By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
In a season full of big plays for Washburn University football, Tre Richardson came through with one of the biggest on Saturday in Tahlequah, Okla., helping the Ichabods end their 2024 season with a 35-28 win over Northeastern State.
Former Highland Park star Tre Richardson caught the game-winning TD pass in Saturday's 35-28 Washburn win over Northeastern State. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn, which capped a 3-8 season, scored the tiebreaking touchdown with 48 seconds to play as Richardson pulled down a 3rd-and-10 pass from Sam Van Dyne in the back corner of the end zone for the game-winner, capping an 11-play, 75-yard drive that took 4:05 off the clock.
"Tre Richardson, getting the ball in his hands makes great things happen as everybody knows,'' Washburn coach Craig Schurig told KTPK Radio after the game. "We listen to our players and Tre said he felt like he could get them on a corner route and that's what it was. (Sam) put it on the money and it connected so we didn't have to rely on a fourth-down play and it felt good.''
After Richardson's TD (Trenton Brehm kick) Northeastern State (2-9) drove down to the Ichabod 28-yard-line, but the RiverHawks' final pass into the end zone was picked off by DeAndre Washington, giving the Ichabods their 12th straight win over Northeastern State.
The Ichabods took their first lead of the game at the 9:54 mark of the first quarter when Jaquez White picked off a Dereus Dortch pass and returned it 30 yards for the touchdown on his first interception of the season.
The RiverHawks came right back with a 75-yard drive of their own to tie the score with 5:34 to play.
Neither team would score the rest of the quarter and Washburn returned to the scoreboard with 8:01 to play in the opening half when Lucas Oitker had a 2-yard run up the middle, putting Washburn up 14-7.
The RiverHawks came right back and tied the score at 14-14 after a 3:02 drive but on the RiverHawks' kickoff, Richardson returned the ball 84 yards to the NSU 11-yard-line and then Tyler Bowden scampered 11 yards on the one-play touchdown drive, breaking the deadlock and putting Washburn up 21-14 at halftime.
Washburn went up 28-14 on a Keller Hurla 53-yard touchdown run on a 3rd-and-1 play, finishing off a three-play drive with 1:42 to go in the third quarter.
Northeastern State then went on a 12-play, 75-yard drive to cut the lead to 28-21 and after an Ichabod three-and-out, the RiverHawks tied the score with a 52-yard drive, knotting the game at 28.
Washburn then went ahead for good on the Van Dyne to Richardson connection and Washington's pick ended the game with the win for Washburn.
"Your knew it was going to come down to the end and this time the last play went our way and our guys did a nice job defending it,'' Schurig said. "We got enough done at the end. We made the final play so that felt good to flip some of those. We've had a lot go the other way this year.''
Bowden rushed for 83 yards and a score on 16 carries and Van Dyne was 12 of 18 with the touchdown pass.
Richardson, a former Highland Park multi-sport star, finished with five catches for 52 yards and had a total of 166 all-purpose yards in the game.
The MIAA's leader in tackles, L.J. Minner Jr. had 14 stops to lead the team and Mason Capper added 10 tackles.
Washburn was outgained 382 to 324 in the game.
