2023.09.27

JAZZ TAKES STAGE

Pickleball club hits court

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Rob Le Cates DENeic@gmail.com

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Assistant Photo Editor Tyriq Johnson denphotosdesk@gmail.com

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Sports Editor Zaria Flippin densportsdesk@gmail.com

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Opinions Editor Ellen Dooley denop.eds@gmail.com

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Editorial Adviser Tim Drachlis

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Publisher Joe Gisondi

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By Luke Brewer Reporter | @robert_lecates

Space is hard to see with the naked eye, but with the Astronomy Club’s upcoming Observatory Open House, the visibility is near limitless.

On Friday, Sept. 29, the event will take place at the observatory and will be free for all attendees. The event will begin at 8 p.m.

Planet Jupiter will be visible around 8:15 p.m.

At the event, multiple telescopes will be available for use, which are funded via donor and alumni funds.

The main 16-inch telescope will not be available for use due to electrical and structural repairs on the dome that will allow the telescope to be more impressive to look through upon completion.

The furthest the 16-inch telescope could see is a supernova explosion if the timing and location were properly utilized.

The 16-inch telescope is not the biggest telescope in service currently, however.

Off-campus, Bob Holmes, the Director of Astronomical Research Institute (ARI), works with Eastern to spot near-Earth asteroids that could prove potentially harmful to our planet.

At least 800 of the asteroids have been discovered, some even being found by students.

On Holmes’ farm where his work is conducted, there are multiple telescopes such as the 30-inch and 32-inch, as well as a 50-inch telescope.

While the farm does contain larger telescopes, the event is being held on campus due to it being “ideal for students and the public,” according to Steven Daniels, the Physics Chair at Eastern.

With a full moon occurring on Friday, craters will possibly be visible through the telescopes.

Saturn, Jupiter and some of their respective moons are also projected to be visible,

playing into the uniqueness of this event.

The open house is not the first to happen regarding the observatory, but when COVID struck the events were temporarily shut down.

Now that the event is back, it sets a basis for more upcoming astronomical events, one of which is the solar eclipse.

The next solar eclipse will occur on April 8, 2024, with a 99.62% visibility rate.

While it is still in the planning stages, multiple campus events are being planned to celebrate the occasion.

Astronomy Club members will also be present to ask them any questions about what is happening recently in the world of astronomy, and anyone interested in the club is also welcome to join.

Luke Brewer can be reached at 5812812 or at dennewsdesk@gmail. com.

Attention postmaster: Send address changes to: The Daily Eastern News 1802 Buzzard Hall Eastern Illinois University

FRONT PAGE BY HARPER HANCOCK & ASHANTI THOMAS

GRAPHIC BY CAM’RON HARDY | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS

Pickleball club hits the courts

By Drew Coffey Reporter | @DEN_News

Few sports have grown as quickly and predominately as pickleball. Invented in 1965, it has only gained national popularity in the last few years.

So much so, that even Eastern Illinois University and Charleston have a joint club that meets throughout the week at Sister City Park to play the fastest-growing sport in America.

The club was first started by Kinesiology Professor, Hasan Mavi and Vice President for Enrollment Management, Josh Norman.

According to Norman, the pickleball club has been around for nearly a year, and he enjoys that people of all ages can join.

“It’s just the inclusivity of pickleball and that whether you’re seven or 70 you can participate in the game and so it really just brings people together,” Norman said.

This year, Eastern hosted a “PantherPalooza” to reach out to students with potential programs, organizations, and clubs. The pickleball club was among these groups having their own table and a signup sheet for those interested.

Norman said the event showed a reinforced interest in the game.

“This year was the first year that we really went to PantherPalooza and took signups and so when we had 70 students sign up for the club, we knew we’re going to need more space,” Norman said.

The club is now working to bring the sport to campus in the form of new courts being built over tennis courts near the student recreation center, but there is one main concern about putting in new pickleball courts, according to Norman.

“One of the biggest flashpoints for pickleball as it’s spreading across the nation is just noise because the ball hitting the paddle makes a very distinct sound,” Norman said. “So, you know, part of the process is just making sure that for residents espe-

cially those in SPN [Stevenson and Powell Norton], that it isn’t excessive noise.”

