SE Football Returns to Field at MSU

WICHITA FALLS, Texas – For the first time in 469 days Southeastern football suited up against outside competition, facing Midwestern State in a scrimmage on Saturday afternoon in Wichita Falls, Texas.
 
The format was structured to nearly match game conditions with some exceptions. First, quarterbacks were protected from being hit, similar to practice settings, while the teams matched up their starters in the first and the third quarters, and played second team in the second and fourth quarters.
 
"It felt good," said head coach Tyler Fenwick. "It felt good to be back out on the field and seeing another opponents. Being able to see your kids compete against a different color jersey and being put in game like situations."
 
"I think overall," he continued, "For only having 10 practices, obviously there were mistakes and we knew it would be sloppy, but I think we did a lot of good things. We got a lot of young guys reps that normally wouldn't get. Reps which in turn will give them live game experience that normally you would have to throw them into the fire. That's really going to be the biggest evaluation for us coming away from this. Seeing some of our freshmen and seeing if they are on the right track."
 
The final score of the game was 28-14 in favor of MSU, with the host team getting on the board first with a 12 yard TD run in the first quarter.
 
The Mustangs added scores in the second quarter as the back-ups squared off, first on a six-yard pass and later on an eight-yard run.
 
SE found pay dirt in the third quarter, first when Pablo Perini hauled in an 11-yard TD from Daulton Hatley on the second play of the first drive of the second half. After a failed PAT, SE would trail overall 21-6.
 
After turning MSU over on downs, SE would take its second possession and march 79 yards on five plays before Hatley connected with Braxton Kincade on a 22-yard strike. Hatley would find Katrell Blakely for the two-point conversion and the deficit would shrink to 21-14.
 
Unfortunately, MSU would tack on a TD in the fourth and that would hold up as the final score at 28-14.
 
Offensively, Hatley finished with 181 yards on 16-of-21 passing with a pair of touchdowns, while Riley Russell added 86 yards on a 6-of-15 performance.
 
Hunter Hawthorne was the top target with four catches for 61 yards, while Skye Lowe added 62 yards on three grabs. Seven others each had two catches, including Kincade and Perini who each had touchdowns.
 
Overall SE finished with 267 yards through the air, while rushing for 34 yards, and holding a 301-to-291 edge in total yards over MSU.