockwall High School.

— MIAA Press Release —

Giants, Royals ready for wild World Series finish

Posted on October 27, 2014October 27, 2014

ANTONIO GONZALEZ, AP Sports Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Buster Posey was annoyed. Playfully so. The Giants catcher wanted Madison Bumgarner to do more than barely break a smile after a brilliant pitching performance put San Francisco one win from another World Series title.

No way, Buster.

Because in this postseason full of stars and surprises, who knows? Heck, Bumgarner might still have more work to do.

Baseball took its final break Monday before the Giants and Royals settle things. Holding a 3-2 edge, San Francisco will try to claim its third championship in five years Tuesday night when the wild-card matchup resumes at Kauffman Stadium.

The day off gave fans a chance to savor what they’d already seen in the past month, and there was plenty — the success of Bumgarner, Lorenzo Cain and Yusmeiro Petit, the struggles of Clayton Kershaw, Mike Trout and Detroit’s aces, a rack of tight games and one that went 18 innings.

“Clayton who? MadBum!” one man yelled as he exited AT&T Park after the Giants won 5-0 Sunday night.

Could be a lot more cooking in this October oven, too.

Maybe Ned Yost even had it right.

“Oh, man, somewhere inside of me, secretly I had hoped that it would go seven games for the excitement and the thrill of it,” the Kansas City manager said after a loss in Game 4. “Sure looks that way.”

Perhaps it’s only fitting this Fall Classic ends at Kauffman Stadium, a place hosting playoff baseball for the first time in 29 years. The Royals started this pulsating postseason at home with a 9-8 comeback win in 12 innings over Oakland in the AL wild-card game, a thriller that began on the last day of September and nearly stretched into October.

That captivating night in Kansas City set the stage for a month to remember: dramatic finishes, favorites falling and underdogs overachieving, stars slipping and new ones shining.

What happens next is anybody’s guess. After all, the last time Game 6 of the World Series came to Kansas City, one of the most surreal scenes in baseball history unfolded: first base umpire Don Denkinger’s botched call serving as the signature moment of the 1985 World Series won by the Royals over St. Louis.

“We know we can do it,” Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer said. “We’re a confident group. But we can’t do anything without winning Game 6. We’re excited to get back home where we feed off the fans and that energy.”

Veteran Jake Peavy starts for the Giants against rookie Yordano Ventura — not exactly the matchup many would’ve predicted in April.

But the majors’ most notable names during the regular season — Dodgers ace Kershaw and Angels slugger Trout — flamed out fast in the Division Series. A trio of Cy Young winners didn’t do enough for Detroit. Injuries slowed down former Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers and Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright.

Even playoff-proven starter Jon Lester looked lost under October’s bright lights for the one-and-done Athletics. Plus up-and-coming starter Stephen Strasburg showed he still has to polish his postseason poise for the Nationals.

Instead, these playoffs bred a new batch of baseball darlings: Cain and the running Royals, starter-turned-reliever Petit and a pair of blazing bullpens no longer overlooked in the World Series.

Of course, no star has burned brighter than a 25-year-old lefty from North Carolina, the one who peeved Posey with his tempered postgame reaction.

Bumgarner’s dominant performances in Game 1 and Game 5 — not to mention in every previous round of the playoffs — has put San Francisco one win away from another parade down Market Street, something Willie Mays, Barry Bonds and generations of Giants fans had dreamed of for so long.

Now it’s becoming an every-other-year tradition. And if the Giants don’t win Game 6, there’s always a chance Bumgarner could emerge from the bullpen to help out in Game 7.

“It’s not going to be easy at all,” Giants first baseman Brandon Belt said. “It matters that we know that, and I think everybody on this team knows that.”

Royals rookie Brandon Finnegan might understand the topsy-turvy nature of these playoffs better than anyone.

Only four months after he pitched in the College World Series, the 21-year-old reliever got two key outs in the seventh inning as Kansas City won Game 3. A night later, Finnegan failed to bridge the gap to the back end of the bullpen, allowing five runs in an 11-4 loss to San Francisco.