Vice President of Student Affairs Anne Flaherty is also an avid member of the club and said they hope to have the courts put in before the end of the school year.

She also said that she started a smaller group of new players that would meet on Monday nights to get to know the fundamentals of pickleball.

“So, it’s fun to see the newbies get better and start playing with the more advanced players,” Flaherty said. “It’s been a great opportunity to see the community members play with students and just bridge the gap.”

Junior business major Katelind Winterland said the club was more than inviting when she first started.

“I was playing at the YMCA in Mattoon in like a volleyball tournament and they were there, so I just jumped in,” Winterland said. “Then they added me to the group chat, and I started coming.”

Senior television and video production major Jessica Nantes said she has also recently joined the club and has enjoyed getting more active.

“I’ve met new people and I’ve gotten to actually exercise in a way that’s fun,” Nantes said. “I have really enjoyed playing with people I’ve played with, but also just getting to like move my body in a way that’s not just running on a track like I get to actually do something with a purpose behind it.”

According to Josh Norman, he thinks pickleball is a great way for students to connect with each other as well as faculty, staff and others in the community.

“I love the way that the sport is growing especially on our campus because anything that creates a sense of belonging for our students is good for retention and persistence, but also good just for their experience overall,” Norman said.

Drew Coffey can be reached at 5812812 or at akcoffey@eiu.edu.

BY ASHANTI THOMAS | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS

Jessica Nantes, a senior TV and video production major plays pickleball with her sister and friends outside at the Lantz Arena tennis courts.

BY ASHANTI THOMAS | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS

Vice President for Student Affairs Anne Flaherty plays a match of pickleball along with other Eastern faculty.

There’s no business like a small business

By Jacob Adcock Reporter | @DEN_News

Starting a business can be a struggle, especially for some people new to the competitive world of small businesses. Sometimes, people treat their small business like their life because it is.

It pays the bills for a small business owner; other times, people just like to share their creativity and art with the world.

During Eastern’s “Family Weekend,” the south quad was filled with booths run by students who own small businesses.

Students with merchandise were allowed to advertise and even sell their products. The small business fest went from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. With the bright light from the sun came bright ideas from business owners.

The fest had some students engaging in their business for the first time. It was a chance to dip their toes in selling and running a successful business. Many booths were gathering, and people were just now getting exposed to what they could do with their ideas.

Rachel Perino, a junior majoring in art education, had their original art and sticker prints displayed and on sale for the first time. Perino’s art can be found on her Instagram: @sometimesshewonders.

It was a chance for her to reveal her art and discover what people would think about how she could sell what she loves.

“Business has been okay so far, but I have had a lot of people who have come up to me and compliment my art even if they don’t want to purchase anything, so I think it is nice to learn if my prices are too high,” Perino said. “I have even told people I am willing to negotiate, and they mostly say that the pricing is good; they just don’t want to buy it.”

Everyone also had their inspiration and plans to grow in the future.

“I think I will continue to sell my art because of how exciting it is,” Perino said. “My aunt also has a successful small crystal business, so seeing her thrive was nice to see. I also could

BY JACOB ADCOCK | THE DAILY

stick with this side business because I am an art education major.”

With many people selling art at the fest, it might be hard for customers to choose from multiple artists. However, many art booths were utterly different, which allowed a wide variety of fun art pieces to be presented. Some artists have had experience in selling their crafts before.

Junior Alexa Peter, majoring in 2D studio arts, had a table full of her art on display and expressed that she had been making art for as long as she could remember. Her art form focused on block print shirts and papers, and she started selling her work in high school on Depop. Even though she only sells her art as a side hustle, she hopes the event could help her grow her online sales.

There was a lot of jewelry being sold at the event, some being homemade.

Kensi Kensel, a freshman studying business management, runs a business called Variety Boutique. She had a wide variety of jewelry, including necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets and she even does henna tattoos.

It was her first time selling at Eastern, and after spending her day at the

fest, she plans on creating a website. The duality of her booth gave her experience with running a business and tips on how to work with potential customers. Even though selling her jewelry is a side hustle, she plans to grow her business. You can schedule a henna appointment or jewelry repair by emailing Varietyboutique14@gmail. com.

