ADA, Okla. — After trailing through one quarter on Saturday, Henderson State scored 24 unanswered points and pitched a shutout defensively in the final 45 minutes, as the Reddies defeated East Central 31-10 to stretch their winning streak to three games.
Henderson (4-3) trailed 10-7 after the first quarter to the Tigers but took control in the second. After a 38-yard field goal from
Temo Martinez tied the game at 10-10 and the defense got a 3-and-out on ECU's next possession, the Reddies' offense kicked into gear and used a seven-play 62-yard drive, capped off by a 7-yard scoring strike from
Richard Stammetti to
Querale Hall, to put Henderson in front 17-10.
Another stand by the defense gave the Reddies the ball back at their own 15-yard line with just under seven minutes to go in the first half and once again, the offense came through with a big drive. This time, Henderson marched 85 yards in 10 plays and took 4:41 off the clock, as it was again Stammetti finding Hall from 24 yards out to give the Reddies a 24-10 cushion at the break.
Henderson extended its lead in the third quarter with another scoring drive. The Reddies used a 47-yard completion from Stammetti to
Zecharius Nash-Kelly to jump-start a six-play, 76-yard march, which was sealed by Hall for the third time, this one coming via a 2-yard plunge into the end zone, to take complete control of the game, 31-10.
The entire second half was a grind for the East Central offense, as the Reddies held the Tigers to just 87 second-half yards. 77 of those yards came on their final drive of the game, when they drove all the way down the field, but were turned away on three-straight plays inside the Reddies' 3-yard line.
Both running backs were again spectacular for Henderson, as
Logan Moragne carried 15 times for 134 yards and the Reddies' first score, while Hall had 80 rushing yards, 46 receiving yards, and three total touchdowns. Stammetti was an efficient 18-of-24 for 208 yards and two touchdowns with an interception, while his favorite target on the day,
Ben Johnson, caught eight passes for 103 yards.
Cameron Sonnier led the way defensively with seven tackles and two tackles for loss, while fellow linebacker
Cameron Schulz had two tackles for loss and a sack.
In the win, Henderson out-gained the Tigers 427-276 behind a balanced offensive attack which ran for 219 yards and passed for 208. The Reddies averaged 7.2 yards per play on the day.
The Reddies' return to Carpenter-Haygood Stadium and Ruggles Field next Saturday, Oct. 20, for Homecoming, when they take on Southeastern Oklahoma State at 2 p.m.
