NAU Gets Payback on Incarnate Word with 31-23 win in front of Several Key In-State Recruits

After losing to Incarnate Word 38-14 in San Antonio last season, NAU got their payback on the Cardinals with a 31-23 win on Sep. 20.

Several key in-state recruits were in attendance for the game, including 4-star Hamilton '28 WR Roye Oliver, 3-star Salpointe '27 WR RJ Gory, 3-star McClintock '27 WR Aidan Whitaker, and San Tan Charter '27 TE Henry Tauscher, who received his second D-I offer from the Lumberjacks after the game.

For a full list of in-state recruits in attendance for the game, check out Arizona Varsity's Adam Beadle's in-depth article:

https://arizonavarsity.com/2025/09/19/roye-oliver-iii-henry-tauscher-maxwell-sprott-and-others-headline-huge-weekend-for-in-state-unofficial-visitors-at-nau/

The game started off with a 4-yard touchdown run by ALA Queen Creek alum Ethen Cluff to put NAU up 7-0 a little past the midway point in the first quarter.

Incarnate Word answered with a Will Faris 37-yard field goal to cut their deficit to 7-3 at the beginning of the 2nd quarter.

After forcing an NAU three-and-out, the Cardinals took their first and only lead of the game as QB EJ Colson connected with Jameson Garcia for a 47-yard TD bomb to make the score 10-7 with 9:34 remaining in the 2nd quarter.

On the ensuing drive, NAU answered back as QB Ty Pennington threw a beautiful 33-yard TD pass to WR Jayson Rainers to put the Lumberjacks back up 14-10 with 7:17 remaining in the half.

After each team punted on each of the next two drives and it looked like 14-10 would be the halftime score, Cesar Chavez alum Myseth Currie snagged a 46-yard Hail Mary in the end zone as time expired in the half to expand NAU's lead to 21-10.

The play may very well end up making SportsCenter Top 10 tonight or tomorrow.

However, Incarnate Word did not let the deflating play stop them from clawing back in the game. A methodical 11 play, 80-yard drive finished with a Lontrell Turner 3-yard rushing TD to bring the Cardinals back within 5 points with 3:24 remaining in the third quarter. However, the PAT was doinked off the left upright.

NAU answered right back again with another beautiful Ty Pennington TD pass, this time a 30-yarder to TE Jeter Purdy to extend their lead to 31-23 with 1:10 remaining in the third quarter.

Incarnate Word still wouldn't go away. They answered with a 10 play, 75-yard drive with Colson connecting with Jameson Garcia for an 11-yard TD to make the score 28-23 with 11:02 to go in the game.

NAU extended their lead with a 11-play, nearly 6-minute drive that ended with ALA Queen Creek alum Sam Hunsaker booting a 50-yard field goal straight down the middle that probably would have been good from 55-60 yards.

Hunsaker's field goal would be the final score of the game and the Lumberjacks held on to defeat Incarnate Word 31-23 in front of a sold-out crowd and several key in-state recruits.

Pennington finished the game completing 17/34 passes for 286 yards and 3 TDs while Incarnate Word's EJ Colson completed 28/36 passes for 292 yards and 2 TDs while rushing 13 times for an additional 59 yards.

Notable AZHSFB alum performances:

Quinlan Popham (Estrella Foothills) - 8 total tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PBU

Sam Hunsaker (ALA Queen Creek) - 4/4 PATs, 1/1 FGS (50 long)

Ethen Cluff (ALA Queen Creek) - 4-yard TD run

Myseth Currie (Cesar Chavez) - 46-yard TD catch

Isaiah Eastman (Higley) - 2 rec, 16 yards

Shahid Wilson (Millennium) - 1 tackle

Next up for the 3-1 Lumberjacks is a road trip to Portland, OR to take on Portland State.