ALVA, Okla. – The East Central University football team got back in the win column in dominant fashion Saturday night, defeating Northwestern Oklahoma State University 41-20 on the road at Ranger Field.
 
Despite a slow start, ECU erupted for 31 unanswered points in the second quarter, flipping the momentum and putting the game out of reach by halftime. The Tigers' dominant first-half performance carried them the rest of the way, improving ECU to 3-1 in Great American Conference play, while the Rangers drop to 0-4.
 
"It is good to have a team win again," said Head Coach John Litrenta. "Proud of the way we bounced back and prepared this week for the opportunity. Explosive plays and turnovers were huge for us! I'm excited to see our kids make plays when they earn it. We still need to learn how to finish games even when our young guys get in. Our standards don't change. We finished the week 1-0, and I'm excited for the opportunity this upcoming week!"
 
Trailing 3-0 early, ECU sparked their scoring outburst with an 89-yard interception return for a touchdown by Alon Woodberry. From there, the Tigers piled on with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Sergio Kennedy to River Shaw, a 42-yard fumble return by Oladotun Olanipekun, a 2-yard touchdown run from Quincy Thompson, and a 35-yard field goal from Alexander McGregor just before halftime. By the break, ECU had built a commanding 31-6 lead.
 
In the third quarter, McGregor added a 43-yard field goal, and Kennedy threw his second touchdown pass of the night, a 25-yard strike to Brooks Rigney, extending the lead to 41-6.
 
Northwestern Oklahoma State added two late touchdowns in the fourth quarter to chip away at the deficit, but the outcome was never in doubt.
 
Although the Tigers only narrowly outgained the Rangers in passing yards (288-277) and total offense (359-341), ECU excelled when it counted most, going a perfect 5-for-5 in the red zone, protecting the football with zero turnovers, and dominating special teams thanks to McGregor's 2-for-2 performance on field goals and 5-for-5 on extra points.
 
ECU's defense played a pivotal role in the win, not just by limiting big plays but by directly contributing on the scoreboard. Caden Pickens led the way with a game-high 13 tackles, followed by Amajah Lewis with 8 stops. Oladotun Olanipekun had a standout performance, recording a sack, a tackle for loss, and a 42-yard fumble return touchdown. Keith Hargraves added another sack and TFL, while Alon Woodberry delivered the game's first momentum-shifting play with his 89-yard interception return for a touchdown. ECU also got solid contributions from Michael Onwuzurike, Ben Farrell, and Seth Spady, with Onwuzurike and Farrell forcing fumbles and Spady recovering one to help swing momentum.
 
Sergio Kennedy completed 12 of 24 passes for 288 yards two touchdowns, including a huge 89-yard connection to Kaden Jones.
 
ECU's passing game was a major factor in the win, as the Tigers gained most of their yards through the air. Kaden Jones led the way with 132 yards on four catches, highlighted by his 89-yard reception. Jaden Williams added a big 64-yard catch, while Brooks Rigney and River Shaw both found the end zone, with Rigney hauling in three receptions for 42 yards and Shaw scoring on a 15-yard touchdown catch.
 
The ECU football team will stay on the road as they gear up for a crucial Great American Conference matchup against No. 2 Harding University in Searcy on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 2 p.m.