The last game against Pittsburg State is one the Hornets would like to forget. But the last time they played in Emporia is one the ESU upperclassmen will never forget.
In 2006, the Gorillas and Hornets played to overtime and then continued to trade scores. In the third OT, with both teams forced to go for the two-point conversion, Pittsburg State scored first and then failed to convert its two-point conversion. After Emporia State scored a touchdown, Sean Partridge caught a low pass in the back of the end zone, scooping the ball in on his knees for the win. But then the official positioned behind Partridge called the pass incomplete.
“I remember definitely catching that two-point conversion,” Partridge said. “They thought I trapped it, but it was only because the ref was behind me. That was the only thing I didn’t understand. He didn’t have as good a view.”
The Gorillas would go on to win 59-57 in four overtimes. The ESU juniors and seniors will have that game in the back of their minds when they enter Saturday’s senior day at Welch Stadium.
“We’re going into this game, everybody doesn’t think we have a chance, but they said the same thing that year too,” junior linebacker Katrel Larkins said. “We came out hard, hit them in the mouth and we just came up a little short. That’s what we’ve got to do this year, just hit them a little harder.”
While 2006 was memorable, the 2007 game was the culmination of a bad run for the Hornets. Emporia State lost its final eight games, ending the season at Pitt State with a 62-0 loss.
“Coach talks about that all the time, not kind of dwelling on it, but we have to kind of remember how last year’s game went,” quarterback Andre Sloan El said. “We know that result is not going to happen. We just have to come out and be ready to play and try to get this W.”
The Hornets are coming off their worst result of this season, a 56-7 loss to MIAA leader Northwest Missouri. They will try to rebound against the second-best team in the conference.
“We’re playing a great football team,” coach Garin Higgins said. “They are every bit as good as Northwest Missouri. I just want to see how we respond from last week. ... We didn’t quit last week. We just made mistakes and got beat by a very good football team and really kind of found out that we have a long ways to go.”
The ESU seniors will play their final game in front of both of their head coaches they’ve had the past four years. Dave Wiemers will make his first trip back to Welch Stadium since leaving after the 2006 season. Wiemers was hired before this season as the Gorillas’ defensive coordinator and his return will add extra motivation on senior day.
“Coach Wiemers came to my high school and recruited me,” Partridge said. “It’s one of those things where I have no hard feelings against him. He had to do what he had to do (with) everything that went on. I kind of want to show him what he recruited.
“I know he’ll probably have them watching out for me and telling them a couple things about me. I just want to go out there and have a good game against my old coach.”
cyberspace (anonymous) says...
Rebound against the Gorillas? What are you smoking? Yeah, and monkeys will fly out of my b---!
November 8, 2008 at 6:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )