The collegiate football careers of two of the best Eagles athletes ever will come to a close this weekend.

The state’s all-time leading high school receiving yardage leader and the man who threw him all of those passes are suiting up for the final time as Dordt Defenders, barring a backdoor qualification into the NAIA Playoffs next spring, as Pella Christian graduates and former All-State stars Levi Jungling and David Kacmarynski join the Defenders when they head to Sioux City this Saturday to take on Briar Cliff.

Jungling has 195 career catches for 3343 yards and 30 touchdowns in college and is a three-time First Team All-Great Plains Athletic Conference honoree. Kacmarynski has been a force on the Dordt defensive front, with 155 career tackles, with 48 of those behind the line and 19 sacks in four seasons. He was an Academic All-American as a junior and is a two time all-GPAC honoree, with first team honors in 2019.

The dynamic duo who combined to scatter their names on the IHSAA record books have helped build a tradition of success at Dordt not previously seen. During their collegiate careers, the Defenders have racked up 25 wins to 14 losses — prior to the arrival of Jungling and Kacmarynski, the school had recorded just 17 victories in the first nine years of the program. Their arrival in Sioux Center sparked a surge of Pella-area athletes suiting up for the black and gold, including 2015 Gatorade Player of the Year and contender for Great Plains Athletic Conference offensive player of the year Noah Clayberg, who transferred in from the University of Iowa. Former P.C. Eagles Max Kolb and brothers Alex and Jayden Huisman, as well as Pella state football champions Lucas Warner and Reece Schnell. Levi’s younger brother Dan, a 3rd team All-State Eagles player in 2019, is also a Defender.

Another Pella native playing in his final game for Dordt is Senior Quinton Murphy. He was an All-State linebacker and the starting running back for the 2014 Pella state football champions who revived his competitive career at Dordt after transferring from the University of Northern Iowa. Murphy has two career sacks and 45 ½ tackles in two seasons with the Defenders.

Dordt plays Briar Cliff this Saturday in Sioux City.