HAYS - The Fort Hays State football team blew a 12-point lead with six minutes to play and lost to Emporia State 15-12 Saturday afternoon at Lewis Field. The Tigers (4-5) held the lead for nearly 43 minutes but gave up touchdowns on the Hornets (5-4) final two possessions.
The Tigers led 3-0 at halftime on a Parker Janky 25-yard field goal early in the second quarter.
After seven consecutive possessions by each team that failed to cross mid-field, the Tigers were finally able to move the ball into the Hornets side of the field but had to settle for a 21-yard Janky field goal with 20-second to play in the third.
FHSU went 81 yards in 15 plays and ate almost seven and-a-half minutes off the clock on their first fourth quarter possession. Adrian Soto took a pitch from Chance Fuller and scored on a seven-yard run to push the lead to 12-0 with 6:20 to play. Soto was kept short of the goal line on the two-point conversion.
ESU answered with a 75-yard s scoring drive capped off by a Canaan Brooks 23-yard touchdown run up the middle with 3:53 to play.
The Tigers gained only four yards and went three-and-out on the next possession which ended with a 25-yard punt.
Starting at their own 46 yard line, the Hornets took advantage of a roughing the passer and pass interference penalties to move the ball inside the FHSU 10. Brooks then caught a pass in the left flat, broke out of a tackle then raced across the field beating everyone to the endzone. The two point conversion pushed the lead to three.
The Tigers moved the ball to the ESU 40, but a tipped pass on fourth and four sealed the win for the Hornets.
Adrian Soto had another big day for the Tigers with 94 rushing and 38 receiving yards and 201 all-purpose yards. Keylan Chapman rushed for 79 yards. Chance Fuller finished with 148 passing yards, completing 13-of-28 attempts. Myles Menges led the Tiger defense with 12 tackles, followed by Tyler Cummings with 11 and John Johnson 10. Jordan Starks had his second interception in the endzone late in the second quarter to keep the Hornets scoreless in the first half.
Emporia State's Braden Gleason threw for 170 yards, completing 27-of-41 attempts. Corey Thomas was his top receiver with seven catches for 60 yards. Cade Harelson and Dawson Hammes led the Hornets with 12 tackles each, while Gee Stanley had 10.
Fort Hays State will return to action next Saturday at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Kickoff is set for 1 pm.