The Dordt College football beat its second straight ranked opponent on Saturday afternoon, October 14 in Sioux Center, Iowa.
The game, played under gray and overcast skies with light drizzle in the second half and overtimes, wasn’t decided until the Defender defense made a goal line stand in the second overtime.
Dordt started the scoring with a 15 play, 80 yard drive, that ended when Levi Jungling beat the defense to the edge and raced 16 yards for the score. The two-point conversion attempt failed.
Hastings wasted no time in answering with a four play, 69 yard drive that ended with Anthony Cloyd completing a 30 yard pass to Rashaad Shamburger and an eventual 7-6 lead with 5:03 left in the first quarter.
An 88 yard pass from Bock Lamle to Jungling early in the second half pushed Dordt up 12-7.
Hastings controlled the next 12 points with Tahj Willingham finding the end zone to complete a 78 yard, 13 play drive. Willingham plunged in from one yard out for the score but Alex Stodgill’s point after try missed and the 13-12 Hastings lead stood to halftime. The Broncos had a chance to add to the lead before halftime but had their drive stall at the Dordt 13 and Stodgill’s field goal from 25 yards out on was off the mark.
Hastings added to the lead with a 14 play drive that took 7:21 off the clock and ended with Willingham scoring on a six yard run for a 20-12 lead.
Dordt attempted a field goal on its next drive but Jeff Paepke’s 37 yard attempt was wide left. Hastings returned the favor with a missed 42 yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, leaving the door open for the Defenders.
Dordt answered with a drive that started at their own 24. A pass to Ben Heuvelhorst from Lamle got the Defenders into Hasting territory and then it was five running plays by Keithen Drury and Brock Lamle. Dordt to the Hastings 17 and faced fourth and three. Drury got the call and blasted ahead 14 yards to the three and Lamle completed a pass to Jake Dodge in the end zone on the second and goal play. Lamle ran the two-point conversion in for the tie.
Hastings looked poised to take the lead, getting to the Dordt 13 but a loss of one on first down and a loss of five on third and 11 resulted in another long field goal attempt that Hastings failed to convert on with 3:12 left in the game.
On the second play from scrimmage Drury raced 58 yards to the Hastings 20 and would later convert on fourth and one at the Hastings 11. On second and goal the Broncos picked off an underthrown pass with :19 on the clock and took over at their own 20.
A long pass completion put Hastings in position to try a 48 yard field goal as time expired and that try failed.
Hastings had the first possession of the overtime and Stodgill gave them a 23-20 lead with a 40 yard field goal. Dordt answered with a 22 yard field goal by Jeff Paepke.
Dordt took the football first in the next overtime and Levi Schoonhoven four straight carries to the Hastings five and Brock Lamle converted a fourth and two at the Hastings five. Lamle’s lunge to the end zone was short but Schoonhoven plowed in from the one for the score and Paepke’s point after kick was good.
Hastings, having to match the score to keep the game going, got to the Dordt three and on fourth and three, Anthony Cloyd’s pass to Noah Housh fell incomplete and Dordt had its second straight win to even its league play at 2-2.
Dordt is 4-2 overall and 2-2 in the GPAC. Hastings slides to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in league play.
Dordt hosts Concordia on Saturday, October 21 while Hastings will travel to Morningside next week.