“Baseball can pick you up quickly,” Finnegan said, “and hit you in the gut quickly.”

Royals get blanked by Bumgarner; trail World Series 3-2

Posted on October 27, 2014

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — With every pitch, Madison Bumgarner etched his place among the World Series greats.

The long, tall lefty kept slinging away and put the San Francisco Giants just one win from yet another championship, throwing a four-hitter to beat the Kansas City Royals 5-0 Sunday night for a 3-2 Series edge.

Hardly menacing on the mound, Bumgarner was simply untouchable — again — as “MVP! MVP!” chants broke out in the late innings.

And by the time the 25-year-old from Hickory, North Carolina, closed out his second win in a week, he had evoked memories of Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax, Curt Schilling and the top October aces of all time.

Joined them, and maybe even passed them.

Who else has gone 4-0 in four World Series starts with an 0.29 ERA? Throw in only 12 hits in 31 innings, along with 27 strikeouts, and that adds up to the very definition of Big-Game Pitcher.

“He’s so fun to watch. He’s always fun to watch,” teammate Brandon Crawford said. “In the postseason, you could look at him and he looks like he’s just pitching in the middle of June, like it’s no big deal. He takes the pressure off of everybody else. We just feed off of him.”

On this evening, he fanned eight without a walk and never was in trouble, becoming the first pitcher to toss a World Series shutout since Josh Beckett’s clinching gem for the Florida Marlins in 2003 at Yankee Stadium.

The Giants’ work isn’t done yet. To lock up their third crown in five years, they’ll need to win in Kansas City.

Jake Peavy gets the first chance to seal it for San Francisco when he starts Game 6 at Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday night against rookie Yordano Ventura.

If the Giants don’t win then, there was always this possibility: Bumgarner out of the bullpen in Game 7.

Hunter Pence once again was in the middle of things for the Giants. He singled off James Shields in the second and scored on a groundout by Crawford, who finished with three RBIs.

Later, the enigmatic Pence accidentally threw his bat past the mound while striking out, and seemed to apologize to Shields. Pence added another hit in a three-run eighth, making him 9-for-19 in the five games.

Postseason star Pablo Sandoval also singled twice. Juan Perez broke it open with a two-run double off the top of the center-field fence in the eighth off Wade Davis and scored on a single by Crawford.

Since trailing 4-1 in Game 4, the Giants have responded with 15 straight runs. San Francisco won that game, putting aside concern that Bumgarner should’ve been moved up to pitch on short rest.

Bumgarner won for the fourth time in this postseason, and this blanking bookended the four-hit shutout he threw at Pittsburgh in the NL wild-card game. Durable, he’s thrown 47⅔ innings this October, trailing just Schilling’s 48⅓⅓ in 2001 for the most in a single postseason.

Given an early lead, Bumgarner was in control. He surely didn’t need much of a cushion, and looked even better than he did in winning the opener in Kansas City.

And on the rare occasion when the 6-foot-5 Bumgarner made a mistake, failing to cover first base on a grounder to the right side, his defense bailed him out.

Toward the late innings, it appeared that only a lightning strike could rescue the Royals, perhaps a home run out of nowhere. Not happening — this was the third straight game without either team hitting a homer, the longest streak in the World Series since 1948 when the Boston Braves and Cleveland began with a three-game drought, STATS said.

Exactly why the man nicknamed MadBum is so dominant isn’t easily apparent. Royals cleanup man Eric Hosmer said before the game that Bumgarner’s “cross-body” delivery is tough to pick up.

Bumgarner definitely has an impressive whip, along with an imposing WHIP in the World Series. His walks-plus-hits ratio per inning is incredible.

Bumgarner certainly excels at keeping hitters swinging at shadows by changing speeds. Kansas City batters chased balls that bounced as well as high ones out of the strike zone.

After Salvador Perez led off the second with a single — he homered in Game 1 for the lone run off Bumgarner — the slow-walking lefty who never seems to be in a hurry made quick work of the Royals.

Bumgarner struck out the next three batters, all swinging. He was at his best against pesky Omar Infante on three pitches: a 76 mph curve, a fastball at 91 and a slider at 86.

