THIS WEEK IN BLUE HAWK FOOTBALL
Saturday, Oct. 25 — 12:00 p.m. MT — Lokken Stadium — Valley City, N.D.
Dickinson State (2-5, 0-3 Frontier East) at Valley City State (4-3, 1-2 Frontier East)

LIVE VIDEO: www.youtube.com/@vcsuathletics1211/streams
LIVE STATS: dsubluehawks.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
RADIO: kdix.com
 
SEASON CONTINUES:
Dickinson State heads back on the road as the Blue Hawks travel to Valley City State for a Saturday afternoon matchup. DSU (2-5, 0-3 Frontier East) dropped a 28–21 decision at Rocky Mountain College last week in Billings. Sophomore Jackson Whicker hauled in six catches for 138 yards and a score, while Adrien Calderon added five receptions and a fourth-quarter touchdown. Jackson Simonson opened the scoring with a 3-yard touchdown run following a fumble recovery. On defense, Nathaniel Jilek recorded eight tackles and an interception, and Jack Hartman added his fifth pick of the season. The Blue Hawks forced four fumbles and recovered two but were ultimately undone by five interceptions and Rocky Mountain's 519-yard offensive output.
 
100 YEARS OF BLUE HAWK FOOTBALL:
Dickinson State University continues its celebration of a century of Blue Hawk Football during Homecoming weekend. Established in 1925, the program has built a proud legacy defined by toughness, tradition, and community — capturing 32 conference championships and over 500 all-time wins across 100 seasons. From Harry Wienbergen's first title in 1951 to the dynasties led by Hank Biesiot and Pete Stanton, DSU's century-long story reflects generations of student-athletes and coaches who have shaped the Blue Hawk identity. Saturday's game marks another chapter in that historic journey as Dickinson State honors 100 years of pride, tradition, and brotherhood.
 
BLUE HAWKS (2025 to date):
• Scoring Offense: 24.1 | Scoring Defense: 28.0
• Total Offense: 330.3 | 3rd Down: 47-for-110 (42.7%)
• Red Zone: 21-for-28 (75.0%) | Turnover Margin: –4
• Last Game: L, 28–21 at Rocky Mountain
 
PROBABLE STARTERS:

Offense —
QB – #10 Marcus Sanders (Jr.)
RB – #21 Jackson Simonson (Jr.)
TE – #15 Gage Gilbert (So.)
LT – #63 Landen Thompson (Fr.)
LG – #66 Adam Symonds (Jr.)
C – #56 Carson Lunak (Sr.)
RG – #77 John Wetmore (Jr.)
RT – #67 Trey Swanson (So.)
WR – #8 Semaj Clark (Sr.)
WR – #6 Adrien Calderon (So.)
WR – #14 Cale Gundlach (Jr.)

Defense —
DL – #40 Dylan Dahlgren (Jr.)
DL – #50 Wyatt Anderson (Sr.)
DL – #57 Chace Waters (So.)
DL – #53 Shel Osborne (Jr.)
LB – #42 Riley Waters (Sr.)
LB – #48 Johnnie McClusky Jr. (Jr.)
LB – #39 Nathaniel Jilek (Sr.)
CB – #6 Dominique Carter (So.)
S – #4 Jack Hartman (Sr.)
S – #2 Ryan Racht (So.)
CB – #9 Chase Selle (So.)

Specialists —
K – #7 Ty Nelson (So.)
P – #7 Ty Nelson (So.)
KR – #3 Jackson Whicker (So.), #6 Adrien Calderon (So.)
PR – #14 Cale Gundlach (Jr.)
LS – #2 Ryan Racht (So.)
Holder – #14 Cale Gundlach (Jr.)
 
vs Valley City State — Dickinson State leads 54–35–5
Last: Dickinson State 30–15 win (Aug. 28, 2025 in Dickinson, N.D.)
Streak: W10
 
OPPONENT SNAPSHOT — Valley City State:
Record: 4–3 | Head Coach: Dennis McCulloch (29th Season)
Last Week: L, 40–7 at Dakota State (Oct. 18)
 
SOARING HAWKS:

• Jack Hartman (Sr., DB) – Frontier Conference Defensive Player of the Week
   

2025 SEASON LEADERS:
Passing Yards: Marcus Sanders (Jr.), 1,376
Passing Touchdowns: Marcus Sanders (Jr.), 12
Rushing Yards: Jackson Simonson (Jr.), 241
Rushing Touchdowns: Jackson Simonson (Jr.), 3
Receiving Yards: Semaj Clark (Sr.), 539
Receiving Touchdowns: Semaj Clark (Sr.), 6
Total Offense: Marcus Sanders (Jr.), 1,304
All-Purpose Yards: Semaj Clark (Sr.), 546
Punting Avg: Ty Nelson (So.), 37.2
Kick Return Yards: Jackson Whicker (So.), 176
Interceptions: Jack Hartman (Sr.), 5
Total Tackles: Nathaniel Jilek (Sr.), 40
Sacks: Dylan Dahlgren (Jr.), 3.5
 
HEAD COACH — Pete Stanton (12th Season):
Coach Stanton is 97–34 overall at DSU, leading the program to 10 straight NSAA titles and 11 consecutive NAIA playoff appearances. A DSU Hall of Famer, Stanton emphasizes physicality, consistency, and a strong defensive identity. Under his leadership, DSU has earned back-to-back playoff wins in 2023 and 2024 and produced 22 NAIA All-Americans.