DWU celebrates homecoming with 14-7 win over Doane

MITCHELL, S.D. – For the third-straight week, the Dakota Wesleyan University football team found itself in a game that went down to the wire. And for the second-straight week, it was the Tigers who prevailed in the end in Saturday’s Great Plains Athletic Conference game at Joe Quintal Field.

DWU improved to 4-2 this season with a 14-7 win over Doane College. Dakota Wesleyan forced five turnovers – including a school record-tying three interceptions by senior cornerback Eric Adolph – and relied on the passing game early and the running game late to cement the win.

The Tigers’ homecoming crowd had to wait through a 45-minute delay caused by rain and lightning in the second quarter. However, the win, which got DWU to two games above .500 for the first time since the GPAC was formed in 2000, was certainly worth the wait. Saturday, the Tigers equaled their highest win total in GPAC play, and they can guarantee themselves a .500 season with one more win.

The delay was enforced after a bolt of lightning was spotted near the field with the Tigers knocking on the doorstep for their first score. Once play resumed, DWU senior fullback Alan Swartz punched it in from the 1-yard line and Sergio Leon added the PAT for a 7-0 lead.

The score stayed that way until early in the fourth quarter when DWU took over from its own 10 yard line. Running back Jim Williams ran for 23 yards on consecutive carries and quarterback Jon Doom capped off the drive with a 44-yard scoring strike to Bubba Slaba. Leon’s extra point made it 14-0 with 11:12 to play.

It appeared like the Tigers would put the game away when Doane fumbled the ensuing kickoff and DWU took over on the Doane 43-yard line. However, after driving to the 21-yard line, Doom was intercepted by Josh Warren, who returned the pick to DWU 40-yard line.

Adolph came up with his record-tying interception on the very next play, as he stayed in perfect position on a deep fade route and came up with the jump ball. The interception was nearly identical to his second pick, which occurred earlier in the fourth quarter.

After a DWU punt, Doane made things interesting with a 35-yard touchdown pass from Anthony Dunn to Antony Ritton to pull within 14-7 with 5:09 left on the clock.

However, DWU used a heavy dose of Williams, Raymond “Boogie” Blossom and its offensive line to churn out four first downs and run the remaining time off the clock to seal the GPAC victory.

Slaba nearly had a record-setting day in the passing game. The junior, who came into the game ranked eighth in the nation in receptions per game, caught 11 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown. Slaba finished one catch shy of tying DWU’s single-game record.

Doom was 21-for-34 passing for 215 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Williams ran for 94 yards on 22 carries, and Blossom added 37 yards on the ground.

DWU’s defense was spectacular all game, nearly shutting out Doane and holding the visiting Tigers to just 265 yards of total offense. Daniel Wysong led the way with five solo tackles, five assist tackles, three tackles-for-a-loss and a sack. Steve Viereck had three solo tackles, five assist tackles and two pass breakups and Jordan Gau also came up with an interception.

Alex Hall led Doane with 51 rushing yards on 15 carries. Dunn was just 9-for-23 with one touchdown and four interceptions, and Ritton caught two passes for 66 yards.

DWU will hit the road next weekend in search of its first five-win season in the GPAC. The Tigers travel to Sioux City, Iowa, to take on Briar Cliff University at 1 p.m. DWU will return home the following weekend to host second-ranked Sioux Falls at Joe Quintal Field.
*Courtesy: DWU Sports Information

Dordt College Wins First Varsity Football Contest

(Sioux Center, Iowa) The Dordt College Defender football team earned their first ever varsity football game with a 17-14 win over the Concordia Bulldogs in Great Plains Athletic Conference football Saturday afternoon, October 11 in Sioux Center, Iowa.

The Defenders dominated the second half with 10 points and limited Concordia to six minutes of offensive possession time in the final 30 minutes on the way to their first win in six tries and their first win in GPAC play.

Dordt moved the ball on their first possession but came away empty after a fumble at the Concordia 27. It was the only turnover the Defenders would commit on the rainy day. Concordia eventually got on the scoreboard with a TJ Shirey completion to Wade Houchin for 19 yards and a touchdown to cap an eight play, 73 yard drive. The point after failed and the Bulldogs were up 6-0 with 1:14 left in the first quarter.

Dordt scored their first touchdown of conference play at the 3:59 mark when when they capitalized on a fumble that was forced by Tyler Te Grotenhuis, giving the Defenders a short field to work with. Three plays later Joey Vander Schaaf took an option pitch and went in from 19 yards. The Reuben Faber kick was good and the Defneders led 7-6.

The visitors wasted no time in striking for a 62 yard pass touchdown to Houtchin from Shirey with 2:44 left in the half. The play was the second of the possession.

Dordt threatened towards the end of the half but turned the ball over on downs after waiting out a 40 minute lightning delay with :44 left in the half.

The teams had a shortened halftime--three minutes and resumed play with Dordt beginning their dominance. After a three-plays and punt the Defenders got a pass interception by Phillip Sears that set up the game tying touchdown drive. Dordt drove from midfield to the Concordia 19 where, facing third and 13, Scotty Walden found Grant Mowery over the middle for a touchdown with 6:08 left in the third quarter. The rive took 5:33 off the clock. Nick Sohre's kick was good to tie it at 14.

