Reddies roll Bison with ground game
ARKADELPHIA — Henderson State’s offense got it done on the ground on Saturday afternoon as the Reddies rushed for 383 yards and rolled over Oklahoma Baptist, 56-21, at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium and Ruggles Field.
The Reddies’ (3-3) got huge efforts from running backs Querale Hall and Logan Moragne. Hall carried 15 times for 173 yards and two touchdowns, while Moragne had 15 rushes for
167 yards and a score.
Saturday marked the first time since 2011 Henderson had two players both rush for more than 100 yards in the same game. Henderson’s
383 rushing yards is the most in a single game for the Reddies since 2004, the most in the Scott Maxfield era, and the first time since 2015 the Reddies rushed for 300 yards or more.
After the first quarter netted a 7-7 score, the Reddies broke the game wide open in the second, when they outscored the Bison 28-0. Defensive end Robert Thomas moonlighted as a fullback on a one-yard punch in to begin the quarter, then a three-and-out forced by the defense led to an eight-play, 54-yard scoring drive, capped by a three-yard rushing score for Hall to make it 21-7.
On the first play of the ensuing drive, defensive lineman Zach Singleton tipped and picked off a pass from Haire to give Henderson the ball back. The Reddies immediately took advantage on a 19-yard strike from Richard Stammetti to John Murray. Murray’s fourth touchdown catch of the year gave Henderson a quick 28-7 advantage.
A turnover on downs by the Bison on their next possession led to Henderson’s sec-
ond-straight one-play touchdown drive. Moragne took a first down carry 58 yards for six to make it 35-7 at the half.
The Bison got a touchdown to start the third quarter, but the Reddies wiped away any chance of a comeback with a 63-yard touchdown run from Hall and a 38-yard score from Stammetti to Chase Lodree. Doug Johnson scored Henderson’s final touchdown on a six-yard, toetap catch in the fourth quarter.
The Reddies’ defense did their part on Saturday. Henderson forced a season-high four turnovers and held Oklahoma Baptist to just 87 rushing yards in the game. Shane Sanders had two interceptions in the first quarter for Henderson, the first of which he returned 30 yards for the opening score. Mercardo Anderson had two tackles for loss and Sheppard Jones recovered a fumble that was forced by D.Q. Scott.
Henderson’s offense put up 599 total yards in the win — the most since 2016, when the Reddies had 785 yards, also on Oklahoma Baptist.
The next game for Henderson is on Saturday when the Reddies travel to Ada, Oklahoma, to face East Central at 3 p.m.