2021 East Central Tigers football team

2021 East Central Tigers football
2021 East Central Tigers football
Conference	Great American Conference
Record	7–4 (7–4 GAC)
Head coach	Al Johnson (4th season);
Offensive coordinator	Kris McCullough (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	No-huddle spread option
Defensive coordinator	John Litrenta (2nd season)
Base defense	3–4
Home stadium	Koi Ishto Stadium

2021 Great American Conference football standings

Team	W		L	W		L
No. 10 Harding $^	10	–	1	11	–	2
Henderson State	9	–	2	9	–	2
No. 23 Ouachita Baptist	9	–	2	9	–	2
SE Oklahoma State #	8	–	3	9	–	3
Oklahoma Baptist #	7	–	4	8	–	4
East Central	7	–	4	7	–	4
Arkansas–Monticello	5	–	6	5	–	6
Arkansas Tech	4	–	7	4	–	7
Southern Arkansas	4	–	7	4	–	7
NW Oklahoma State	2	–	9	2	–	9
Southern Nazarene	1	–	10	1	–	10
SW Oklahoma State	0	–	11	0	–	11

$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant # – bowl participant (Oklahoma Baptist: Heritage Bowl, SE Oklahoma State: Live United Texarkana Bowl) Rankings from AFCA poll

The 2021 East Central Tigers football team represented East Central University (ECU) as a member of the Great American Conference (GAC) during the 2021 NCAA Division II football season. Led by Al Johnson in his fourth an final season as head coach, the Tigers finished compiled an overall record of 7–4 with an identical mark in conference play, tying for fifth place in the GAC. The team played home games at Koi Ishto Stadium in Ada, Oklahoma.

On March 17, 2022, Johnson was hired to be the running backs coach for the Wisconsin Badgers.^[1]^[2] East Central's offensive coordinator, Kris McCullough, was named the Tigers' interim head coach before being promoted to full-time head coach in the middle of the 2022 season.^[3]^[4]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
September 4	6:00 p.m.	at No. 22 Harding	First Security Stadium Searcy, AR	L 0–28	3,500
September 11	6:00 p.m.	Arkansas Tech	Koi Ishto Stadium Ada, OK	W 13–10	0
September 18	8:15 p.m.	Southern Nazarene	Koi Ishto Stadium Ada, OK	W 40–13	3,071
September 25	6:00 p.m.	at Northwestern Oklahoma State	Ranger Field Alva, OK	W 20–17 ^OT	6,500
October 2	2:00 p.m.	Southern Arkansas	Koi Ishto Stadium Ada, OK	W 38–17	3,114
October 9	2:00 p.m.	at No. 9 Henderson State	Carpenter–Haygood Stadium Arkadelphia, AR	L 24–59	3,016
October 16	6:00 p.m.	Oklahoma Baptist	Koi Ishto Stadium Ada, OK	L 20–47	2,115
October 23	2:00 p.m.	at Southwestern Oklahoma State	Milam Stadium Weatherford, OK	W 44–34	402
October 30	2:00 p.m.	No. 6 Ouachita Baptist	Koi Ishta Stadium Ada, OK	L 28–43	3,114
November 6	2:00 p.m.	at Arkansas–Monticello	Cotton Boll Stadium Monticello, AR	W 35–10	0
November 13	2:00 p.m.	at Southeastern Oklahoma State	Paul Laird Field Durant, OK	W 30–28	2,132
Homecoming Rankings from AFCA Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

^[5]

Preseason

GAC coaches poll

The GAC coaches preseason poll was released on August 3, 2021. The Tigers were predicted to finish sixth in the conference.^[6]

Game summaries

At No. 22 Harding

East Central Tigers at No. 22 Harding Bisons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	0	0	0	0	0
No. 22 Bisons	21	0	7	0	28

at First Security Stadium, Searcy, Arkansas

Date: September 4
Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Sunny, 93 °F (34 °C)
Game attendance: 3,500
Referee: Ron Standridge
Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter

HAR – Cole Chancey 6-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 13:02. Bisons 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 16 yards, 1:39.
HAR – Omar Sinclair 72-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 11:49. Bisons 14–0. Drive: 1 play, 72 yards, 0:13.
HAR – Cole Chancey 1-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 0:44. Bisons 21–0. Drive: 13 plays, 56 yards, 7:33.

