NATCHITOCHES – Senior quarterback Brad Henderson threw two touchdown passes, ran for another score and led a drive to a “game-winning” 48-yard field goal by senior kicker John Shaughnessy Wednesday night to highlight the end of Northwestern State’s preseason football camp during a 90-play controlled scrimmage at Turpin Stadium.

The Demons began shifting their focus to their Sept. 1 season opener at Texas Tech after the 2:40-long scrimmage, which included extensive special teams work and had restricted contact with no tackling.

Henderson (12-20, 120 yards) completed 9 of his last 11 passes, including steering the first-team offense 34 yards against their defensive counterparts in a two-minute drill featuring a scenario of the offense trailing by two. A 25-yard strike to Johvan Jilbert on fourth-and-14 got the ball to the defensive 27 and ultimately led to the field goal. Shaughnessy, riding a school-record streak of 12 straight made field goals entering the season, hammered the 48-yarder through the middle of the uprights.

All six of the touchdowns came in red zone and goalline competitions, but earlier scripted series curtailed a couple of longer drives before the offense could cash in with a TD or field goal.

Second-team quarterback Don Canyon (8-15, 49 yards) also tossed a pair of touchdowns, both 5-yarders, to redshirt freshman Rod Davis and sophomore transfer tight end Corey Simmons, who made a sensational one-handed leaping grab at the back of the end zone.

Henderson had 2-yard scoring pitches to Louis Hollier and Brant Legendre, and ran for a 2-yard TD. Tailback Rumeall Morris, the leading rusher with 45 yards on six carries, posted a 2-yard scoring run.

Sophomore cornerback Tri McCoy recorded a safety with a sack on a “coming out” competition with the offense starting at its own 1.

Fourteen different receivers contributed to a 244-yard passing game which had a combined 26 of 44 accuracy with no interceptions. Senior Clifton Brown (4-45) and true freshman Cody Jones (4-63) were the leading receivers.

“It was exactly what we needed, and we looked pretty darned sharp,” said fourth-year NSU coach Bradley Dale Peveto. “I was pleased with all three phases. It was tough for both sides 11-on-11 with no tackling and tapping the ballcarriers down, but we wanted to see if we were doing things right mentally and that definitely seemed to be the case.”

The Demons will begin working on Texas Tech in practices Thursday and Friday afternoon, then will take the weekend off before beginning game week drills Monday evening.