ECU racks up 509 yards but can’t rally past Henderson State

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ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — The East Central University football team piled up over 500 yards of total offense but couldn’t dig itself out of a three-touchdown deficit in a 45-35 loss to Henderson State Saturday afternoon in a Great American Conference matchup at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium.

The Tigers fell to 6-4 on the year, while Henderson State improved to 7-3. East Central wraps up the regular season at noon Saturday against longtime rival Southeastern Oklahoma State at Paul Laird Field in Durant. The Savage Storm dropped a 16-14 decision to Southern Arkansas over the weekend.

Henderson State 45, ECU 35

Trailing 28-7 midway through the third quarter, the Tigers began to claw back. Quarterback Sergio Kennedy broke free for an electric 54-yard touchdown run with 6:53 left in the period to pull ECU within 28-14.

However, the Reddies answered immediately when Taylin Paskel returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown to make it 35-14.

ECU responded late in the third quarter with a bit of trickery. Head coach John Litrenta reached into his bag of tricks, and Xavier Gordon executed a jet-sweep pass to Darwin Parker for a 42-yard touchdown that cut the deficit to 35-21 heading into the fourth quarter.

Kennedy later capped a nine-play, 65-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to bring the Tigers within 38-28. But Henderson State extended its lead when quarterback Andrew Edwards ran 16 yards for a score with 7:47 to play.

Kennedy connected with Brooks Rigney on an 83-yard touchdown pass with 3:49 remaining to make it 45-35. ECU forced a turnover on downs on the next possession but saw its comeback hopes end when De’Vonta Roberts intercepted a pass to seal the win for the Reddies.

Henderson State scored on all six of its red-zone trips and converted 3-of-4 fourth-down attempts.

Kennedy led the ECU offense, completing 22-of-35 passes for 283 yards while also pacing the rushing attack with 79 yards and a score on 10 carries. Quincy Thompson added 70 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.

Rigney finished with three receptions for 103 yards, and Parker added two catches for 47 yards.

Defensively, Keebler Wagoner recorded a team-high 11 tackles, while Treveon Tutt added nine. Michael Onwuzurike was disruptive in the backfield with two sacks, two tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry.

Edwards turned in an efficient day for the Reddies, completing 19-of-23 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 50 yards and two more scores. Cayden Davis led the receiving corps with four catches for 48 yards and a touchdown.

Cayden Davis led the Reddies in receiving, hauling in four catches for 48 yards and a touchdown.

Note: East Central Coordinator of Athletic Operations and Outreach Sydney Dungen contributed to this report.

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