Emily Larsen, a freshman business management major, also had her jewelry on display. She specialized in earrings, but has explored her options of making keychains.

Since she has been in high school, Larsen has been making multiple versions of unique and fun earrings. She stated that she does the business fulltime and has made a generous profit from sales. Her business is called BeeCraftn, and you can buy her merchandise on Esty by clicking the link in her Instagram bio: @beecraftn.

Some booths were set up to advertise a business students could benefit from.

Eryka Williams, a senior majoring in nutrition, took the opportunity to promote her new lash business.

‘Baddie Blinks’ is a self-made busi -

ness made by Williams herself. Although her small business is her side hustle, she has made good profits by selling lashes, products, and lash services. She started doing what she loves this year and explained how it has impacted her life.

“I want to build people’s confidence through the love and beauty of lashes,” Williams said.

Being a part of the business fest created a space for her to learn how to read people.

“Being here made me realize that I need to be more serious because not everybody is going to be attracted to how I do business, so until I have talked to the person, I am trying to be more professional,” Williams said.

With each small business having its unique personality, the Small Business Fest created a place for people to promote and sell their products and a chance to learn new tips and tricks.

The South Quad attracted many students and their families, gaining publicity the small business owners needed to thrive for their futures.

Jacob Adcock can be reached at 581-2812 or at jadcock@eiu.edu.

EASTERN NEWS

Students set up stands and sell items during Eastern small business fest at South Quad Saturday afternoon.

COLUMN

The beauty of close proximity friendships

By Kierstyn Budz Columnist

This past weekend I had the opportunity to go to Camp New Hope.

If you are unaware of what that is, it is the location of a leadership retreat put on by Residence Hall Association and National Residence Hall Honorary. I was lucky enough that this year was my second year of going as it is my second year of being the President of Ford Hall here at Eastern.

Last year, I was the only Ford delegate and while I had an amazing time, I was lonely because I was still new at being President, so I was very anti-social, and I was the only female delegate. This year, my experience was completely flipped on its head.

I was able to walk in the door this year with five other Ford residents as well as meet tons of new people. Now, while I am President, it is still very early in the semester, and I am still shaking off my summer of being a tad anti-social.

That being said, I knew little about my fellow residents and was still

COLUMN

afraid they did not like me.

On the first day, I sat a bit far from my other residents in fear I would make them uncomfortable. The only other Ford resident I sat next to was someone I have known for quite a long time, and I knew he would not be upset if I did.

I sat there looking around, wondering how I would try to make some friends. Though we were going to be sharing a room and a bathroom, that was not enough to get to know someone.

Throughout the next couple of hours, I sat in the same spot, my anxiety growing. We were given some free time to either sleep or play some board games and I made my way downstairs to join the games. I decided it was time to face my fears.

I sat at a table with a few of my other Ford residents and we played a board game together for hours. Getting to know each other, laughing, yelling at each other when we lost or won. Just having fun without thinking. I went to bed that night with a smile on my face and happiness in my heart.

The next morning, I woke up and we continued our day doing fun programs and I got to know some of my other residents. We laughed some more, we talked about our daily lives, I learned about what they saw in their

future. It felt so nice to actually connect with people because of our close proximity.

That night, we were able to paint, make friendship bracelets, play board games, or sleep. Our group of Ford residents decided we would all make friendship bracelets together. I was ecstatic. I felt like I was seen as a friend and not just the person who runs the meetings every week.

Five of us sat together and I worked on braiding together a bracelet like I thought we were all doing. I sat there braiding quickly when I heard a “here Kierstyn.” I looked up to see the person across from me handing me a green and blue ‘Ford’ bracelet.

I had thought they made it for themselves, but they prompted me to take it. I grabbed it, a bit confused, and then I noticed three other letter beads on the other side.

I flipped it and examined the three beads, noticing a K, a heart, and a B bead. I looked up at them, realizing they had made it for me and that my initials were part of the beading. I swear, I could have cried.

I immediately put it on, and I have only taken it off when I need to. Later on, I noticed we all were given bracelets with our initials on them saying ‘Ford’ and it is such a special gift. This bracelet is going to go through a

lot in its time on my wrist, and I will not forget the memories made during that weekend.

