ADA, Okla. – The East Central University football team put on a show in its home finale Saturday afternoon, powering past Southern Arkansas University 44-22 in Great American Conference play at Koi Ishto Stadium. The Tigers delivered a complete performance on both sides of the ball, sending their seniors out with a dominant victory.
 
With the win, ECU moves to 6-3 in GAC play, while Southern Arkansas falls to 6-3. The Tigers are now tied for second in the conference alongside Henderson State University and Ouachita Baptist. ECU will wrap up its regular season on the road, facing Henderson State next Saturday, Nov. 8, at 1 p.m. in Arkadelphia.
 
"Great win on senior day, no better way to send them out in their final game," Head Coach John Litrenta said. "I can't thank them enough for what they have done for this program. We played our best football today when it mattered the most. A lot of great individual performances, but this team understands it will be the team that takes us where we want to go. We still have a few games left to write this story for the 2025 ECU Tigers."

ECU wasted no time getting on the board, driving 99 yards in just four plays on its opening possession. Quarterback Sergio Kennedy capped the quick march with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Gordon to give the Tigers the early lead. After Southern Arkansas briefly went ahead, Kennedy and the offense went back to work in the second quarter, connecting with Jacob Martin for a 21-yard score to reclaim control.
 
Alexander McGregor added to the cushion with a 42-yard field goal midway through the quarter, and Kennedy found Kaden Jones on a 36-yard touchdown strike with 28 seconds left in the half to send ECU into the locker room up 23-7.
 
The Tigers kept rolling after the break, as Kennedy hit Jones again, this time for a 57-yard bomb, to push the lead to 30-7. Southern Arkansas answered once in the third, but ECU's ground attack closed things out with authority. Quincy Thompson punched in a pair of short touchdown runs, from two and one yards out, in the fourth quarter to put the game away.
 
ECU's victory was driven by a balanced and productive offense, totaling 436 yards compared to Southern Arkansas' 396. ECU also capitalized in the red zone, scoring on all three opportunities, and avoided turnovers. On defense, the Tigers applied pressure with two sacks and limited the Muleriders' third-down conversions, helping maintain control and secure the 44-22 win.
 
Quarterback Sergio Kennedy led the charge for the Tigers, turning in one of his best performances of the season. He went 14-for-21, passing for 241 yards and four touchdowns while adding 57 rushing yards.
 
The Tigers' receivers delivered a strong outing, led by Kaden Jones, who hauled in six catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns, including a 57-yard strike early in the third quarter. Brooks Rigney added three receptions for 49 yards, highlighted by a 46-yard grab that flipped field position. Jacob Martin and Xavier Gordon each found the end zone, with Martin scoring on a 21-yard reception and Gordon on a 10-yard catch
 
On the ground, Quincy Thompson anchored the rushing attack with 87 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, averaging 5.8 yards per attempt.
 
The Tigers' defense was led by Amajah Lewis, who totaled an impressive 18 tackles, including a tackle for loss, followed by Du'Wayne Paulhill with nine stops and Keebler Wagoner with six. Justin McCray and Seth Spady each recorded a sack, while McCray, Spady, Alon Woodberry, and Kaleb Hamilton added tackles for loss. Michael Onwuzurike contributed two quarterback hurries, and Derrick Culpepper recovered a fumble.