SCENE SETTER
• The Washburn Ichabod football squad will wrap up the home slate this weekend as they will host Emporia State on senior day in Yager Stadium with kickoff set for 1 p.m.
• The Ichabods enter the game with a 2-7 overall mark with a 1-6 record in MIAA play coming off a 27-24 loss at Missouri Western last time out in the MIAA Game of the Week.
• The Hornets are 4-6 and 3-4 in the MIAA this season after falling to then No. 14-ranked Northwest Missouri in their homecoming game 41-14.

 BOD NOTES
• J.C. Heim leads the MIAA and he is third in the national rankings in tackles per game with 12.9 per contest and L.J. Minner, Jr.  is third in the MIAA with 9.9 tackles per game ranking 15th in the NCAA D2 national rankings.
• Jordan Finnesy's 246 career tackles is 15th on the NCAA D2 active chart and he is 15th on the D2 active solo tackles chart with 152.
• Jake Zeller is fifth on the NCAA D2 active punting average chart at 41.92 and he is seventh in total punt yards (6,791) …Zeller is second in the MIAA and 11th in the national rankings in punting average at 42.8 ypg … Zeller is second on the Ichabod all-time punting average chart at 41.92 and ninth in total yards at 6,791.
• The Ichabod defense is second in turnovers gained in the national rankings and leading the MIAA with 23 overall and the Ichabods lead the MIAA in turnover margin and rank 11th in the nation overall … in the last three weeks the Ichabods have had nine interceptions and have four fumble recoveries … Washburn's 12 interceptions this season leads the MIAA and ranks 13th in the latest NCAA D2 rankings.
• Last time out, the 27-24 loss by the Ichabods at Missouri Western was not an Ichabod football Scorigami as the score had happed three other time before … through 1,248 Ichabod games, there have been 298 games in which a score has happened only one time. In all, there have been 525 unique scoring games.
• The Ichabods are 1-4 in one score games this season with the lone win coming against Truman in the season opener in a 20-17 win … the last two Ichabod losses have each been by three points.
• The Hornets lead the all-time series 61-53-6 winning the last four in the series and 10 of the last 12 overall.
• Washburn's last win in the series came on Nov. 2, 2019 in a 37-17 win in Emporia.
 
 PRO BODS
• The Washburn Ichabods have two former players on NFL rosters this season and one in the Canadian Football League.
• Kyle Hinton is on the 53-man roster of the Atlanta Falcons.
• Corey Ballentine is on the practice squad roster in Dallas.
• James Letcher, Jr. is a standout return specialist and wide receiver  in the Canadian Football League playing for the Montreal Alouettes in his second season in the CFL.
 
 COACHES
Washburn head coach Zach Watkins . . .
• is 2-7 in his first season as the Ichabod head coach.
• named the 38th head coach in Washburn program history on Nov. 26, 2024.
• first Ichabod alumnus to lead the program in more than 30 years.
• spent 11 seasons as Washburn's co-defensive coordinator before becoming head coach
• four-year starter at linebacker for Washburn (2006–09).
• recorded 100+ tackles each season, finishing with a school-record 473 career tackles (third all-time in NCAA Division II at the time).
• the 2006 MIAA Freshman of the Year, 2006 Honorable Mention All-MIAA and Second Team All-Region, First Team All-MIAA (2007–09), 2009 MIAA & Daktronics Regional Defensive Player of the Year, 2009 AFCA First Team All-America and Daktronics Second Team All-America, Three-time Academic All-MIAA, Three-time MIAA Scholar Athlete, 2008 ESPN The Magazine / CoSIDA Academic All-American, 2010 Ken B. Jones MIAA Student-Athlete of the Year finalist, Three-time All-American by Don Hansen's Football Gazette.
• bachelor's degree in Finance and Business Management, Washburn University (2009).
• master's degree in Sports Administration, Fort Hays State (2013).
• married to Amanda; two children, Parker and Naomi.
• is 0-0 against Emporia State.
 
