Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
INDIANOLA— Taking advantage of a flurry of Simpson College miscues, the Central College football team scored 28 points in the second quarter during a 35-10 win Saturday.
Central (8-1) found itself facing another first quarter deficit against Simpson (5-4), trailing 10-0 after 15 minutes. Trent Cakerice (sophomore, Grundy Center) jumped on a loose football near midfield after a bad handoff by the Storm. On its next offensive play, Central quarterback Hunter Hoffman (senior, Pecatonica, Ill.) found Nolan Meyer (senior, Bondurant, Bondurant-Farrar HS) streaking down field for a 47-yard touchdown to start the scoring.
After forcing a three and out, Central defensive back Tate Mayberry (junior, Glenwood) blocked a punt and Ben DeMeulenaere (senior, Chelsea, Belle Plaine) hopped on it in the endzone to take a 14-10 lead.
Simpson muffed a punt return on Central's subsequent offensive possession and Gavin Smith (senior, Audubon) recovered it. Dutch running back Cody Klein (sophomore, Newton) scored on the next play for a 14-yard rushing touchdown.
Another three and out set up a second blocked punt by Central, this team DeMeulenaere blocked it and Kyle Norton (senior, Vancouver, Wash., Evergreen HS) scooped and scored from five yards out.
"Momentum was not on our side as the game started," coach Jeff McMartin said. "We kept battling. That pass from Hunter to Nolan was a big play that we needed. That really shifted momentum. The game really turned in the second quarter.
"Our team was resilient and found a way to win."
After yielding 10 points on the first two Storm possessions, Central held Simpson off the scoreboard for the remainer of the game. Nick Bandy led Central with eight tacles while linebackers Cole Clark (fifth year, Lisbon) and Jonathan Weaver (senior, Lenox) each had 1.5 tackles for loss.
In addition to the fumbles in the second quarter, Smith and Nate Fischer (freshman, Anamosa) also had interceptions while Logan Lursen (junior, Mason City, Newman Catholic HS) recovered a third fumble.
"We changed a few things up defensively to match our personnel and their personnel," McMartin said. "We pressured the quarterback well and took away a lot of things in the passing game."
Jase Grunder (junior, Tampico, Ill., Prophetstown HS) led the team in rushing with 88 yards on 20 carries. Klein had a team-high four catches for 30 yards, including a 14-yard scoring grab in the third quarter.
Central hosts Coe College next Saturday at 1 p.m. in the season finale from Ron and Joyce Schipper Stadium.