Box Score ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Nov. 1) — Redemption. That was what was in store for Central Washington University sophomore placekicker Sean McDonald. He had missed field goal tries from 33 and 21 yards in the third quarter of Saturday's non-conference home game against Lincoln University of Jefferson City, Missouri.
 
But McDonald ended up with an additional, pressure-packed opportunity. With :01 left, and the game on the line, he was called on to attempt a 41-yard field goal. This time, McDonald split the uprights as the Wildcats defeated the Blue Tigers 17-14 in the first-ever meeting of the two schools.
 
"The toughness and the resiliency that he showed there was big time," said CWU first-year head coach Ian Shoemaker. "It was with the wind, but it was much longer than the ones he had missed. It was great to make that kick when it counted."
 
Lincoln took a 14-7 lead on a 17-yard rush by running back Morris Henderson with 8:42 remaining in the game. It capped a 14-play, 80-yard drive that took 6:26 off the clock. Henderson, who played a key role in the drive, rushed for 116 yards on the day, slightly below his season average of 118.4 yards per game.
 
"We had a plan to make it difficult for him to run the ball," Shoemaker added. "He hit a couple of the draws on that one drive to give them a touchdown. But, other than that, I thought we played really well against the run." 
 
CWU responded to the Lincoln touchdown and appeared to be going in for a game-tying score with more than three-minutes left. But running back Jordan Todd, who rushed for 132 yards on 24 carries, was stopped on a fourth-and-one play at the Blue Tigers' seven-yard line.
 
Just four-plays later, the Wildcats got the ball back at the Lincoln 39-yard line, following a 27-yard punt.
 
Quarterback Jake Nelson then led the Wildcats on a six-play scoring drive, which included a key 25-yard completion to tight end Kyle Self. Nelson, who rushed for 50 yards on 13 carries, scored the touchdown from four-yards out, as CWU tied the game at 14.
 
That allowed for McDonald's heroics, which were set up by defensive end Tovar Sanchez. He strip-sacked Blue Tigers' quarterback Owen Jordan with :24 left. The second forced fumble of the game for Sanchez, it was recovered by outside linebacker Mitch Haldane.

"Flushing the quarterback out, getting him to scramble and then knocking the ball out, that was a huge play by our captain," said Shoemaker. "It was a heady play by a great defensive player and a kid we're building this defense around."
 
Three plays later, McDonald kicked the game winner, as CWU scored 10 points in the final 1:29 for the victory
 
The game was a defensive struggle throughout, particularly the first half, when the two teams punted the ball seven time each. Lincoln opened the scoring with a three-play, 80-yard, first-quarter drive, completed by Jordan's 31-yard scoring strike to wide receiver Khiry Draine. A bad snap ruined the Blue Tigers point-after-touchdown attempt.
 
The Wildcats' only first half score came in the second quarter, on a 73-yard interception return for a touchdown by middle linebacker Kevin Haynes, who now leads CWU with four picks this season. As a team, the Wildcats have come up with 16 interceptions and returned four of them for scores.
 
A crowd of 3,778 turned out for Senior Day, as the Wildcats honored seven graduating seniors ahead of the game at Tomlinson Stadium.
 
"It was a little hairy for us there at the end," Shoemaker acknowledged, with a smile.
 
Next Saturday, the Wildcats will play their final conference contest of the season, when they travel to St. George, Utah to face Dixie State University. CWU beat DSU in the first meeting of the teams this season in Ellensburg 48-14.