DWU falters in season opener to Hastings

HASTINGS, Neb. – With excitement in the air for the return of the college football season, the Dakota Wesleyan University football team took on Hastings College, the same team they trounced in the season-finale last year. However, the result was not the same as DWU fell to Hastings, 45-7 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference opener on Saturday at Lloyd Wilson Field in Hastings, Neb.

 The Tigers received the opening kickoff of the season and got right to work. Zachary Lester (Fairbanks, Alaska) hooked up with Jamin Arend (Emery, S.D.) out of the backfield for a 35-yard completion. After getting down to the opposing 23-yard line, the Tigers (0-1, 0-1 GPAC) stalled after going for it on fourth down to give the ball to Hastings.

 The Broncos (1-0, 1-0 GPAC) wasted no time in their first possession as they strung together an 11-play, 73-yard drive to put the first points of the game on the scoreboard.

 Both teams struggled to find their offensive rhythm as neither team scored for the remainder of the opening stanza. However, just shy of three minutes into the second quarter on a third-down play, Lester launched a pass to Chance Sorensen (Rapid City, S.D.) who hauled in the pass for a 60-yard touchdown for the first points of the season to tie the game 7-7.

 The score did not remain tied for long as Hastings responded with a touchdown on its following possession to regain a one-touchdown lead.

 On the ensuing Tiger possession, Lester attempted to find Sorensen again, but the pass was intercepted. The Broncos tacked on another touchdown to push their lead to 14 points. With just under two minutes until halftime, Hastings tallied a rushing touchdown to move the scoreline to 28-7 at the break.

 The second half spelled much of the same for both teams as Hastings added 17 points, while blanking the Tigers on the scoreboard to bring the final score to 45-7.

 Lester finished with 192 passing yards on 13 completions and one touchdown, while Arend tallied 43 rushing yards and 34 receiving yards. Sorensen led the receivers with five receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown. The defense was paced by Samuel Kretschmar (Huron, S.D.) as he posted eight tackles and a tackle for loss, as Hayden Schmidt (Plankinton, S.D.) tallied seven tackles. As a team, the Tigers racked up 251 total yards, including 192 yards through the air and 59 rushing yards.

 Dakota Wesleyan returns to action against Northwestern College at 1 p.m. on Saturday in Orange City, Iowa.