By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Fresh off its first MIAA win of the season last week in a 37-17 decision over Central Missouri last weekend, Washburn football team will host Fort Hays State at 1 p.m. Saturday in Yager Stadium as part of WU's Homecoming Week.
First-year Washburn coach Zach Watkins picked up his first MIAA win as a head coach last week in the Ichabods' 37-17 win over Central Missouri. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn is now 2-5 overall and 1-4 in the MIAA after snapping a four-game losing streak while the Tigers are 4-4 and 3-3 in the MIAA after suffering a 52-3 loss at No. 19 Northwest Missouri last Saturday.
"We keep talking about the fact that we have a very good process that we're implementing and we're running the program in the right way, but you have to see some tangible evidence that are wins to really back that up,'' Washburn coach Zach Watkins said. "Even without the wins for the last few weeks the players and coaches knew we were doing it the right way and kept working, but when you get a win it does validate it and it does give you some positivity that, 'Hey, we are on the right track.' ''
Ichabod sophomore linebacker JC Heim, a former Washburn Rural star, leads the nation in tackles per game with 13.6 stops per contest and junior L.J. Minner Jr. is third in the MIAA with 9.6 tackles per game, ranking 19th in NCAA D-II.
Senior safety Jordan Finnesy, who had two interceptions and a fumble recovery in the win over UCM, has 239 career tackles to rank 16th on the NCAA D-II active chart and he is also 16th on the active solo tackles chart with 146.
Senior Jake Zeller is fifth on the D-II active punting average chart at 41.9 yards per punt and he is seventh in total punting yards (6,196). Zeller is second in the MIAA and ninth in the national rankings in punting average this fall at 43.0 yards and is second on the Ichabod all-time punting average chart at 41.9 and ninth in total yards at 6,196.
Junior Chase Allen-Jackman's seven touchdown receptions lead the MIAA and rank 12th in the nation.
The Ichabod defense is 11th in turnovers gained in the national rankings and second in the MIAA and the Ichabods lead the MIAA in turnover margin and rank 14th in the nation.
The eight turnovers forced by the Ichabods last weekend against Central Missouri was a school record, as were the six interceptions, tying the six pickoffs recorded at Missouri Southern on Oct. 8, 2016.
Making his first career start, redshirt freshman Logan Madden completed 20 of 31 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns against Central Missouri while adding 14 rushing yards and a TD.
Former Topeka High star Ky Thomas posted 87 rushing yards and 33 receiving yards with two total touchdowns, and Allen-Jackman caught seven passes for 73 yards and a TD.
Fort Hays State head coach Chris Brown was an assistant at Washburn as the defensive coordinator for nine years while another former Ichabod coach on the Tiger staff, defensive coordinator Cooper Harris, was at Washburn from 2002-11, serving as linebackers coach and one season as the defensive coordinator before joining Brown in Hays.
Brown is in his 14th season as head coach at Fort Hays State, leading the Tigers to an MIAA Championship in 2017 and a co-championship in 2018 as well as their first NCAA postseason games since 1995.
Watkins has a great deal of respect for both Brown and Harris.
"Coach Brown was my D-Coordinator the whole time I played, coach Harris was my linebacker coach the whole time I played and then coach Brown hired me at Fort Hays for my first full-time coaching job,'' Watkins said. "I coached with him and coach Harris out there for three years after playing under them.
"So this week is not about me of course, but it's a special week to play your mentors in the head coaching role for the first time. We have the utmost respect for everybody we play, but especially guys you know on a personal level like those guys.''
The Ichabods lead the all-time series 46-29-3 in 78 all-time meetings.
The Tigers are led by quarterback Caleb Heavner, who leads the team in passing yards and rushing yards. He has thrown for 1,321 yards and rushed for 310, averaging 203 yards of total offense per game, which is seventh in the MIAA.
FHSU has four running backs with more than 150 rushing yards and five receivers with over 150 receiving yards. Ryan Allen leads the team with 24 catches for 245 yards.
John Johnson leads the Tigers in tackles with 83 (48 solo), adding seven tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks with two forced fumbles.
In last year's game with Fort Hays State, the Ichabods scored the first seven points of the game, but were outscored 38-0 the rest of the way in a 38-7 loss in Hays.
The Ichabods are on the road next week at Missouri Western for a 2 p.m game in St. Joseph before returning home for Senior Day as the Ichabods will wrap up their home slate with Emporia State at 1 p.m. on Nov. 8. The Ichabods will end the season on the road at Missouri Southern on Nov. 15 in Joplin.
