Central Outscored in Overtime Football Loss at Coe
It took a pair of overtime periods to decide the winner, but the Central College football team was downed 16-13 at #24 Coe College Saturday afternoon in a game heard live on 92.1 KRLS.
After 60 minutes of play, the Kohawks and the Dutch were locked in a 3-3 tie. Coe scored the game’s first touchdown in the first overtime on a 17-yard quarterback scramble, but Central answered with quarterback Brady Ketchum hitting wide receiver Cam Schulte in the corner of the end zone for a six-yard passing score. Ketchum started the second overtime with an 18-yard pass to tight end Grant Nelson but the Dutch offense stalled out on the next three downs and settled for a 26-yard Andrew Mohan field goal. Two plays later, the Kohawks scored on a 22-yard touchdown pass to secure the victory.
Central’s defense allowed a season-high 16 points, but held Coe well below its scoring average of 46.2 points per game and yards per game average of 462.8. Defensive lineman Tate Hagen and linebacker Cole Clark both had 10 tackles, and Clark intercepted a second quarter pass for Central’s only turnover. Linebacker Reid Pakkebier had a pair of solo sacks and defensive lineman Nick Bandy had 1.5 sacks. Offensively, Nelson led Central with seven catches and 64 yards, while Schulte had 57 yards on four catches. Starting quarterback Hunter Hoffman was 14 of 23 passing for 109 yards with an interception. Ketchum, who first played on the last drive of the fourth quarter and in overtime was 5-for-11 with 52 yards. Hoffman had 51 yards rushing but lost 28 yards after being sacked five times. Running back Jase Grunder had 32 yards rushing on 13 carries.
The 4-2 Dutch will look to regroup at home next Saturday against 0-6 Luther College at 1 pm.
Dutch Upend Duhawks in Road Volleyball Victory
The Central College volleyball team rallied from an early deficit Saturday morning for its first road win at Loras College since 2013.
Heading into the fourth set, the Dutch trailed the Duhawks 2-1 and had just lost the third game by nine points. Central and Loras exchanged the lead five times and were tied 11 times in that fourth set before Central leveled the match at 2-2 with a 28-26 win. The fifth set was tight the whole way, but Central led for the duration and finished off the match, 21-25, 25-19, 16-25, 28-26, 15-13.
Central recorded a season-high 69 kills, including four players reaching double digits. Kaitlyn Koel led the way with 17 kills, while outside hitter Gracie Pierson had 16, middle hitter Kaitlyn Mumm had 12 and right-side hitter Landry Pacha had 11. Setters Avery Rexroat and Makayla Ribble had 30 and 29 assists, respectively. Libero Colleen Kenney had a team-high 35 digs, Mumm had three blocks, and Rexroat had two service aces to lead the Dutch.
Central returns home for another American Rivers Conference match on Wednesday night, hosting Simpson College at 6 p.m. in P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium.
Blom Brings Home Two Championship Medals for Central at ARC Individual Championships
Freshman Emily Blom brought home two titles for the Central College women’s tennis team Saturday at the American Rivers Conference Individual Championships.
In the C-flight Semifinals of singles action, Blom defeated Brooke Bloom from Wartburg 4-0, 4-1 for the second time this season. Blom then went on to win the championship match 4-0, 4-1 over Ellie Kalina from Loras. With her four wins on the weekend, Blom finished the fall season by winning her last nine singles matches.
In the C-flight of doubles, Blom partnered with Abbie Den Adel to run the table. In the semifinals, the duo defeated the #3 seed from Wartburg 6-2, before upsetting the #1 seed from the University of Dubuque 6-2 in the championship to take home the title.
In the B-flight of doubles, Becca Vala and Jenna Mitsuko Mahoney fell in the semifinal to the #2 seed from Loras College 6-2, but took third place defeating a duo from Nebraska Wesleyan University 6-1. The final medalist for the Dutch came when Ava Lucas, who got third place in the D-flight of singles after defeating Ella Engelhaupt from Dubuque 4-2, 5-4 (7-3).