UHSP Victory over Kansas State Throws HOA Into Turmoil
UHSP Victory over Kansas State Throws HOA Into Turmoil
Big developments in the Heart of America as newcomers UHSP did Oklahoma a huge favor with a 28-17 defeat of previously 2-1 Kansas State.
For the still-young UHSP side, this was a big step forward as they acclimatize to one of the strongest D1AA conferences in the USA. The followers of Mortarmer McPestle (yes, that's the name of their mascot) has lost in fairly emphatic fashion to OU and Kansas, but won even more emphatically over an admittedly struggling Oklahoma State side.
That win over OSU was, in fact, the Eutectics first ever 15-a-side win. That certainly instilled some confidence, and they followed that up this week with a very good showing against KSU.
"Our defensive discipline and organization has really improved," said Head Coach Peter Lang, who, combined with Assistant Coach Lucas Black has been working a long game with this program.
"There is still work to do, but it is much improved," added Lang. "The challenge really is that we are a 1st-year program, so not only have we had a steep learning curve, but the patterns of play and systems have had to be developed from scratch, learned from scratch, and is vastly different from anything any of the players have ever seen or played before. That takes time and it takes trust. I think through competition and a lot of chalkboard, video, and practice field work, we have grown our understanding of our style of play, we have learned to trust it, and we are now learning how to execute it with composure and patience."
Another area of growth for UHSP has been mental toughness, and it's hard to thing of another league in D1AA that teaches you more about mental toughness than the Heart of America.
"Only competition can teach you how to deal with adversity and how to be a strong unit," said Lang. "Remember that over 60% of this team are new to the program and 100% of the team are new to UHSP 15s. It takes time to gel and grow confidence in each other and we have done it within 4 games, which we are very proud of."
But, he added, UHSP has not arrived yet.
"We have had some good stuff and there is stuff we still need work on," Lang continued. "We honestly can't single out one person as a standout. Every player has had some outstanding moment and have equally had some opportunities to learn and grow, on the field, in the classroom and as a young man. It is just a privilege to have an opportunity to be a part of their journey and to enjoy the blessings that have been bestowed on us so far."
This is big for UHSP but the result also shook up the conference. Kansas State was still in with a shot at a semifinal spot, but maybe not now. Oklahoma, who did not play a conference game instead beat Texas 36-0, is now in prim position because K-State fell to 2-2. The Sooners, meanwhile, have a game in hand over KSU. So while Kansas State and Oklahoma play next week in a game that was looking to be the semifinal decider in the HOA South, the Sooners also have Oklahoma State to round out the fall, a game the Sooners are favored to win. That might be all they need.
Meanwhile, UHSP, with a win over Arkansas next week, is in the semifinal conversation. They'd need some help, but they're in with a shot.
At the same time, in the North Iowa State won over Nebraska as expected and the semifinal matchups all depend on next week's Iowa vs Wayne State result. Iowa State is in. If Wayne State beats Iowa then ISU is #1 and Wayne State (barring two Iowa bonus points) would be #2. If Iowa Sate, scores four tries and loses close, they are #2. if they tie they are #2. If they tie with a bonus points ties they are #2. (All of this assuming Iowa, ISU, and Wayne State do what is expected in their other games.)
Iowa can secure the #1 seed with a win over Wayne State.
| HOA North | W | L | T | PF | PA | PD | BT | BL | Pts |
| Iowa State | 3 | 1 | 0 | 222 | 61 | 161 | 4 | 1 | 17 |
| Iowa | 3 | 0 | 0 | 151 | 36 | 115 | 2 | 0 | 14 |
| Wayne State | 2 | 1 | 0 | 110 | 56 | 54 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| Minnesota | 2 | 2 | 0 | 122 | 172 | -50 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| Nebraska | 0 | 3 | 0 | 66 | 191 | -125 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Missouri | 0 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 174 | -155 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| HOA South | W | L | T | PF | PA | PD | BT | BL | Pts |
| Kansas | 3 | 0 | 0 | 128 | 78 | 50 | 3 | 0 | 15 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 1 | 0 | 113 | 61 | 52 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
| Kansas State | 2 | 2 | 0 | 118 | 134 | -16 | 3 | 0 | 11 |
| UHSP | 2 | 2 | 0 | 111 | 104 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| Arkansas | 1 | 2 | 0 | 94 | 73 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| Oklahoma State | 0 | 3 | 0 | 26 | 140 | -114 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
