HCU dominates Northwestern State to end season with a big win

Story and photos by Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (November 23, 2024) The HCU Huskies finished their 2024 football season in style, beating Northwestern State Demons 62-24 on "Senior Day" at Husky Stadium. The Huskies put on a show with over 600 yards of offense, making it a game to remember for their fans.

The game started with a big play by the HCU defense. They stopped the Demons on fourth down and got the ball at the Demons’ 43-yard line. That led to a 23-yard field goal by Dillon Fedor to give HCU an early 3-0 lead. After that, the Huskies couldn’t be stopped.

Quarterback Cutter Stewart connected with AJ Wilson for a 32-yard touchdown, while Calvin Hill added a two-yard rushing score, and Darryle Evans broke free for a 47-yard touchdown run. Just like that, HCU was up 24-7 early in the second quarter.

Northwestern State tried to fight back. Quarterback JT Fayard found Zay Davis for a nine-yard touchdown pass, cutting the Huskies’ lead to 24-14 before halftime. HCU had a chance to score again, but an interception by the Demons ended the drive.

After the break, HCU came out strong. On their first drive of the third quarter, Hill broke free for a 25-yard touchdown, capping a quick 79-yard drive. D.J. Harris then picked off a pass from the Demons and returned it to the 15-yard line. Stewart took advantage, hitting Deuce McMillan for an 11-yard touchdown. The Huskies led 38-14 just three minutes into the second half.

HCU’s dominance continued. After forcing a quick three-and-out, Champ Dozier ran in a three-yard touchdown to push the lead to 45-14. Northwestern State’s Myles Kitt-Denton responded with an 87-yard kickoff return, but the Demons could only manage a field goal. On the next kickoff, Jesse Valenzuela returned the ball 98 yards for a touchdown, putting HCU up 52-17.

In the fourth quarter, Stewart found Ismael Fuller for a 36-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 59-17. The Demons scored one last time early in the quarter, but HCU sealed the win with a long, time-eating drive that ended with a 27-yard field goal by Fedor.

HCU’s 617 total yards of offense was the fourth-highest in school history, and their 332 rushing yards ranked third. Calvin Hill led the ground game with 109 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. Wilson had another big game, catching three passes for 123 yards and a touchdown, marking his fourth straight 100-yard game. Stewart finished with 296 passing yards and three touchdowns.

The Huskies’ defense was just as impressive, holding Northwestern State to only 211 yards and 10 first downs. Harris had nine tackles and his first career interception, while Joe Cadette added six tackles, a sack, and 1.5 tackles for loss.

With the win, HCU finished the season 5-7 overall and 3-4 in the Southland Conference. Northwestern State ended their season winless at 0-12.

HCU fans have a lot to be excited about as the team looks to carry this momentum into next year.

Texas A&M-Commerce tops Northwestern State, 69-64

Photo by
Darla S. Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

By Robert Kelly
Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

LAKE CHARLES,LOUISIANA (March 10, 2024) In a thrilling matchup, the seventh-seeded Texas A&M-Commerce Lions secured a historic win in the first round of the 2024 Jersey Mike's Southland Conference Men's Basketball Championship. They defeated the sixth-seeded Northwestern State Demons with a final score of 69-64.

This victory is significant for the Commerce men's program as it marks their first win in this tournament since joining the SLC last season. With a record of 13-19, the Lions now advance to the quarterfinal round to face third-seeded Nicholls, while the Demons end their season with a 9-23 record.

Leading the charge for Commerce were Kalen Williams, Kwo Agwa, and Tommie Lewis, who each scored in double figures. Williams led the team with 19 points, followed by Agwa with 16 points and Lewis with 15 points.

Despite a strong performance from NSU's Justin Wilson, who scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds, the Demons couldn't hold off the Lions' determined effort.

The game saw both teams trading leads throughout, with Commerce making a comeback in the second half. A key moment came when KC Ugwuakazi tied the game at 53-53 with a layup, followed by Khaliq Abdul-Mateen's three-pointer, giving Commerce a crucial lead.

Although the Demons regained the lead late in the game, Commerce rallied back with an 8-0 run in the final minutes, securing the victory. Agwa's clutch play, including a crucial putback, helped seal the win for the Lions.

Both teams showed their strength in the paint, combining for a total of 84 points scored inside. In the end, Commerce's solid defense, including a shot-clock violation forced on the Demons, and their accurate free-throw shooting helped them clinch the win.

McNeese State downs Northwestern State 21-7 in spring football action

Story and photo by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved

NATCHITOCHES, LOUISIANA (March 20, 2021) McNeese State quarterback Cody Orgeron completed 17-of-22 passes and two touchdown as the Cowboys downed the Northwestern State Demons by the score of 21-7 at Turpin Stadium in Natchitoches.

On their second possession, at the 4:42 mark of the first quarter, the Demons drove 91 yards in eight plays to score the first touchdown of the game. Quarterback Kaleb Fletcher (Poteet HS, Mesquite, Texas) completed a 13-yard pass to wide receiver Kendrick Price, Jr. (Lindale HS, Lindell, Texas) for the score. The Cowboys evened the score 2:35 later when tight end Jama Pettigrew (St. Augustine HS, New Orleans, Louisiana) caught a two-yard pass from Orgeron (Mandeville HS, Mandeville, Louisiana) to cap a 59-yard drove that lasted 2:29. Both teams converted the kicking extra points to tie the score at seven after 15 minutes of play. After a spirited and intense second quarter, neither team was able to find the end zone, with the score remaining tied at seven at halftime.

It did not take long for McNeese to find the end zone in the third quarter. On the third play in the second half; a first-and-ten play, Oregron finds wide receiver Trevor Begue (St. Thomas More HS, Lafayette, Louisiana) open on the right side of the field; connecting with a 75-yard pass for the Cowboys' second TD of the game. Jacob Abel (Goddard Eisenhower HS, Goddard, Kansas) added the extra point to give McNeese a 14-7 lead with 13:45 remaining in the third quarter. Not limiting their scoring to the air, the Cowboys added a rushing touchdown to the scoreboard six minutes later. Backup quarterback Walker Wood (Lafayette HS, Lafayette, Kentucky) kept the ball and plunged over the goal line from the one-yard line for the third touchdown for the Cowboys. Abel again added the kicking conversion to push the McNeese lead to 21-7 and the eventual win, 

For McNeese, Begue led the game with 165 receiving yards, on eight catches and one touchdown.  Freshman Josh Parker (Catholic HS, baton Rouge, Louisiana) rushed for 77 yards  on 16 carries, with Sam Andre accounting for seven tackles). The Demons were paced by Fletcher, completing 13-of-18 for 177 yards, while Javon Antonio (East St. John HS, LaPlace, Louisiana) caught six passes for 103 yards. The Cowboys raised their season record to 2-3, with a 1-3 mark in Southland Conference action. The Demons fall to 0-3 in both their season and conference games.