CRETE, Neb. – The Dakota Wesleyan University football team defeated Doane University in Great Plains Athletic Conference play by a score of 29-26 on Saturday, as the game came down to the wire. The DWU defense secured a pair of late turnovers ultimately ensuring its first win of the season Saturday in Crete, Neb.
The Tigers (1-3, 1-3 GPAC) were forced to punt on their opening drive of the game after just three plays. Doane (2-2, 2-2 GPAC) responded with a six-play drive that ultimately stalled at the 27-yard line of DWU. Forced to settle for a field goal, Doane missed on the scoring opportunity as the kick landed short of the goalposts.
Both offenses struggled to move the ball on the next two possessions as DWU was forced to punt again, while the Tiger defense came up with a huge stop on fourth down giving the ball back to their offense. Zachary Lester (Fairbanks, Alaska) and company responded with a quick, three-play drive that culminated with a touchdown as Lester found Daniel Libolt (Chambers, Neb.) from 25 yards out to take a 7-0 lead.
DWU ended the first quarter with a 7-0 lead after both offenses traded possessions over the next four drives. On its second drive of the quarter, Doane pieced together a five-play drive covering 60 yards. Faced with a second-and-four situation, Adam DeJong (Watertown, S.D.) stepped in front of the attempted pass and returned it 51 yards to the 36-yard line of Doane. However, the Tigers of Doane returned the favor just three plays later as Lester's pass attempt was intercepted.
Halfway through the second period the Doane offense finally reached the endzone on a nine-play drive extending 33 yards. Though, the extra point was missed, leaving the Tigers with a 7-6 lead. DWU answered with a solid drive marching 73 yards in five plays as Lester connected with Spencer Neugebauer (Mitchell, S.D.) from 44 yards out extending the Tiger lead to 14-6. Despite a late Doane score, the Blue and Gray carried a 14-13 lead into halftime.
To start the second half, both teams traded punts over the first five possessions. The Tigers used their third drive of the half to extend the lead, 21-13. Lester connected with Neugebauer for the second time as the pair hooked up on a 13-yard completion to find the endzone ending the third quarter.
To open the final period, Doane wasted no time responding as they marched 77 yards in five plays, resulting in six points. However, the two-point conversion was denied preserving the DWU lead, 21-19.
After another DWU turnover, the Tigers of Doane snatched their first lead of the game, 26-21 off a quick, 33-yard drive spanning three plays. Unbothered, Dakota Wesleyan reclaimed the lead 29-26 midway through the fourth with the game's final score as Jamin Arend (Emery, S.D.) took a hand off 23 yards to cross the goal line
Given two final opportunities to score late in the contest, the Doane offense was denied as the DWU defense rallied together ultimately forcing two takeaways. Jacob Zamora (Sylmar, Calif.) recorded a crucial interception deep in enemy territory while Joshua Garry (Sioux Falls, S.D.) stepped in front of another pass attempt on the final possession to seal the 29-26 victory.
The DWU defensive unit was led by Samuel Kretschmar (Huron, S.D.) and Tziah Owens (Brooklyn, N.Y.) combining for 20 tackles, while Max Schoenfelder (Mitchell, S.D.) notched 1.5 tackles for loss. Zamora tallied a pair of interceptions along with a tackle for loss, as DeJong notched an interception, a fumbe recovery and five tackles. Offensively, both Lester and Neugebauer recorded impressive performances as the pair connected on 12 attempts for 139 yards and two scores. Lastly, Arend led the rushing attack with nine carries for 43 yards and a score as the offense totaled 282 yards of total offense.
The Tigers return home next week as they battle Concordia University at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday from Joe Quintal Field in Mitchell.