Tingxuan Lu
Junior quarterback, Braxton Marstall, dives for a touchdown but falls a yard short during the homecoming game last Saturday at Welch Stadium. The Hornets made the touchdown during the next play and won 30-27.
The Hornets made a comeback during the homecoming game this Saturday, recovering from a 10-point deficit in the third quarter to regroup and defeat Missouri Western, ranked No. 9 in MIAA, 30-27.
“It felt good to get a win at home,” said Landon Nault, redshirt junior running back. “It was a good team win. Both sides of the ball played really well and I think we just fed off of each other to push through and come out on top.”
The Hornets started strong, scoring the first touchdown on a short run from one yard out. Nault ran into the end zone for the first points on the scoreboard just two minutes into the game.
The Griffins responded, putting points on the board with 4:55 left in the first quarter. Missouri Western scored on a 43 yard field goal from Tyler Basch, making the score 7-3.
Another short run from Derek Gray from six yards allowed the Griffins to take the lead at the conclusion of the first quarter with a score of 7-10.
With few points scored in the second quarter, senior kicker Austin Morton took a 36-yard field goal mid-quarter, scoring for the Hornets and leveling the score, 10-10.
Missouri Western responded at the end of the quarter with a four-play conversion into a touchdown on a short run by Dom Marino just two yards from the end zone, advancing the Griffins’ lead 17-10.
The Griffins pulled away at the start of the third quarter with a 39 yard field goal from Tyler Basch. This raised the score 10-20, the largest lead that Missouri Western would have over the Hornets.
With a long pass of 31 yards, junior quarterback Braxton Marstall found Denzel Strong, junior slotback, in the end zone for a touchdown. This was the turnaround point for the Hornets at the end of the third quarter.
Emporia State took the lead at the start of the fourth quarter when Nault made another two-yard run for a Hornet touchdown, the score 23-20.
The Griffins answered with a two-yard touchdown of their own, carried out by Dom Marino.
The score was now in favor of Missouri Western as they were up by three.
With one minute left in the game, the Hornets pulled off a final touchdown pass from Marstall to Justin Brown, junior wide receiver, for the victory.
“That was a great win. Our players battled, they competed,” said Garin Higgins, head football coach. “Not everything went our way, not all the time. Not everything has gone our way all year. It just goes to show what I have said all along about this group, they come to work everyday.”
The Hornet football team will host Washburn University this Saturday at home. They will kickoff their final regular season game at 2 p.m.