Henderson State shows no mercy

HENDERSON STATE 76, SOUTHERN NAZARENE 7

ARKADELPHIA — Henderson State resembled a team nationally ranked in NCAA Division II. Southern (Okla.) Nazarene resembled one winless in almost three years.

Junior quarterback Dallas Hardison completed 10 of 13 passes for 166 yards and 3 first-half touchdowns in Henderson’s 76-7 Great American Conference victory over outmanned Southern Nazarene before an announced crowd of 2,276 on an overcast Saturday afternoon at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium.

The Reddies (8-1, 8-1 GAC), scored touchdowns on all eight first-half possessions to lead 63-0 at halftime and maintained sole possession of the conference lead with their seventh consecutive victory.

Henderson is ranked No. 11 in NCAA Division II in the American Football Coaches Association Top 25 poll.

More important, the Reddies protected a No. 4 ranking in Super Region 3, a computer-generated rating used to seed teams to the national playoffs. The top seven teams in each of the four regions advance to postseason.

Southern Nazarene (0-9, 0-9) offered no resistance in the first half and tumbled to its 31st consecutive loss.

“We talked this week about trying to get better as a team, come out with a lot of intensity and a sense of urgency,” said Henderson Coach Scott Maxfield, who began substituting liberally in the second quarter. “That was our thought for the week — a sense of urgency, not take anything for granted or relax and come out and play hard from the beginning. I was proud of the way the team did that.”

Henderson led 21-0 after the first quarter and finished the first half with 408 total yards and 19 first downs on 47 plays. Southern Nazarene was limited to 31 total yards and 1 first down on 28 plays.

Henderson’s scoring drives covered 56, 65, 75, 49, 47, 27, 20 and 49 yards. Freshman linebacker Cameron Sonnier also returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown, and a 49-0 lead, with 6:08 remaining in the first half.

The Reddies intercepted two other passes, pushing their season total to 22 (they entered leading NCAA Division II).

Tailback Ryan McDonald ran for three first-half touchdowns (5, 2 and 2 yards).

Quarterback Andrew Black ran 7 yards for a first-quarter touchdown, and tailback Calen Peters scored the final first-half touchdown on a 7-yard run with 29 seconds remaining.

In the third, Black threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ben Johnson, and Houston Ray had field goals of 36 and 31 yards in the fourth.