With a bye week in store for the Wayne State College football team, Oct. 11 marked Hall of Fame Saturday during their final cross division game of the season.
From Bob Cunningham Field on the campus of Wayne State College, the host Wildcats suffered their second straight loss following a 26-21 decision against Bemidji State University.
WSC is now 3-4 overall (3-3 NSIC) while the Beavers have won back-to-back improving to 2-5 (2-4 NSIC). Both teams remain 1-1 in their respective divisions.
Mike Barry (coach/administrator), Melissa Benson (soccer), James Brown (swimming), John Kern (cross country/track and field) and the 1972 softball team were inducted into the WSC Hall of Fame. The group was recognized at halftime of the football game.
HOF information.
Bemidji State struck first scoring early in the game leading 7-0 followed by Wildcat redshirt junior Dawson Forgy scoring his first of three rushing touchdowns (one-yard) with 6:40 remaining in the first quarter.
BSU then added another touchdown in the first quarter and drove through a field goal early in the second quarter.
Forgy answered on a four-yard score with 8:28 remaining in the first half.
Bemidji State scored once more before half to lead 24-14 at the break.
The Wildcats marched down the field on their first drive in the third quarter (12:37 remaining) when Forgy crossed the goal line on a two-yard score.
Junior placekicker Boston Hensley converted all three extra points (now 25-25 on the season).
The lone Bemidji State points in the second half occurred with 11:20 left in the game on a safety.
A fumbled punt return by junior transfer (Winona State) Ty Johnson on the catch sealed the game giving the ball back to BSU running out the clock to win 26-21.
Redshirt freshman Brady McGill finished 16-29 for 176 yards and threw two interceptions while being sacked once.
Forgy carried the ball 19 times for 119 yards (long of 64) with three scores. He has now ran for more than 100 yards in back-to-back games (fourth of the season). Forgy is up to 1,147 all-purpose yards (846 rushing, 105 receiving, 196 returns).
Sophomore Brennan Hayes tallied eight carries for 38 yards.
Junior Dane Petersen led the receiving core with six receptions for 77 yards (long of 34) as Johnson tacked on two catches for 36 yards.
Wayne native sophomore Alex Phelps also had two catches for 30 yards with sophomore Keaten Bonderson recording three catches for 29 yards.
Defensively, sophomore Jes Krcil recorded 14 tackles (four solo) with a tackle and a half for loss, one sack and an interception.
Graduate Alex Kowalczyk added 11 tackles (five solo) and a fumble recovery while junior Clyde Hinton finished with nine tackles (three solo), half tackle for loss and forced fumble.
Both juniors James Frank (five tackles, one TFL) and Carter Sitzman (four tackles, one solo, 0.5 TFL) were credited with a half sack.
The Wayne State College football team is off this weekend and will next return to action on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 1 p.m. WSC will host #14 Minnesota State-Mankato (6-1/5-1 NSIC/3-0 South Division.