Yesterday, a few days after returning home, the same person who made me the bracelet bought me a smoothie just because I said I was going to be up late writing a paper. They had remembered I do not drink coffee from a conversation we had during the weekend.

Another moment was when we were painting the windows for this year’s Neighborhood Week, and we all drew and danced together to songs from Disney movies. We again laughed and talked like we have known each other for years.

I am so thankful for the memories I made this weekend and the fact it had brought us together.

Without this trip and our close proximity, I might have never met them at all as we sometimes stick in our own little residence hall bubbles.

Something I think we as humans tend to do is let fear rule our lives, whether it be about ourselves or other people. If we just let those go, we would realize that friendships lie around every corner, we just need to stop overthinking and go say hi.

Kierstyn Budz can be reached at krbudz@eiu.edu

‘Reservoir Dogs’: A group of truly colorful characters

By Drew Coffey Columnist

If there was a film that you could become completely lost and engaged with solely based on the dialogue, it would be the 1992 crime film “Reservoir Dogs.”

The directorial debut for Quentin Tarantino stars Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth, Micheal Madsen, and even Tarantino himself.

The film tells the story of a group of criminals who are brought together to carry out a heist.

When the robbery goes south, the men, who go by colors rather than their own names, must find the rat who tipped off the police amongst

themselves and escape the law.

This film can only be described as unbelievably natural when it comes to the characters and their chemistry.

From the very first scene, we see how they all interact, their personalities, and ideologies just from a simple, yet at times extremely crude, conversation in a diner.

When juggling more than five characters, that can be a difficult feat to accomplish.

And accomplish Tarantino does as the audience really does feel like the characters could be someone they truly know personally by the end of the film.

The relationship between Mr. White and Mr. Orange, played by Keitel and Roth, is probably the most interesting aspect of the characters because they seem to have an authentic bond that the guys do not have.

Micheal Madsen also shines with his screen time as he plays the most

psychotic out of the criminal group.

There is an unsettling and prowling nature to his performance that adds a much-needed source of tension throughout.

Visually, the crime film is also shot almost like a play production with the warehouse being the main location with characters coming in and out of the scene.

Tarantino utilizes a more “fly on the wall” style as the camera is mostly handheld following the chaos of the situation and how the characters are reacting to it.

“Reservoir Dogs” also marks the start of Tarantino’s love for nonlinear storytelling. It was enjoyable to see how the events come to happen starting with the bloody aftermath of the botched heist.

It makes the film feel more like a mystery as to what is going on as we are thrust into mayhem.

Also, the individual backstories we

saw of the main players were also a nice touch to continue the character development, showing what they were before the robbery.

The music also feels very involved in the scene as we are given the broadcast of a certain radio station channel throughout the film. This leads to the famous ear scene, with the Stealers Wheel song “Stuck in the Middle with You” prominently in the scene.

Overall, “Reservoir Dogs” is a film that absolutely hooks you from the very beginning with some of the most entertaining and rich dialogue seen in a movie. The characters, story, and visual style really complement the crime film and cement it as a legendary debut for Quentin Tarantino.

Overall rating: 5/5

Drew Coffey can be reached at akcoffey@eiu.edu or 217-5812812.

Jazz brings families together

By Cam’ron Hardy News Editor | @DEN_News

Maria Torres came to see “the star of the show,” her son, Daniel Torres, after his performance at the jazz showcase.

Maria said she was “humbled” to see what her son has been working on.

“I can see the progress from when he started to now, and it’s just amazing, it’s overwhelming.”

Daniel played the trombone at the concert and had multiple solo performances.

Maria said that Daniel has been playing instruments and fell in love with music before he could even walk. He was also self-taught, according to Maria.

He started with the guitar and then transitioned to the trombone and then finally settled with the trombone in elementary school.

As far as a career path, Maria just hopes that Daniel is happy and enjoyed whatever he chooses to do.

“He can make a way of life,” Maria said. “I know he loves music, so as far as for me, as long as he’s happy doing what he loves.”

Daniel’s father, Marten Torres, was also at the performance to watch his son perform.