About the only thing Bumgarner didn’t do was get a hit. He takes pride in his plate prowess and launched four home runs this season, including two grand slams. Bumgarner went 0-for-4, leaving him hitless in 22 postseason at-bats.

Yep, he’s still got some work to do.

UP NEXT

Royals: Ventura will become the fourth rookie to start twice in a Series since 2000, joining John Lackey, Justin Verlander and Michael Wacha.

Giants: Peavy started in the World Series last year for the champion Boston Red Sox. He took the loss last week in Game 2, and is 1-4 with a 7.05 ERA in eight career postseason starts.

STATS

Of the 41 previous instances the World Series was tied at 2 in the best-of-seven format, the Game 5 winner has won the title 27 times.

— Associated Press —

Cardinals OF Taveras dies in car accident in DR

Posted on October 27, 2014October 27, 2014

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Authorities say St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras has died in a car accident in the Dominican Republic.

National police spokesman Jacobo Mateo Moquete confirmed Taveras’ death on his Twitter account. Taveras’ agent and the Cardinals’ representative in the Caribbean country also said Sunday that the outfielder had died.

The 22-year-old Taveras made his major league debut this year. The promising slugger hit .239 with three homers and 22 RBIs in 80 games.

Missouri Western soccer defeats Lindenwood in double OT

Posted on October 27, 2014

The Missouri Western women’s soccer team outlasted Lindenwood on Sunday at Spratt Stadium as they defeated Lindenwood in double overtime 2-1. The Griffons improve their record to 9-6-1 overall and 6-5-1 in conference.

In the first half, Lindenwood was able to get a quick strike in the ninth minute of the game with a goal coming from Becky Roberts just outside the box. She capitalized on a deflected ball to put her seventh goal of the season in the back of the net. The Griffons were held in check for the half only creating two shots on goal. Sydney Cluck and K.C. Ramsell each tallied one.

Missouri Western was able to create opportunities early in the second half with two Sydney Andrews’s free kicks. Andrews hit the crossbar on one shot and sent the other just wide of the goal. The Griffons found the back of the net in the 68th minute of the game when freshman Ashlyn Powers scored her first goal of the season and career.

In overtime, Sydney Andrew made the most of her free kick opportunity striking a laser from the 45 yard mark over the goalkeepers head. The goal was Andrews’s second of the year.

Sarah Lyle recorded two saves on the day to help the Griffons secure the victory.

The Griffons will play their final regular season home game against Northwest Missouri State this Friday 7:00 p.m.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Chiefs score 34 unanswered points in rout of Rams

Posted on October 27, 2014October 27, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jamaal Charles shredded the Rams on a pair of touchdown runs. Knile Davis returned a kickoff 99 yards for another score. The Chiefs sacked St. Louis quarterback Austin Davis seven times.

If there was a fourth phase to football, Kansas City probably would have dominated that, too.

After spotting their cross-state rivals the first touchdown, the Chiefs turned up the pressure in every way Sunday. The result was a 34-7 victory, their sixth straight in the series dating to Sept. 24, 1994, when the Rams were still based in Los Angeles.

“Any time you play good in all three facets, you’re going to win a lot of games,” said Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith, “and it felt like we did that.”

Charles, who last week became the Chiefs’ career rushing leader, powered over the left side of the line for a touchdown in the first quarter. He added a 36-yard score early in the fourth, dodging a defender at the line of scrimmage and then accelerating past the Rams’ defense.

Cairo Santos added a pair of field goals for Kansas City (4-3), including a career-best 53-yarder right before halftime. Smith was 24 of 28 for 226 yards, and Davis capped the string of 34 unanswered points with a short touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

By that point, the banged-up Rams (2-5) were just trying to survive.

“It’s disappointing,” said coach Jeff Fisher, whose team was coming off a victory over Seattle. “We had a great week, a short-lived bit of momentum, and we weren’t able to put it all together.”

Austin Davis finished 15 of 25 for 160 yards with a touchdown and an interception, three of his sacks coming at the hands of Justin Houston. It didn’t help that left tackle Jake Long, right guard Rodger Saffold and center Scott Wells sustained injuries during the game.

