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Tim Chik, sports reporter
Pitt State completed a perfect regular season with a 35-14 win over Fort Hays State.
To start off the game, the Gorillas won the coin toss and decided to defer, the Fort Hays Tigers’ scored first. They drove down the field and their drive was capped off by a 10-yard scramble by sophomore quarterback Jack Dawson to put the Tigers up 7-0 early. The Gorillas responded in kind with a long 12-play drive of their own. Both defenses forced punts multiple times and held the offenses to seven points a piece at the end of the first quarter.
The Gorillas broke the deadlock with a 29-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Chad Dodson Jr. to freshman wide receiver Kolbe Katsis early in the second quarter. After the Gorillas took the lead there was a scoring drought for the rest of the half, leaving the score at 14-7 in favor of the Gorillas.
Halfway through the third quarter, the Gorillas extended their lead to 21-7 with a two-yard rushing touchdown by junior running back Antwan Squire. Just a few minutes later in the third, they widened the gap when Dodson found junior wide receiver, Jamahl Horne, for the seven-yard touchdown pass.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter the Gorillas were sitting on a comfortable 28-7 lead. Early on in the fourth, they piled on their fifth touchdown. Freshman running back Cleo Chandler Jr. scored his first touchdown of the day and his fifth on the season with a one-yard touchdown run.
A few minutes later, the Tigers answered with a score of their own. Senior quarterback Ethan Forrester ran in the Tiger’s second score of the game from 12 yards out with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter which would end up being the final score of the game producing the final score of 35-14 Gorilla victory.
The Fort Hays State Tigers finish their season falling to 3-8 while the Gorillas completed their perfect regular season as they enter the playoffs. Something only two other schools have done since the 11-game regular season was adopted in 2014. Pitt State now joins Northwest Missouri State and Fort Hays State in the record books.
The Gorillas are set to host the first playoff game this year at on Nov. 19 at Carnie Smith Stadium against the University of Indianapolis. The University of Indianapolis are the Great Lakes Valley Conference Champion and ranked no. 13 in the nation. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