“Like [my wife] said, [I’m] proud of my son,” Marten said. “I know he loves music and we’re going to support him.”

Daniel received multiple ovations for his solo performances.

Daniel is Marten’s and Maria’s only living son, and Marten said that he is “everything” to them.

Daniel plays for himself and his brother, according to Maria.

“We know in his heart, he’s playing for both,” Maria said.

Maria said the entire family are self-taught musicians.

Marten said that one of his uncles went to Mexico and used to play everywhere he went.

The audience showed their enthusiasm for the performers as they clapped multiple times throughout the performance after certain parts of the show.

August Frisby, a music performance major, performed at the concert and played the saxophone. His performance was heavily rooted for by audience members, as they cheered the loudest when he was on stage.

Frisby gave multiple long solo performances. He seemed to be having a

lot of fun on stage, as he was grooving to the beat of the music and smiling alongside his band members.

Jacob Reeley, a freshman music major, also played piano at the event. It was their first time performing. Reeley said they were kind of nervous before they started.

“I felt like I was gonna be nervous, and then I wasn’t,” Reeley said. “I don’t know why it felt really good, actually.”

Reeley was nervous about messing up, but the practice paid off when it was time to show everyone what they were working on.

Reeley had been practicing for about five weeks to prepare for the night’s performance.

Reeley said some notes were missed but looks forward to improving for the next concert. Generally, Reeley thought their solo performances were what they excelled at.

Reeley also looks forward to working on new material for the next show. Reeley wants everyone to come out to the next performance, which will be held Oct. 17 in the Dvorak Concert Hall, in the Doudna Fine Arts Center. 12 songs were delivered from four different groups, including the EIU Jazz Lab Band, Birdland Quartet, Blue Note Quintet and EIU Jazz Ensemble.

Cam’ron Hardy can be reached at 581-2812 or at dennewsdesk@ gmail.com.

Tarble releases new exhibition

By Audra Gullquist Assistant News Editor | @DEN_News

“These happen over years of gathering these shows, conversations with the artists and studio visits with the artists,” said Kaen Henry, the assistant director of public engagement at the Tarble Arts Center.

Eastern’s Tarble Arts Center opened their first Fall Exhibition of the semester on Sept. 22 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The exhibit titled “Who speaks for the Oceans?” included artwork through many mediums, such as videos, projections, paintings, tapestry, music and more.

The exhibit is open to the public during gallery hours, until Jan. 27, 2024.

Tarble’s Program Guide states the exhibit’s mission is to “analyze what we think we know about life in the ocean through the charismatic ‘whale song.’”

A crew of seven undergraduate student workers and three graduate assistants, alongside the four senior staff members, work together to make these exhibits possible.

Emilee-Renee Tosh, a senior majoring in mass communication, is one of the seven student workers that got to experience the exhibition coming to life.

Tosh became a student worker at

Tarble at the start of the semester, after having a life-long love for art, that she wanted to explore.

“I am very excited to see how all these events run because this is my first event I’ve worked and I like seeing how everything like all the work that went into building all of it,” Tosh said.

Jennifer E Seas, the director and chief curator of Tarble is essential for the preparation of exhibitions.

Seas has many roles and responsibilities at Tarble.

“I run the museum, oversee a staff of 4 full-time employees and 10 parttime student employees, plan robust educational arts programming, teach college courses, manage a permanent art collection and engage with various groups to serve campus and regional communities,” Seas said.

She also prepares a curator of artists that are displayed at the exhibitions. Their Fall Exhibit displays artists from New York.

“Our main show was a show that already existed in the Michigan Gallery in New York,” Henry said. “So, [Seas] saw this gallery, really liked it, and then started a conversation with the curators there about bringing it here and then adding to it.”

Gisela Alvarez, the exhibitions and collection manager has devoted a significant portion of her time to planning the exhibit, hanging art, painting

and reviewing the logistics.

“We’ve been working really hard for about a month to get this whole thing up,” Alvarez said.

She is also responsible for “working on the collection and putting together or revamping our accession policy and our deaccessioning policies, and taking a look at our collection and seeing what ways can be organized, what ways it can be utilized, better or differently.”