The Rams were also playing with an injury-depleted defensive backfield.

“You looked at the injuries they had today, they had three or four rookies starting for them on the defensive side,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “That’s tough.”

The Rams’ running back by committee proved to be a bust, too. Benny Cunningham, Zac Stacy and Tre Mason were bottled up all game, and St. Louis managed just 84 yards on 19 carries.

“They took some things away and when that happens you’ve got to find a way to get some momentum offensively,” Davis said, “and we weren’t able to do that. But my hat really goes off to them. They did a really good job and made a lot of good plays.”

The Rams jumped to a 7-0 lead on a pass from Davis to tight end Lance Kendricks on the opening series, but everything went the Chiefs’ way the rest of the game.

Special teams had a lot to do with it.

One week after the Rams used two long returns and an audacious punt fake to beat Seattle, they watched as Greg Zuerlein missed a 38-yard field goal in the second quarter to keep the game 7-7.

Santos hit his 53-yarder for a 10-7 lead right before halftime.

The Chiefs got the ball back to start the third quarter. Knile Davis fielded the kickoff on a bounce, veered to his right and picked up a key block from James-Michael Johnson before going the rest of the way for his second career TD return.

Davis, who also had a franchise-long 108-yard kickoff return touchdown as a rookie in 2013, is the fifth player in history with a kickoff-return touchdown of at least 99 yards in each of his first two NFL seasons.

Santos added his second field-goal and Charles punctuated a big day for the offense when he took a carry up the middle, left a defender grasping for air and outran the entire secondary for his second score of the game.

Davis added a 3-yard touchdown plunge in the final minutes as chants of “Let’s Go Royals” filled Arrowhead Stadium.

“We clearly got outplayed in the second half of this game in all three phases,” Fisher said. “It wasn’t a good effort and we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

— Associated Press —

Royals lose replay challenge, 1st in World Series

Posted on October 26, 2014

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost has lost the first instant replay challenge in the World Series under expanded rules this season.

In the sixth inning of Game 4 on Saturday night, San Francisco’s Joaquin Arias was ruled safe at second on a pickoff attempt by Royals catcher Salvador Perez.

Yost hustled out of the dugout to challenge the call, which was upheld after a replay review that took 1 minute, 47 seconds. Crew chief Jeff Kellogg, the second base umpire, signaled safe.

Fans in the sellout crowd chanted “Safe! Safe!” and signaled so.

Umpire Jerry Meals worked the replay booth in New York after serving as the plate umpire for Game 1.

Arias wound up being thrown out at the plate trying to score the go-ahead run later in the inning.

The Series is tied at two games apiece after the San Francisco Giants turned an early 4-1 deficit into an 11-4 pounding of the

Kansas City Royals. Pablo Sandoval singled home a pair to snap a 4-4 tie and spark a three-run sixth. Joe Panik added a two-run

double while the Giants scored four times in the seventh to go ahead 11-4.

Griffons fall at home to Emporia State 30-10

Posted on October 25, 2014

The Emporia State football team capitalized on four turnovers and 11 Missouri Western penalties to stun the Griffons 30-10 on Homecoming at MWSU.

Missouri Western had its best offensive output of the season, outgaining the Hornets 509-335 but were hurt by 135 yards in penalties, three interceptions and a fumble. Two missed field goals also loomed large in the team’s second straight loss to Emporia State.

Skyler Windmiller completed 26 of his 51 passes for a career-high 339 yards and one touchdown. Stephon Weaver and Josh Walker became the second and third receivers to have 100 yard games in the last two weeks. Weaver finished with three catches for 114 yards and Walker had six receptions for 108. Raphael Spencer turned in another 100 yard performance, netting 108 yards on 23 carries.

Stephen Juergens led the defense with nine total tackles, followed by eight from Michael Jordan. Cody Lindsay finished with seven tackles, 2.5 for loss with 1.5 sacks.

The Griffons fall to 5-3 on the year and head to Maryville to take on Northwest Missouri State next saturday at 1:00 PM.

— MWSU Sports Information —