ORANGE CITY - The Dickinson State football team was held to a season low 206 yards on offense, including just 25 on the ground, as they fell, 49-7, to #3 Northwestern College in the first round of the NAIA Football Championship Series. Dickinson State will finish their season with an 8-3 record.
The first quarter saw the Red Raiders flex their strength, not allowing a single first down, and scoring on all three of their drives in the quarter to take 21-0 lead on a 47-yard touchdown pass with 1:25 left. A strong wind blowing in favor of NWC played a huge factor in the opening 15 minutes, setting up the Red Raiders with advantageous field position after each DSU punt.
In the second quarter, Northwestern started their drive from the DSU 9 after a bad punt to end the first quarter by the Blue Hawks and cashed in two plays later to make it 28-0 NWC. On the next Blue Hawk possesion, Aaron White found Noah Sickler on a 35-yard pass downfield, gaining DSU a first down for the first time. Two completions to Conor McCarvel got the Blue Hawks to the NWC 24. Forced to go for it on fourth down by the score, the Blue Hawks used a rush by Braden Zuroff on 4th-and-1, but the NWC defense answered the call again forcing the stop and earning the turnover on downs. The hosts made it five straight possessions with a touchdown on a 44-yard QB keeper to make it 35-0 NWC with 7:37 left in the half. After a circus interception ended the Blue Hawk's next drive, JaQuawhann Booth got the ball right back, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Matt Anderson at the NWC 38. Dickinson State was able to turn the short field into points when White found Kaden Kuntz in the corner of the endzone on first down from the 10-yard line to cut the Red Raider lead to 35-7.
Unfortunately, that was all DSU could muster as Northwestern held the Blue Hawks scoreless in the second half and added two more touchdowns for the final tally, 49-7. A few bright spots for the Blue Hawks came when senior Krew Mathern secured his 54th career tackle for loss late in the third quarter, securing the Dickinson State career record. After setting the single season record with 17.5 last week, Mathern watched his teammate, JaQuawhann Booth, break that record when he secured 3.5 TFL bringing his season total to 19, .5 more than Mathern.
For the game, White went 16-29 for 163 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Darion Brown led the Blue Hawk rushing attack with 20 yards on eight carries. Kaden Kuntz led the DSU receivers, catching five passes for 64 yards and a score, while Isaiah Kludt also caught five passes for 56 yards in his final game as a Blue Hawk.