Second quarter

No scoring plays

Third quarter

HAR – Cole Chancey 24-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 4:06. Bisons 28–0. Drive: 2 plays, 27 yards, 0:51.

Fourth quarter

No scoring plays

Statistics	ECU	HAR
First downs	9	16
Total yards	146	374
Rushing yards	48	333
Passing yards	98	41
Turnovers	5	2
Time of possession	22:54	37:35

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
East Central	Passing	Kenny Hrncir	11/25, 98 yards, 4 INT
	Rushing	Ontario Douglas	13 rushes, 45 yards
	Receiving	Jackson McFalane	2 receptions, 23 yards
Harding	Passing	Preston Paden	2/3, 41 yards
	Rushing	Cole Chancey	17 rushes, 102 yards, 3 TD
	Receiving	Roland Wallace	1 reception, 32 yards

Arkansas Tech

Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys at East Central Tigers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Wonder Boys	0	3	0	7	10
Tigers	3	3	7	0	13

at Koi Ishto Stadium, Ada, Oklahoma

Date: September 11
Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Sunny, 90 °F (32 °C)
Game attendance: 0
Referee: Tommy Little
Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter

ECU – Garret Clark 27-yard field goal, 9:48. Tigers 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 4:35.

Second quarter

ATU – Jesus Zizumbo 26-yard field goal, 13:44. Tied 3–3. Drive: 12 plays, 55 yards, 5:58.
ECU – Garret Clark 28-yard field goal, 9:00. Tigers 6–3. Drive: 12 plays, 74 yards, 4:37.

Third quarter

ECU – Ontario Douglas 5-yard run (Garret Clark kick), 12:19. Tigers 13–3. Drive: 4 plays, 57 yards, 1:29.

Fourth quarter

ATU – Brandon Hunter 3-yard run (Jesus Zizumbo kick), 5:23. Tigers 13–10. Drive: 16 plays, 94 yards, 7:29.

Statistics	ATU	ECU
First downs	16	21
Total yards	232	418
Rushing yards	164	289
Passing yards	68	129
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	26:39	33:21

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Arkansas Tech	Passing	Jack Lindsey	12/25, 68 yards, INT
	Rushing	Caleb Batie	17 rushes, 98 yards
	Receiving	Tucker Kennedy	3 receptions, 22 yards
East Central	Passing	Kenny Hrncir	11/23, 129 yards, INT
	Rushing	Ontario Douglas	29 rushes, 170 yards, TD
	Receiving	Chris Shaw	2 receptions, 50 yards

References

^ Temple, Jesse (March 17, 2022). "Wisconsin names Al Johnson, former Badgers center, new running backs coach". The Athletic. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
^ Potrykus, Jeff (March 28, 2022). "Former Wisconsin center Al Johnson ecstatic to be coaching Badgers". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
^ Hummer, Chris (October 21, 2022). "Meet 27-year-old Kris McCullough, the youngest head coach in college football". 247 Sports. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
^ "McCullough Looks to Future as ECU's Head Football Coach". ECU. October 27, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
^ "2021 Football Schedule". Retrieved December 17, 2023.
^ "OUACHITA VOTED AS #theGAC2021 FOOTBALL PRESEASON FAVORITE". August 3, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2023.

[1] Temple, Jesse (March 17, 2022). "Wisconsin names Al Johnson, former Badgers center, new running backs coach". The Athletic. Retrieved December 17, 2023.

[2] Potrykus, Jeff (March 28, 2022). "Former Wisconsin center Al Johnson ecstatic to be coaching Badgers". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved December 17, 2023.

[3] Hummer, Chris (October 21, 2022). "Meet 27-year-old Kris McCullough, the youngest head coach in college football". 247 Sports. Retrieved December 17, 2023.

[4] "McCullough Looks to Future as ECU's Head Football Coach". ECU. October 27, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2023.

[5] "2021 Football Schedule". Retrieved December 17, 2023.

[6] "OUACHITA VOTED AS #theGAC2021 FOOTBALL PRESEASON FAVORITE". August 3, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2023.

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East Central Tigers football
Venues	Koi Ishto Stadium
People	Head coaches
Seasons	1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917–1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943–1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
National championship seasons in bold