In a game that drew uncomfortably close, free safety Reece Miller (junior, Center Point, Center Point-Urbana HS) lifted up a shorthanded Central College football team with three interceptions in a 52-27 victory at Buena Vista University Saturday.
After Buena Vista pulled within 38-27, Miller raced 56 yards for a touchdown with his third pick with 13:30 left in the fourth quarter to put the Dutch (4-2 overall, 2-2 American Rivers) back in control.
"Reece played great today," coach Jeff McMartin said. "He came through when we really needed him. We had some guys get hurt today in the secondary and we were playing a lot of young players. But he gave us a real veteran performance and was a playmaker for us. We feel like he's been playing well all year and is just getting better. The last couple of games he's really done some good things for us."
Miller was also credited with eight tackles and a forced fumble.
That helped the Dutch through an uneven performance in which they made a pair of turnovers and were flagged for 12 penalties, including 10 in the first half.
"We couldn't get out of our own way," McMartin said. "We had a chance to really get up big in the first half and had some penalties that took an interception off the board and cost us field position at times. And we just had some things happen to us. We'll have to look at the film and see if there's something we can coach differently or do differently so we can avoid those things."
Buena Vista (2-5 overall, 1-4 conference) had more than its share of missteps as well, with five turnovers and 11 penalties. But the Beavers still gained 383 yards of offense and made some big plays. After Central took a 14-0 lead in the game's first 5 minutes, BV tied it 14-14 late in the first period with a 73-yard pass from Seth Gallardo to Jeremiah Powell.
A 24-point second period for the Dutch made it 38-14 at the break but two Beaver touchdowns in the third quarter made it 38-27. Buena Vista was in position to make it a one-score game when Miller restored order with his pick-six.
Central had 449 yards of total offense. The Dutch were averaging 131.8 yards rushing but gained 178 Saturday. Freshman running back Josiah Villanueva (Mesa, Ariz., Red Mountain HS) had 53 yards on nine carries.
The Dutch again used three quarterbacks. Freshman Keegan Glover (Benton, Ill.) rushed for 37 yards and three touchdowns. He also completed five of six passes for 65 yards. Brady Ketchum (sophomore, Mount Vernon) completed 14 of 22 throws for 142 yards and two scores. Starter Cooper Downs (sophomore, Ames) was 11-of-16 for 64 yards.
"I thought all of them produced when we needed them to," McMartin said. "We'll go back and evaluate how each one of them played. But I think there were moments when all three did some very good things."
A couple of veterans had good days at wide receiver. Jeff Herbers (senior, Urbandale, Des Moines Christian HS) had 12 catches for 80 yards and two touchdowns while Logan Mont (junior, Aurora, Ill., West Aurora HS) had eight receptions for 72 yards.
"Logan played well," McMartin said. "And Jeff was very consistent. We really went to him in critical situations. It's nice to see those guys get going again."
Senior defensive lineman Derrick Voss (Cedar Rapids, Xavier HS) posted a team-high nine tackles. Linebacker Reid Pakkebier (sophomore, Cedar Rapids, Kennedy HS) had six stops. Linebacker Tate Hagen (junior, Britt, West Hancock HS) had five tackles including a sack and two tackles for loss.
Buena Vista completed 26 of 36 passes overall for 252 yards and rushed for 131 on 38 carries.
"We had a blown coverage (on a touchdown pass) and give them credit, they found the guy and they made some nice runs," McMartin said. "We didn't tackle the way that we're capable of tackling and they weren't letting themselves get arm tackled. They ran right through things and those are things we've got to clean up."
Injuries and inexperience contributed to the disarray, McMartin said.
"We've become young, in some ways, because of some injuries," he said. "We're learning some things about ourselves, what we can and can't do. But sometimes we see some things to build on. Each week, our goal is to play better, continue to build these guys and gain experience, as hard as it is. We played a lot of young guys but they're not going to be young forever. There are things we can build on and feel good about."
Central is home next Saturday for an American Rivers game with Simpson College. Game time is 1 p.m. at Ron and Joyce Schipper Stadium. Simpson is 0-6 overall and 0-4 in the conference after absorbing a 63-21 loss to Loras College at Indianola Saturday.
Miller's pick-six rescues Central
/seasons/2022/boxscores/20221015_sg3s.xml
2022
Central
52
Buena Vista
27
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central (4-2) | 14 | 24 | 0 | 14 | 52 |
| Buena Vista (2-5) | 14 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 27 |
Oct 15, 2022