Emporia State head coach Garin Higgins . . .            
• has a career record of 168-98 in his 22nd season as a head coach.
• is 117-89 in his 18th season at his alma mater.
• had a 51-9 career record as the head coach at Northwestern Oklahoma, including two trips to the national championship game.
• was quarterback for Emporia State from 1987-90 and was on the 1989 national runners-up team.
• is 9-8 against Washburn.
 
 NOTING THE HORNETS
• The Hornets are 4-5 overall and 3-4 in MIAA play coming off a 41-14 loss to then No. 14-ranked Northwest Missouri on ESU's homecoming last time out.
• Diego Cearns leads the team in rushing yards per game with 67.3 per contest and seven touchdowns averaging 5.6 yards per carry.
• Ben Harris has 2,072 passing yards with 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season completing 62 percent of his passes averaging 296 yards per contest … he did not play last week against  Northwest Missouri.
• Jamison Sarver started last week for the Hornets and has passed for 359 yards in two games going 36 of 69 with one interception and three touchdowns.
• Malik O'Atis leads the team with 59 receptions for 622 yards and is tied for the team lead with six receiving touchdowns …Kingsley Bennett has 41 catches for 554 yards and six scores.
• Landon Boss paces the Hornet defense with 74 tackles adding 12 tackles for loss for 74 yards and seven sacks for 59 yards.
• Landon Boss paces the Hornet defense with 74 tackles adding 12 tackles for loss for 74 yards and seven sacks for 59 yards.
• The Hornets have the No. 5 scoring offense in the league at 27.1 ppg and the 10th-ranked defense allowing 31.8 ppg.
• ESU's 399.2 yards per game of total offense is fifth in the league and they are eighth in total defense allowing 414.3 yards per game.
 
 LAST MEETING WITH THE HORNETS
(Aug. 29, 2024) EMPORIA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabods football team opened the 2024 season with a 30-14 loss to Emporia State on Thursday night at Welch Stadium.
After trailing 6-0 at the end of the first half, Washburn (0-1) took the opening half drive but turned it over after an interception and the Hornets took advantage kicking their third field goal of the game on a 22-yard make from ESU stretching the lead to 9-0.
The Ichabods came back with a 67-yard, 10-play drive for the season's first touchdown when Cam Robinson capped the drive with a 4-yard run over the left side for the score with 7:14 to play in the third.
Washburn's defense held the Hornets (1-0) to a punt on their ensuing drive, but the Ichabods turned it over and ESU marched 91 yards on a 17-play drive to go up 16-7 with :06 to play in the third.
To start the fourth quarter, the Ichabods and Hornets traded punts before ESU used a 57-yard pass play to go up 30-7 with 6:23 in the game.
Washburn wrapped up the scoring with a 1-yard run by Eli Garnett set up by a 52-yard scamper by Hayden Clark with 1:53 to go wrapping up the scoring.
Keller Hurla finished 14 of 25 for 116 yards while Clark led the Ichabods with 50 yards rushing. Tre Richardson had four catches for a team-high 34 yards and D.J. Bell finished with a team-high five catches,
Defensively, the Ichabods were led by Jacques White with 10 tackles including seven solo stops. L.J. Minner had six solo stops and nine total.
Washburn was outgained 478 to 308, the Hornets ran 80 plays, and the Ichabods ran 67. The Ichabods had 159 yards on the ground on 34 attempts.
 
