The Dordt College Defender football team fought back from a pair of two-touchdown deficit’s but lost a 33-28 GPAC decision to Midland in Sioux Center on Saturday, September 23.
The Defenders scored on their first possession when Jeff Paepke knocked a 44 yard field goal through with 11:09 left in the first quarter for a 3-0 lead that stood for 13 seconds.
On the ensuing kickoff Exavier Edwards returned the kickoff 97 yards and the point after made it 7-3.
The 7-3 score stood until the final play of the first half when Paepke had a 21 yard field goal attempt finish off a 17 play drive and sent the teams to the half at 7-6.
Midland scored on the first two possessions of the second half with Garry Cannon running one in from one yard out as the Warriors went 71 yards on three plays for the first score and Cannon completed a 20 yard pass to Malik Dumetz for a 20-6 lead to culminate a 78 yard, five play drive.
Dordt was able to retaliate as Levi Schoonhoven plowed in from three yards out at the 10:14 mark of the game for a 20-13 difference but the Defenders looked done when Cannon again found Dumetz for a 14 yard pass after Dordt had turned it over at their own 25 yard line. The score to make it 27-13 came with just 4:07 left in the game.
Dordt wasn’t through as Brock Lamle hit Levi Jungling for a 91 yard pass and run on the first play from scrimmage after the kickoff and on the next series Joey Lovetere picked off a pass near midfield and the Defenders went 25 yards on four plays and were helped by a Midland penalty to start the drive. Schoonhoven again did the honors with a one yard plunge and Dordt led 28-27 after the kick.
The lead was just as short lived as the first with Edwards picking up a short kickoff at his own 27 and he reversed field and went 73 yards for the score.
Dordt did have one final drive but that stalled at their own 37 on downs.
Dordt is 2-2 overall and 0-2 in the GPAC and will have a bye week next week before traveling to Doane on Saturday, October 7.