Although this exhibition displayed non-local artists, Tarble

their spring semester to showcasing local artists and students.

Their Winter Exhibition, titled “Art From Here” opens on Feb. 9, 2024 and is available until March 15, 2024. The exhibit features young artists in East Central Illinois and is set to “celebrate over four decades of collaboration with regional art teachers.”

Gullquist can be reached at 581-2812 or at agullquist@eiu. edu.

BY ASHANTI THOMAS | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS Nathan Bell on trumpet performs the piece Bernie’ s Tune apart of the Birdland Quartet at the Jazz Showcase.

dedicated

Audra

BY ASHANTI THOMAS | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS

The Tarble Art Center exhibits a new showcase called “Whale Bells” by Jenny Kendler and Andrew Bearnot.

Galloway’s 56-yarder gives EIU second last-minute win

By Autumn Schulz Senior Sports Reporter | @DEN_News

20 seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter and a 56-yard field goal attempt is what stood between the Eastern Illinois football team and its third win of the 2023 season.

But the adversity was no match for senior kicker Stone Galloway.

Galloway ran onto O’Brien Field for the first time this season due to a groin injury, settled in between the uprights, and successfully sealed the 31-28 win for the Panthers over McNeese State Saturday evening.

O’Brien Field erupted in cheers but there were two voices that seemed a little bit louder than the rest: Galloway’s parents Alyssa and Tony Galloway.

Galloway and his parents embraced each other on the sidelines after the final whistle, tears flowing down each of their faces.

“Like a dream, like a miracle, like Jesus is taking care of all of us,” Alyssa Galloway said when asked what it was like to watch the ball go over.

Tony Galloway said that his son had been wanting moments like this to come.

“And so when it comes, then you’re like ‘did I really want his moment to happen?”

Tony Galloway said. “But he just remains so chill. Every kick is the same to him.”

Galloway said that it felt really good to complete the kick for his team.

“You know, I’ve been out for the first three games, I thought it was going to be four and you know, it was hurting just because I wasn’t gonna be able to be there for them,” Galloway said. “But it was just amazing.”

The Panthers took their first possession of the game and ran with it.

Redshirt freshman running back MJ Flowers ran up the left side of the field on his second carry of the game for 65 yards.

This set up redshirt junior quarterback Pierce Holley to hit junior wide receiver Eli Mirza at the Cowboys’ one-yard line. On the very next play, Holley ran the ball in for a touchdown, putting the Panthers up 7-0.

This sequence was just a small glimpse into the historic performance by Flowers. Flowers would go on to rush for 272 yards on 37 attempts.

He is now the third best player in Panther history for rushing yards in a single game, knocking off Nate Anderson who rushed for 268 yards in 1973 against St. Joseph.

Flowers’ parents Chavonne and Monty Flowers Sr. were in attendance for Flowers’

historic performance.

“We were really excited,” Chavonne Flowers said. “We’ve been waiting for him to run the ball a little bit more. We were patient, he was patient, and humble. We were just pumped.”

Monty Flowers Sr. said that MJ has all the character basics and morals to perform on the field.

“I’m very proud and I’m humbled and it’s an honor to God, you know, God gave him the strength and everything to do what he do and keep him protected,” Monty Flowers Sr. said.

Flowers was all smiles after the game on the sideline. He said that working hard in practice this week led to his success.

“I was able to come out, we were able to get the good win and my performance helped to that,” Flowers said. “I can’t ask for much more.”

The win did not come easy for the Panthers. There was a series of penalties in the first half that led to the Cowboys taking a 28-14 lead at halftime.

Head coach Chris Wilkerson said that the first half was about as poorly as the Panthers could play.

“Penalties, bogged down in the redzone, didn’t tackle very well on defense, a lot of things that are correctable,” Wilkerson said. “You know, coming off an emotional high last week, as much as you talk about it as a coaching staff, we knew it was going to be hard to regain our momentum.”

To begin the second half, both teams forced each other to punt during their respective opening possessions.

In the middle of the fourth quarter, the Panthers were able to cut the lead to 28-21 after Flowers was able to run in the ball on a six-yard carry.