 SERIES HISTORY WITH THE HORNETS
• The Hornets lead the all-time series 61-53-6 winning the last four in the series and 10 of the last 12 overall.
• Washburn's last win in the series came on Nov. 2, 2019 in a 37-17 win in Emporia.
• Washburn is 24-32-2 in games played in Emporia and they are 29-29-4 all-time against the Hornets in Topeka.
• The Ichabods are looking to snap a three-game losing streak in Topeka to the Hornets.
• Washburn's last win in Topeka over the Hornets came on Nov. 1, 2014 in a 36-10 win.
   LAST TIME OUT FOR THE ICHABODS
(Nov. 1, 2025) ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — A determined fourth-quarter comeback gave Washburn a late lead, but Missouri Western delivered the final scoring punch as the Ichabods fell 27–24 on Saturday in the MIAA Game of the Week at Craig Field at Spratt Stadium.
After the Griffons took a 27-24 lead with 1:44 to go, the Ichabods took over at their own 20 and converted four third-down conversions reaching the Griffon 13 with 14 seconds left, but an incomplete pass on first down and an intentional grounding on second down forced a 10-second runoff as the Ichabods were without any more time outs ending the game with a three-point loss for the second week in a row.
Missouri Western controlled the opening quarter and was first on the board when Brandon Hall capped an 11-play, 71-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown run at the 6:28 mark. Washburn responded with a drive of its own, as Aidan Battle drilled a 28-yard field goal to make it 7–3 with 2:06 remaining in the first.
The Ichabods then grabbed their first lead in the second quarter thanks to a defensive spark. After Jordan Finnesy forced a fumble that Kamble Haverkamp recovered at the Griffon 27, Logan Madden connected with Weston Ropp on a 13-yard touchdown strike for a 10–7 advantage with 5:24 left before halftime. Missouri Western answered just before the break with a 33-yard Latrell Armstrong field goal to send the game tied 10–10 into the locker room.
Madden led Washburn through the air completing 21 of 38 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown, highlighted by seven receptions for 72 yards to Tre Calhoun and 49 receiving yards from Aden Canty. Cam Robinson totaled 66 all-purpose yards with 20 on the ground and 29 receiving. However, the Griffon defensive front limited Washburn to just 39 rushing yards on 24 attempts in the game.
Missouri Western pushed back in front in the third quarter behind Armstrong's 44-yard field goal and Hall's second rushing touchdown, a 33-yard burst that extended the lead to 20–10 heading to the fourth. Hall finished with 130 rushing yards as part of the Griffons' 215-yard team ground effort.
Washburn refused to fold. Keller Hurla entered at quarterback and engineered a 75-yard scoring drive early in the fourth, finding Henry Mohrmann for a 10-yard touchdown to pull the game back within 20–17. On the next possession, Finnesy swung momentum again with a 43-yard interception return to set up Hurla's one-yard keeper that put Washburn back on top 24–20 with 10:55 remaining.
Hurla finished with a touchdown pass and the short rushing score in the final quarter, helping the Ichabods convert two red-zone chances into touchdowns. Battle remained perfect on special teams, hitting all three PATs.
Defensively, J.C. Heim posted a game-high 15 tackles including 11 solo stops, while L.J. Minner, Jr., had 12 tackles with Haverkamp totaled eight tackles with three sacks and the fumble recovery. The unit forced two takeaways and limited the Griffons to just 4-of-15 on third-down attempts, but Missouri Western's ball control — holding possession for more than 34 minutes.
The decisive drive came from the Griffons in the final minutes. Missouri Western marched 41 yards on 11 plays, and quarterback Kane Donovan powered in from two yards out with 1:44 remaining to reclaim the lead for good.

 A WIN OVER THE HORNETS WOULD
• move the Ichabods' record to 3-7 on the season.
• snap a four-game losing streak to ESU.
• be the first win by the Ichabods over ESU since a 37-17 win on Nov. 2, 2019 in Emporia.
• be the first win in Topeka by the Ichabods over ESU since Nov. 1, 2014 in a 36-10 win.
• move Washburn to 54-61-6 all-time against the Hornets.

  A LOSS TO THE HORNETS WOULD
• drop the Ichabods to 2-8 on the season.
• be the fifth-straight loss to the Hornets.
• be the fourth-straight loss to ESU in Topeka.

 ICHABOD FOOTBALL HISTORY
• Washburn is 583-621-44 (.484) in the 135th year of Ichabod football.
• The Ichabods are 15th in NCAA Division II history in wins.
• The Ichabods have 12 conference titles with the last coming in 2005 in the MIAA.
• Washburn has had 177 all-MIAA picks and 62 first team all-MIAA selections.
• Washburn has had 97 overall All-American selections and 73 individual All-American picks since joining the NCAA Division II ranks in 1989.
• Washburn has made 14 postseason appearances including bowl games and tournament games going 5-2 in a bowl games.
• Seven Ichabods have been picked in the NFL Draft.

 UP NEXT
The Ichabods will end the season on the road at Missouri Southern on Nov. 15 in Joplin.