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From the first whistle to the final play of the game, the Gorillas were in full control of the Blue Tigers of Lincoln University last Saturday.
It was homecoming weekend for Pittsburg State, and the football team did not disappoint. The Gorillas took on Lincoln University and were victorious by a score of 59-7.
The first quarter wasn’t exactly a ‘barn burner’ as the Gorillas came out of the gates and put up a 21-0 lead after the first 15 minutes of play.
“Happy with how the guys came out,” said head coach Brian Wright. “That can be tough, coming back off the road like we did at Northwest and getting everybody going again and working that week, but our guys did a great job of that.”
The second quarter was much of the same, with the Gorillas outscoring the Blue Tigers 10-7, putting their halftime lead up to 31-7.
Second half was much of the same, dominance on both sides of the ball for the Gorillas. Throughout the second half, Pitt State didn’t allow a single point to go on the board for Lincoln.
A 14-point third and fourth quarter for the Gorillas was the icing on the cake for homecoming weekend and proved that the Gorillas have a lot of talent that can stack up with anybody in the conference.
Whomever is the opponent for the Gorillas, the mentality is always to go into the week with a 0-0 record and hope to come out 1-0 because everybody knows the MIAA has no off weeks.
“You’ve got to get your team focused again on playing an opponent that hasn’t won a game yet, and we’re trying to be the best that we can be,” Wright said. “We talk about it all the time, regardless of who the opponent is, Pitt State has to get as good as Pitt State can get.”
The Gorillas were led by numerous players this week, with almost everybody getting some playing time. Quarterback Mak Sexton finished with 178 total yards and two touchdowns, Caleb Lewis led the team in rushing with 82 yards, and Elijah Harris led the team in receiving with 96 yards and two touchdowns.
The Gorillas still have time to make the postseason, while the MIAA standings are getting very close. Pitt State currently sits in third place with only the University of Nebraska Kearney and Northwest Missouri State standing in front of them.
Focusing on themselves is what teams must do this time of year in hopes to make the postseason, and Pitt State can see that the opportunity is there if they finish the season well.
“We talk about all the time as a team, you make a mistake, move on,” said senior defensive lineman Zeke Wall. “Everything we do is just focused on moving forward.”
Pitt State will play at Missouri Western University on Saturday, Oct. 23 before returning home against the Bronchos of University of Central Oklahoma on Oct. 30.
Students can receive their free ticket with their student ID at the PSU Ticket Office.