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Northwestern College Athletics

Northwestern College
HOME OF NORTHWESTERN RED RAIDERS ATHLETICS
HONORING CHRIST THROUGH EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETICS
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13
Morningside MSIDE 5-2 , 5
14
Winner Northwestern NWC 4-3 , 4
Morningside MSIDE
5-2 , 5
13
Final
14
Northwestern NWC
4-3 , 4
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
MSIDE Morningside 7 0 0 6 13
NWC Northwestern 7 0 7 0 14

Game Recap: Football | | NWC Athletic Communications

Blocked PAT Secures Upset of No. 4 Morningside

ORANGE CITY, Iowa – Kylar Fritz's blocked PAT with four minutes on the clock helped the Raiders hold on to a 14-13 lead, leading to Northwestern's home upset over No. 4-ranked Morningside.

"There's been so much for these guys to battle through outside of football right now," head coach Matt McCarty said. "We find out yesterday afternoon that we would be down three starters on the offensive line. We had to go with Trystin Voss again, Sam Remmerde, and Logan Miles, and those guys did a phenomenal job of competing for one another and finding a way to win."

The first quarter began with Northwestern gaining momentum through a defensive highlight. After Morningside's initial drive, Jordan Carter bobbled but came up with an interception at Northwestern's 47-yard line and returned it 53 yards for a touchdown. Gianna Bennett's successful extra point gave the Raiders an early 7-0 lead.

The quarter continued with the Mustangs managing a sustained drive, culminating in a 1-yard, direct-snap touchdown rush by Lennx Brown, followed by a successful kick by Tommy Fitzsimmons. The quarter ended with the teams tied at 7-7, as the Red Raiders' final possession was aided by two defensive pass interference penalties that advanced their position on the field.

The second quarter commenced with the Raiders in possession at Morningside's 42-yard line. Colby Duncan initiated the drive with a 14-yard rush, but the progress stalled, leading to a punt. The Raiders' defense held strong on the ensuing Morningside possession, forcing a punt after six plays.

"We changed a lot of coverages today from play to play, trying to give their quarterback a clear picture and make him think and hold the ball. We were able to get him uncomfortable a few times. Then we made some big plays in the back end. Jordan Carter's pick-six is huge in terms of momentum, but that's what we need to do as a team. They believe in one another right now, and that's pretty scary."

Northwestern's next drive showed promise as Duncan connected with Carson Ness for 13 yards and later Gardner Casey for 23 yards, moving the ball to the Morningside 11-yard line. However, the drive ended when the Mustang defense got through for a block on the Raiders' 30-yard field goal attempt.

Following an interception by Kylar Fritz, the Raiders regained possession but were unable to capitalize, ending in an interception by the Mustangs' Kelynn Jacobsen. Despite this setback, the Raiders' defense stayed resilient, holding the Mustangs scoreless through the quarter. The half concluded with no change in the scoreboard, maintaining a 7-7 tie.

Despite an initial stall to open the second half, the Raiders' defense soon took control, halting a Morningside advance with Lane Kenny's sack of Chevalier, forcing a punt.

The Raiders capitalized with a quick three-play, 80-yard drive, highlighted by Duncan's 73-yard touchdown pass to Tanner Schouten, followed by a successful extra point from Bennett. The period concluded with the Raiders extending their lead to 14-7, as Morningside's final drive was stopped short.

Morningside began the fourth quarter by driving into the red zone, but Ayden Klein sacked Chevalier for a loss of 5 yards on 2nd and 8. This was followed by an interception by Carter in the end zone, reversing possession with a touchback at 10:55. The Raiders' offense, however, struggled to capitalize on this momentum, eventually punting the ball after a series of incomplete passes and a sack.

Morningside responded with a scoring drive that ended in a touchdown pass from Chevalier to Brown, cutting the deficit to 14-13. Kylar Fritz then came around the edge to block the game-tying PAT, helping Northwestern maintain a one-point advantage.

Despite Morningside's final attempts to reclaim the lead, the Northwestern defense held firm, highlighted by a sack from Jacob Dragstra on first down. After the Raider defense forced three incompletions to create a turnover on downs, the Raiders went into victory formation to secure the victory.

"I thought our game plan was really good in terms of how we could attack and what we could do with the guys that we had available. We were close to busting this game open, but I'm proud of how our guys handled it. "Tough things don't scare our guys anymore. They've been through a lot of adversity. We can handle it, and they kind of just smile and love the challenge and compete."

GAME NOTES Up Next: Following next week's bye, Northwestern will travel to face Midland on Saturday, November 1. 
Don't forget to follow Northwestern College Athletics on Facebook @nwcraiders, Twitter @nwcraiders, and Instagram @nwcraiders! #RaidersStandOut
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