helmetless tackle Nov. 1, 2008

Central runs out of time in 31-28 loss

PELLA—This time, a second-half Central College football comeback wasn’t enough as Loras College hung on for a 31-28 Iowa Conference win.    

A week after rallying from a 22-6 third-quarter deficit for a 29-22 overtime win at Cornell College, the Dutch spotted Loras a 21-0 first-half lead.

It was a case of too many mistakes and too much Alex McGrew for the Dutch (5-3 overall, 3-3 conference). The Loras senior running back hammered his way to 219 yards and two touchdowns on 45 carries. He entered the game ranked sixth in the NCAA Division III with 159.9 yards rushing per game.

The Duhawks (5-3 overall, 4-2 conference) and McGrew were especially dominant early with touchdowns on their first three possessions, driving 79, 68 and 80 yards. Meanwhile Central failed to get a first down on its first three possessions and it was 21-0 Loras.

Brett Wilkin returnCentral’s comeback efforts were thwarted by the Duhawks’ ability to control the ball for 39:51 of the game’s 60 minutes. They outgained the Dutch 428-223 yards.

Coach Jeff McMartin said it was no surprise that Loras put its offense on McGrew’s shoulders.

“We saw what we expected,” he said. “The problem was execution. We need to execute better.”

Still Central found a way to battle back. Quarterback Jarred Lackey (sophomore, Somerton, Ariz., Cibola HS) directed a 10-play, 74-yard drive in the second quarter, getting Central’s first score on a 2-yard pass to tight end Jake Nero (senior, Chandler, Ariz., Corona Del Sol HS) and it was 21-7 at the half.

Lackey struck again on Central’s opening possession of the third quarter, as the Dutch moved 57 yards in eight plays. Lackey and Matt VerMeer (senior, Montezuma) hooked up on a 21-yard scoring pass.

Matt VerMeer“We knew we needed to stop them and score within the first (8 minutes) and we did that,” McMartin said. “So it was nice that we came out and did some of those things that we set out to accomplish and made some big plays.”

But an eight-play, 67-yard drive on the next Loras possession resulted in a 9-yard McGrew touchdown and a 28-14 Duhawk lead after three quarters.

Dutch freshman Nate Doeden (Newton) made his first collegiate interception and sprinted 38 yards to the end zone to pull Central within 28-21 with 12:39 left in the game. But Loras came right back with a 13-play drive that produced a 27-yard John Belsz field goal, making it a two-score deficit for the Dutch.

Quarterback Zack Bandow (sophomore, Manilla, IKM HS) , who directed a spirited comeback last week at Cornell, came off the bench again as Central drove to the Loras 27, but a pair of penalties and an errant snap left the Dutch staring at mountainous second-and-58 from its own 25-yard line as the drive stalled.

tackleThe Dutch defense held on the next series and Bandow pushed Central 61 yards in five plays, consuming just 32 seconds before he hit Cam Waugh (senior, Fort Collins, Colo., Loveland HS) on an 8-yard TD pass that left Central trailing 31-28 with 1:44 left. But an onside kick failed and the Duhawks ran out the clock before giving coach Steve Osterberger a Gatorade shower. It was the first Loras win over Central since 2003 and just its second since 1941.

Loras gained 247 yards rushing while quarterback Vaughn Gesing completed 11 of 16 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown with one interception. Central failed to register a sack. Loras receiver Ben McMahon had six catches for 108 yards.

Central gained just 30 yards on the ground. Lackey gained 24 on nine carries, which included two sacks. Lackey completed 13 of 22 passes for 121 yards with two interceptions and two touchdowns. Bandow completed five of eight passes for 72 yards and a score. VerMeer had six receptions for 85 yards while Waugh had five for 48.

Defensive stinger Shane Wong (sophomore, Pleasant Hill, Southeast Polk HS) made a game-high 12 tackles for Central, including nine solo stops. Stinger Corben Schueler (junior, Granger, Woodward-Granger HS) had nine tackles and defensive back Jake Petersen (freshman, Gladbrook, Gladbrook-Reinbeck HS) made eight stops while defensive backs Chad Eisenman (senior, Britt, West Hancock HS) and Ryan Schmidt (freshman, Keswick, Tri-County HS) each made seven tackles.

Central makes its final road trip of the season next Saturday, journeying to Storm Lake to meet league co-leader Buena Vista Univ., kicking off at noon. The Beavers were 19-10 winners at Coe College Saturday, improving to 6-2 overall and 5-1 in the conference.