Ichabods Rally Falls Short Against Lions

The Washburn Ichabod football team saw its seven-game winning streak over Missouri Southern as a potential game-tying touchdown was picked off in the endzone as the Ichabods fell 30-23 to the Lions. Washburn is back in action on the road at Lincoln next week in a non-conference game in Jefferson City, Mo.

After the Lions took a 30-23 lead with 3:22 to play in the game, Washburn drove down to the Southern (1-1, 1-1 MIAA) 5-yard line before Sam Van Dyne’s pass was picked off of a tipped ball as the Lions recovered and then after a kneel down ran out the clock for their first win in Topeka since a 17-14 win on Oct. 23, 1997.

Starting the game, the Lions took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards in eight plays to go up 7-0. The Ichabods (0-2, 0-2 MIAA) then scored 13-straight points taking a 13-7 lead into the halftime break after Kellen Simoncic put the Ichabods on the board with a 1-yard plunge capping a 11-play, 68-yard drive to tie the score at 7-7. Washburn’s next two scoring drives were finished-off by Trenton Brehms field goals of 32- and 26-yards. The second field goal as the first half ended was set up by C.J. Callaghan’s first career pickoff.

In the second half, the Lions scored on their first two drives with touchdowns drives adding a field goal on a third drive to take a 23-13 lead with 1:26 to play in the third quarter. On the ensuing kickoff, D.J. Bell returned the kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown cutting the Southern lead to 23-20. The 100-yard return was the fourth 100-yard return in program history and the first since James Letcher, Jr. returned one against Fort Hays State on Sept. 21, 2019.

Brehm’s 26-yard field with 8:50 to go in the game knotted the score at 23 before the Lions took the lead for good on their next drive to go up seven points.

Taylon Peters had a career-high 27 carries and tied a career-high with 123 yards leading the Ichabod rushing attack averaging 4.6 yards per carry while adding four catches for 17 yards.

D.J. Bell led the Ichabods with seven receptions for 64 yards and 123 more yards in returns.

Defensively Braylon Alexander and Patrick Altenor each had seven tackles and Brent Peavler had six.

The Lions outgained the Ichabods 335 to 310 overall.