The #18 Emporia State football team picked off the Bearcats six times and ended a 29-game losing streak to Northwest Missouri with a 33-13 victory at Bearcat Stadium in Maryville, Mo. on Thursday night. Jaaron Joseph started the scoring with a 73-yard interception return for a touchdown to make it 6-0 Hornets just two and a half minutes into the game. The Bearcats responded with a 75-yard drive that took 12 plays ending with a 4-yard Jay Harris touchdown run to take their only lead of the game at 7-6 with 6:10 to play in the first quarter.
Emporia State picked off Bearcat backup quarterback Chris Ruhnke four times in the game and scored in a two-play 68-yard drive that took just 37 seconds to lead 13-7 going into halftime. The teams sat through a 40-minute lightning delay in the second quarter. Northwest drove late in the second quarter to the Hornet red zone, but Montrell Wilson picked off backup quarterback Chris Ruhnke to end the period. Ruhnke played the majority of the game in place of Northwest starter Mike Hohensee who played just two drives before exiting the game with a knee injury.
E-State Stinger Back Tommy Zimmerman caught a 28-yard pass to lead 19-7 with just over nine minutes to play in the third and Tyler Kahmann caught his fifth score of the year with 70 seconds to play in the period. Billy Ross Jr. capped the Hornet scoring with a 30-yard scamper for a 33-7 lead. The Hornet win snapped an 18-game home winning streak for Northwest at Bearcat Stadium. ESU head coach Garin Higgins was emotional after seeing his seniors celebrate the win.
Emporia State goes to 2-0 on the season while moving to 1-0 in the MIAA. The Hornets return to action on Saturday next week at Northeastern State.
