Blaine Hawkins’ scrambling throw to Ross Norem in the back of the end zone with 21 seconds remaining propelled the Central College football team to a 17-16 victory over Simpson Saturday in a game heard on both 92.1 KRLS and 1320 and 95.3 KNIA.

After the teams struggled to a 3-3 halftime tie, the Storm went in front midway through the third quarter on a Tanner Krueger 8-yard toss to Sam Bartlett. An 81-yard pitch and catch from Hawkins to Norem set up Pat Gray’s 1-yard plunge for Central to tie the game at 10 early in the fourth.

Simpson went back in front when Krueger scrambled in for a seven-yard score, but a holding penalty on the extra point forced a longer try, which sailed wide left, leaving the Storm up by just six.

On the game winning drive, Hawkins connected with Donny Groezinger for 18-yards on fourth down and ten, then three plays later, he found Norem for the tying score. Jon Albert’s extra point provided the winning margin.

Simpson did have one final gasp, but a hail mary at the buzzer landed short of the end zone, sealing the Central victory. The Dutch are a perfect 7-0, and all alone in first place in the American Rivers Conference at 5-0. They’ll travel to Waverly for another pivotal league game Saturday against Wartburg. Simpson is 4-2, 3-1 in the A.R.C., and will host Loras this weekend.