The Cowboys used nine plays to advance 44 yards into Panther territory to set up a 48-yard field goal attempt to end the drive. However, the kick was unsuccessful.

The momentum shifted to the Panthers’ favor when fifth year running back Juwon Farri was able to take the ball to the endzone on a 19-yard carry, tying the game 2828.

The Panthers are currently 3-1, the best they’ve started since 2016.

The Panthers will look to secure their fourth win of the season on the road over Northwestern State next Saturday at 6 p.m.

Autumn Schulz can be reached at 581-2812 or at densportsdesk@gmail. com.

MJ FLOWERS

The redshirt freshman running back from Cincinnati, OH rushed for 272 yards and scored one rushing touchdown to help the Panthers hold off

Flowers’ rushing yards is the third most in program history, passing Nate Anderson who recorded 268 rushing yards.

BY TYRIQ JOHNSON | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS

Galloway’s field goal was the second longest field goal in school history, and it was only the eighth made field goal in program history that was over 50 yards.

McNeese at O’Brien Field Saturday afternoon.

The senior kicker from Collinsville, IL kicked a 56-yard field goal to secure the win against McNeese 31-28 at O’Brien Field Saturday afternoon.

Senior kicker, Stone Galloway, kicks a 56 yard field goal to put the panthers ahead of Mcneese St cowboys with 20 seconds left at O‘Brien Field.

EIU freshman rushes for more yards than McNeese

MJ Flowers posts 3rd highest yards rushed for a game in school history.

By Aidan Cusack Sports Reporter | @DEN_News

Redshirt freshman MJ Flowers dominated for the Panthers last Saturday, rushing for 272 yards and scoring a touchdown in a comeback victory against the McNeese Cowboys Saturday afternoon at O’Brien Field.

Flowers rushed more than McNeese’s entire offense as McNeese recorded a total of 271 rushing yards.

His efforts put him third for most rushing yards in a game in EIU history, 34

yards away from the school record.

Alongside his rushing stats, Flowers reeled in six catches for 26 yards. He ended the game with 298 all-purpose yards.

Flowers touched the ball 43 times on Saturday combining catches and carries.

The Panthers’ coaching staff emphasized improving the run game leading up to Saturday, so Flowers figured he would get a heavy workload.

“I wasn’t expecting 37 carries,” Flowers said jokingly. “But definitely was prepared through practice, Coach [Wilkerson] told us this week ‘foot on the gas, don’t let off the pedal.’”

“We knew we wanted to run the football a little more efficiently this week.” Head Coach Wilkerson said.

Flowers realized how important it was to gain momentum in the game early.

In the first quarter, Flowers recorded a 65-yard sprint down the right sideline on Eastern’s second offensive play.

Flowers spoke on how a run like that is vital for EIU because it allows them to set the tone for the game.

Freshman running back MJ Flowers has the third best record for rushing yards in a single game in EIU history. (File)

“We always wanna come out and set a tone,” Flowers said. “You know, that was the second play of the game so doing that set us up in a good position.”

By halftime, Flowers had already rushed for 151 yards from 15 touches. He also recorded five catches for 23 yards from five targets.

19 of his receiving yards were yards after the catch.

Flowers scored late in the fourth quarter on a six-yard run up the middle.

This score tied the game at 28-28, setting up the Panthers’ defense for the late game stop which led to senior Stone Galloway’s game-winning field goal.

Galloway had a few words of praise for

MJ after his emotional game-winner.

“Oh man, watching MJ do his thing, it was so exciting,” Galloway said. “After his first one, he got hit in the gap and went outside for that 60-yard gain, I went up to him and hit his hand and said, ‘Dude just finds a way.’ It’s just really cool seeing him do his thing.”

Coach Wilkerson restated his faith in Flowers postgame.

“MJ, like a lot of guys on our team, was ready to step up,” Wilkerson said. “He’s shown flashes of greatness, and he had an opportunity today to show it, he had 37 carries. He made the most of his opportunity.”

“Shout out to the whole entire coaching staff; shout out Coach Wilk,” Flowers said. He followed this with his most important comment: “Go Panthers!”

Aidan Cusack can be reached at 5812812 or at densportsdesk@gmail.com.