Concordia turned the ball over on downs on their next possession, giving the Defenders the ball at 68 yards from the end zone with 3:29 left in the quarter. Austin Vander Ham and Jordan Alexander teamed up for the tackle of Akeem Christain-Stark to get the ball on downs on the fourth and four try.

Dordt's drive looked dead when they ran a double reverse option pass on the first play of the fourth quarter with Vander Schaaf getting the second hand off from Ryan Campbell and completing a pass to Scotty Walden who started the play at quarterback. Walden raced to the Concordia 24 before getting drug down. The Defenders eventually kicked a field goal from 21 yards for a 17-14 lead with 10:42 remaining in the game. The Defenders forced a fumble on Concordia's second play from scrimmage on the ensuing drive, forced Concordia to punt on their second possession after the field goal and Jack Bryant got a pass interception at the Dordt 12 with :27 left to seal the win.

Dordt outgained Concordia 367-284 and allowed the Bulldogs just a little over six minutes of possession time in the second half. Dordt's Joey Vander Schaaf had 103 yards on the ground on 20 carries and had five catches for 55 yards and a 38 yard pass completion. Scotty Walden was 11-22 through the air for 101 yards and had 74 yards on the ground in 19 carries. Ben Robbins had 16 totes for 48 yards.

Concordia's TJ Shirey had 68 yards of rushing on 10 carries and completed 9-17 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns and two pass interceptions.

Jack Bryant and Phillip Sears each had an interception and Sears also had four solo tackles and two assisted stops with a fumble recovery. Jake Dykstra had two solos, forced a fumble and had a fumble recovery along with a pass break up. Matt Postmus was in on three solo tackles for the Defenders who are now 1-5 overall and 1-4 in the conference. The Defenders travel to Midland Lutheran in Fremont, Nebraska next Saturday, October 18 for a 1:00 kickoff. Concordia falls to 1-5 overall and in the GPAC with the loss.
*Courtesy: Corey Westra, GPAC

#9 Minnesota-Duluth rolls to 55-7 win

(Duluth, MN) The Northern State University Wolves knew they had a tough challenge on their hands, heading into Saturday's contest on the road against the ninth ranked team in the country. And the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs did not disappoint, scoring 35 second-quarter points and handing the Wolves a 55-7 loss in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football action. Bulldog quarterback Ted Schlafke, who had already surpassed the 10,000-yard passing mark earlier this season, threw five TD passes to four different receivers on Saturday to become UMD's all-time TD pass leader. The Bulldogs also put up an impressive defensive front, holding NSU to just 154 yards of total offense and one score. The Wolves' lone touchdown of the day came in the first quarter on a 10-yard Eric Ellingson (Riverside, Calif.) strike to sophomore wide receiver Trent DesLauries (Clark, S.D.). NSU made it into the red zone just twice more - once in the second quarter and once in the third - but both drives ended with turnovers. Defensively, sophomore linebacker Chris Hurd (Rapid City, S.D.) led the way with seven total tackles, two of which were for a loss. Junior Andrew Wanner (Groton, S.D.) got his first interception of the year, returning a third-quarter pick for 18 yards. Senior linebacker Chris McClellan (Hartsville, Tenn.) came up big on special teams, picking up NSU's third blocked kick in as many games when he blocked David Nadeau's eighth and final extra point attempt. The Wolves have a short week to recover as they return home to face the University of Mary in a Thursday night contest. That game, which will be televised live on KSFY (South Dakota), KFYR, KMOT, KUMN and KQCD (North Dakota), is slated for a 7 p.m. start at Swisher Stadium.
*Courtesy: NSU Sports Information

Banks leads Minot St. to 28-17 win
Eds: APNewsNow. Minot St. 28., Dakota St. 17.
MADISON, S.D. (AP) - Nick Banks ran for 123 yards and three
touchdowns to lead Minot State to a 28-17 Dakota Athletic
Conference win over Dakota State on Saturday.
Banks carried 26 times and scored on runs of 1, 3 and 9 yards
for the Beavers (3-3, 2-1). His third touchdown gave Minot State a
21-10 lead after three quarters.
Layvester James passed for 121 yards for the Beavers.
The Trojans (2-4, 0-3) had just 154 total yards. They scored on
an 82-yard punt return by T.J. Simmons and a 65-yard interception
return by Brenton Hunter.

Jamestown edges Hardrockers 27-19
Eds: APNewsNow. Jamestown 27, S. Dakota Tech 19.
RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - Jamestown College survived four Josh
Kittell interceptions and a fumble to beat South Dakota Tech 27-19
Saturday in the Dakota Athletic Conference.
Kittell was 27-for-46 for 332 yards and a touchdown for the
Jimmies (4-2, 2-1). But he was picked off four times and lost a
fumble that the Hardrockers' Jarrod Luze returned 45 yards for a
score that pulled Tech within 21-19.
The Jimmies' defense sealed it when Drew Baier returned an
interception 28 yards with 11:15 to play. Jamestown intercepted
three Nick Russell passes.
Kittell scored on a 1-yard run and threw a 62-yard pass to Max
Boe.
Jamie Dale ran 28 times for 100 yards for the Hardrockers.