With an opportunity to score late, it came down to the final drive for the Wayne State College football team with a fourth one-score game.
From Bob Cunningham Field on the campus of Wayne State, WSC welcomed Northern State on Saturday.
The Wildcats were held to just one score in the second half and were stopped at the Northern State seven-yard line on a fourth and one.
Final favored the visiting Wolves winning 28-21.
With the loss, WSC dropped their third straight falling to 6-4 (5-4 NSIC) while Northern State will end their season at 6-5 (6-4 NSIC).
WSC opened scoring with 7:57 left in the first quarter thanks to sophomore tailback Latravious Boyd with an 11-yard run.
Teams then traded points in the second quarter.
Northern State started with a one-yard rush by sophomore running back Hank Kraft (13:10 until half); true freshman running back Akeem Knox answered for WSC from three-yards out (10:39 left) and NSU’s junior quarterback Daniel Britt connected with freshman wide receiver Cade Kaiser on a four-yard pass (2:53 remaining).
At the half, Northern State and Wayne State were tied at 14-14.
The Wolves then scored two more times in the third quarter. Kraft ran in from six-yards (10:52 left) and redshirt freshman quarterback Colton Hackel added a one-yard score (5:10 remaining) to go up at-most 28-14.
Wayne State College lone points of the second half came from Knox on an 18-yard run (six seconds into the fourth).
Again, final favored Northern State winning 28-21.
Wildcat sophomore placekicker Boston Hensley was 3-3 on extra-points.
Senior quarterback Nick Bohn finished 18-35 for 159 yards with two interceptions along with 12 rushes for 97 net yards.
Boyd added 95 yards on 15 carries and one score as well as four receptions for 27 yards while Knox tallied 16 attempts for 55 yards and two scores along with two catches for two yards.
Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Kendrick Watkins-Hogue recorded five catches for 53 yards; junior tight end Trey Miller tallied two receptions for 38 yards; senior wide out Ashten Schmaderer had two catches for 20 yards as senior wide out Jadon Johnson tacked on three receptions for 19 yards.
Senior linebacker Alex Schall recorded a team-high 11 tackles (three solo) with two tackles for loss while senior safety Jacob Byrd followed with six tackles (two solo) and a half tackle for loss.
Other tackles for loss came from senior defensive back Adrien Pidgeon (one solo tackle) with one TFL along with sophomore defensive lineman James Frank (three total tackles) with a half TFL.
Wayne State College ran 79 plays for 406 yards (247 rushing/159 passing) while Northern State University finished with 340 yards on 52 plays (186 rushing/154 passing). WSC was 6-16 on third down and 3-5 on fourth down compared to the Wolves going 6-12 on third down. The Wildcats won the battle of time of possession 32:53 to 27:07.
The Wayne State College football team will host the annual Egg Bowl and Senior Day game to close out their year welcoming Concordia-St. Paul at noon on Saturday, Nov. 16.
