CORSICANA, Texas — In his final game as a Emporia State Hornet, former Muldrow Bulldog and sixth-year senior Braden Gleason threw for 405 yards and six touchdowns as the Hornets stung the Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm 55-24 in the Fun Town RV Heritage Bowl.
The Hornets (9-3) tied the game at 7-all on Gleason’s first TD pass, a 13-yarder to Billy Ross Jr., then took a 14-10 lead on his second touchdown pass — a 19-yarder to Ethan Schultz — to put Emporia State ahead 14-10. ESU took a 17-10 lead into the second quarter.
In the second period, Gleason, who is a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy finalist as the Division II Player of the Year, scored on a 4-yard run as well as hit Tommy Zimmerman on a 3-yard TD pass to help the Hornets to a 31-17 halftime lead.
Gleason’s fourth and fifth touchdown passes came in the third quarter. The first one was a 7-yard TD pass for fellow Muldrow Bulldog true freshman Trenden Collins, while the other one was a 2-yard pass to Tyler Kahmann. ESU tok a 48-24 lead into the fourth quarter.
The last score of the game was Gleason’s sixth touchdown pass, a 35-yarder to Kahmann to bring the final score to 55-24.
Gleason rushed for 18 yards and a TD, and he finished his career with 4,178 passing yards and 47 touchdowns and rushed for 230 yards and four TDs.
Collins, who caught eight passes for 73 yards and a touchdown, ended his freshman year with 42 receptions for 396 yards and six TDs.