Ran Out Of Time

The 93rd Battle of the Revine rivalry is one of the oldest rivalries in NCAA Division II. Just 1,845 feet separate the Henderson Reddies and the Ouachita Baptist University Tigers

The stadium packed a large crowd, so much so that there were fans standing along the side of the field, setting the game’s atmosphere for the long-awaited GAC championship game for Henderson. There was a lot on the line, not just for the teams involved but also for the Harding Bisons. Earlier in the season, Ouachita beat Harding. Harding would go on to defeat the Reddies. A Henderson win would mean a three-way split for the GAC title.

HSU carried most of the momentum during the first half of the game as Henderson’s offense went straight to work. The drive got going with a 52-yard catch by Red Shirt Junior Chase Lodree. In just six plays, the Reddies grabbed the lead. An OBU interception would lead to another Henderson score.

Everything was going the Reddies way. They looked ready to score again but a turnover swung the pendulum in the direction of their rivals. Ouachita would score on a touchdown right before the half to get the score to within seven.

The BOTR was a battle of defense as HSU lost their defensive momentum coming into the second half. The Tigers overpowered the Reddies defense and scored to tie the game 14-14 in the first five minutes of the third quarter.

Ouachita scored a 36-yard field goal at the start of the fourth quarter. As tensions began to rise, Henderson’s defense got a glimpse of hope with just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter, when redshirt sophomore Jake Chatman forced and recovered a fumble in OBU territory.

This gave HSU the ball at the Tigers’ 41-yard line. Henderson took advantage with a touchdown run from Senior Running-back Querale Hall and regained the lead with just over a minute left in the ballgame.

The Tigers caught a 32-yard strike to put them in Reddie territory and later ran the ball in with just 30 seconds left in the game. Henderson was unable to get into field goal range as the clock ran out to secure the win for the Tigers.

This past Monday HSU was ranked No. 7 in the final Super Region 3. Henderson will now wait to see what the postseason holds. The Reddies’ two losses this season have come

to two Top-15 teams on the road by a combined four points. The top seven schools in the region will be officially announced on the NCAA DII Selection Show.