The Raiders demolished Dakota Wesleyan 41-25 last Saturday.
With four touchdowns in the first quarter, the Raiders were tough competition for the Tigers of Dakota Wesleyan.
“We had a very good start, scoring 28 points in the first quarter. The offense did a good job finishing the game on each play,” said Coach Orv Otten.
The Raiders started the game off on the right foot, capturing their first touchdown by senior Jon Paulsen barely a minute into the game. Junior Brad Cave added the extra point.
But the Tigers didn’t go down without a fight. Twenty seconds later they raced in a touchdown in an attempt to tie up the game. But the kick was blocked. The score remained 7-6, NW.
Senior Karlton Hector, along with some assistance from junior Travis Kooima and Cave, caught on fire, putting in a 67-yard punt return. Two more touchdowns during the last ten minutes of the first quarter, made the score 28-6, NW.
“It was good. I really didn’t have to do very much, all the other guys on the field blocked for me, and I didn’t have to make anyone miss,” said Hector about the 67-yard punt return.
During the second quarter both teams had trouble finishing plays. Dakota Wesleyan came out with a touchdown just under six minutes into the quarter but didn’t score again until the third quarter.
The Raiders intercepted the ball from Dakota Wesleyan once, and the Tigers fumbled the ball for a Raider recovery, but the rest of the quarter was dominated by punts, leaving the score 28-13, NW, at the half.
The third quarter continued this same trend until Dakota Wesleyan finished a drive with a touchdown and an extra point with six minutes remaining in the quarter. The Raiders answered with a touchdown by Paulsen. The extra point was blocked.
The Raiders continued the scoring trend with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter by junior Jeremy McAllister and the extra point by Cave.
Dakota Wesleyan finished the game with a touchdown and failed to complete their two-point conversion, ending the game 41-25, NW.
Looking ahead, the Red Raiders play their Homecoming game against the University of Sioux Falls at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow. Both teams are undefeated.
“We’re really looking forward to it. Two Top Ten teams playing each other should make for a really good game,” said Coach Otten.
Senior A.J. Smit will not be playing in the game tomorrow due to a knee sprain, and senior Travis Hulstien will play, despite the torn ligaments in his knee.
The Raiders, USF and Midland Lutheran are all undefeated in the GPAC, though the Raiders have a one game lead on USF and Midland Lutheran. NW is currently 5-0.
The Raiders are also ranked fifth in the NAIA for their strong scoring offense.
