By Scott Cox
McPHERSON, Kan. (MacBulldogs.com) – The McPherson College Bulldogs will look to rebound following last weekend’s 20-10 season opening loss to the Tabor College Bluejays in Hillsboro, Kan.
A LOOK AT THE DOGS Tristan Szabo threw for 109 yards on 14-of-28 passing, and rushed for 86 yards in the season opening loss to Tabor. Jalil Brown scored the Bulldogs lone touchdown, a seven-yard rush where he refused to go down.
Defensively, MC held Tabor to just 67 passing yards and 163 yards of total offense. Trey Kysiak led the way with seven total tackles, including six solo stops and a tackle for a nine-yard loss. Jaquez Wilson and Brandon Jones each had six tackles. Nehemiah Figueroa broke up a pair of passes.
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS The Warriors were blanked in their season opener in Sterling, falling 13-0 to Bethel College. SC was held to just 83 yards of total offense with 70 yards coming through the air. The Warriors used a pair of quarterbacks with Rocklin Baptista throwing for 68 yards on 8-for-19 passing, and an interception. Kendrick Bell was the most effective running back, rushing for 20 yards on six carries.
Defensively, the Warriors allowed 234 rushing yards, including 143 by Torriano Richardson on 22 carries. DJ Ciers threw for 111 yards for the Threshers. THE SERIES VS. STERLING The Bulldogs have won the last four meetings between the two teams, including three coming in Sterling. MC won the last game played at McPherson Stadium 48-28 back in 2021. Prior to the Bulldogs four-game winning streak, Sterling won eight straight. MC is 8-12 against the Warriors in the last 20 years. LAST MEETING MC erased an 11-point deficit with just 11:54 to play to storm back and claim a 34-31 win in Sterling last September. The comeback included a pair of scoring drives, and a pair of interceptions by Nehemiah Figueroa on back-to-back possessions to seal the victory.
Tristan Szabo threw for 225 yards and three scores, while rushing for 28 yards and a touchdown. Szabo also went for the trifecta, catching an eight-yard touchdown pass from Tyson Bochert. Hayden Fry paced the Bulldogs in the rushing attack with 67 yards.
The Bulldogs grabbed what seemed like a commanding 20-0 lead with 6:25 left in the opening half, but from there the Warriors scored 31 unanswered points.
QUOTING FISCUS “It’s always exciting to have your home opener. The team has prepared well and competed hard on a daily basis throughout the week. Sterling College will bring a team that plays extremely hard. This is a great opportunity to compete at a very high level.”
BULLDOGS BY THE NUMBERS
Home: 0-0
Away: 0-1
When scoring:
0-6 points: 0-0
7-13 points: 0-1
14-20 points: 0-0
21-27 points: 0-0
28+ points: 0-0
When allowing:
0-6 points: 0-0
7-13 points: 0-0
14-20 points: 0-1
21-27 points: 0-0
28+ points: 0-0
When scoring first: 0-0
When opponent scores first: 0-1
When leading at halftime: 1-0
When trailing at halftime: 0-0
When tied at halftime: 0-0
CHASING HISTORY With a win, head coach Jeremiah Fiscus would move into second on the all-time wins list with 25 wins in his career at McPherson College. He would pass David Cunningham who coached the Bulldogs for five seasons between 2002-2006. Sid Smith is the all-time winningest coach in McPherson history with 57 wins over 16 seasons from 1953-1966.
KESSINGER DIVISION UPDATE
Four Kessinger Division teams started 1-0 last weekend with Bethel, Evangel, Friends, and Southwestern all coming away with victories. Evangel knocked off No. 24-ranked Kansas Wesleyan 35-24 in Salina, while Friends routed St. Mary 52-6 on the road. Southwestern shutout last season’s Bissell division winner Ottawa 41-0. Bethany College dropped a nailbiter to Avila 24-21.
OVER THE AIRWAVES Never miss a moment of the action this season thanks to Ad Astra Radio. Every Bulldog football game will be broadcast on 98.9 FM KMCP. Listen live to play-by-play voice Lane Gillespie as he calls all the action when the Bulldogs are at home or on the road.
THE BOILER HOUSE Looking for a pregame meal before Saturday’s football home opener? The Boiler House is now OPEN and will be serving Saturday from 1PM to 6 PM. Stop by for cold drinks and great food before heading to the stadium. THE LOCKER ROOM The Locker Room Nutrition and Energy located on Main Street in downtown McPherson is a proud sponsor of Bulldog Athletics! The Locker Room is dedicated to fueling the Bulldogs on and off the field with good nutrition and healthy energy! Thanks for your continued support of The Locker Room and choosing to shop local! Go Bulldogs!
A BULLDOG WIN WOULD… … be their fifth straight win over Sterling College dating back to 2020 … be their second consecutive home-opening win … improve them to 5-1 against the Warriors under Coach Fiscus … improve them to 13-11 at McPherson Stadium under Coach Fiscus … be the 25th head coaching win for Coach Fiscus
UP NEXT The Bulldogs hit the road next Saturday to take on the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kan. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. MC fell to the Spires in the last matchup last season 36-32 at McPherson Stadium.
COACH FISCUS Jeremiah Fiscus enters his sixth year as the head coach of the McPherson College Football team in 2024. The 2022 season proved to be a promising one, as Fiscus led the Bulldogs to a 5-5 record, but four of those five setbacks came to the top teams in the KCAC by a combined five points. In his five years at McPherson, Fiscus has coached 57 All-KCAC players, including six first-team selections and 14 players landing on the All-KCAC second team. He has also coached three NAIA All-Americans, including 2020 KCAC Special Teams Player of the Year, Melvin Reed, and 2022 KCAC Player of the Year, Jonathan White. Coach Fiscus is a former Bulldog who played for the college from 2006 – 2007 under coaches Dave Cunningham and Brian Ward. Upon graduation from McPherson, he was hired as a graduate assistant at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, where he was the running backs coach. After earning a master’s degree in sports administration from Northwestern State in 2010, Coach Fiscus was hired as a graduate assistant at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. While at TCU, he earned another master’s degree, this one in educational administration, and worked for head coach Gary Patterson as assistant offensive line coach and recruiting assistant. In his two seasons at TCU, the Horned Frogs won two Mountain West Conference championships, in addition to winning the Rose Bowl and the Poinsettia Bowl. He coached two All-Conference offensive linemen and the MWC offensive player of the year, Andy Dalton. After two years with the Horned Frogs, Coach Fiscus was hired by Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. He spent six seasons with the Reddies in a multitude of positions. He worked as director of equipment operations, team travel coordinator, NFL liaison, OL/TE/FB coach, recruiting coordinator, and offensive coordinator. During his time there, the Reddies won three GAC championships, had three NCAA D2 playoff appearances, and twice were #1 in scoring offense in NCAA D2 football. Coach Fiscus is a 2003 graduate of Stafford High School in Kansas and was a multi-sport standout, lettering in track and field and football. After high school, he attended Dodge City Community College, playing for the Conquistadors from 2003-2005. After getting his associate degree at DCCC, Coach Fiscus transferred to McPherson College, where he played for two seasons and finished his education, graduating in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in education.
Coach Fiscus is married to Jessie, and they have two daughters, Lennox (2016), and Laiken (2019), and a son Leonard (2021).
