Football Nearly Pulls off Upset of Undefeated #6 Dordt
(Hastings, NE) – The Broncos were one big play away from upsetting undefeated Dordt, as the Defenders were the beneficiary of a pass that slipped through the hands of senior receiver Eli Nappe as Hastings was driving late down 31-26, and went right to a Dordt defender for a game-sealing interception.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
7 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
|
|
7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 26 |
Team Stats
Dordt (IA)
| Game Statistics | Dordt (IA) | Hastings |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 262 | 280 |
| Rushing Yards | 138 | 139 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Time of Poss. | 28:01 | 31:24 |
(Hastings, NE) – The Broncos were one big play away from upsetting undefeated Dordt, as the Defenders were the beneficiary of a pass that slipped through the hands of senior receiver Eli Nappe as Hastings was driving late down 31-26, and went right to a Dordt defender for a game-sealing interception.
In the first quarter, Hastings forced a fumble on the opening Dordt drive and turned it into a three-yard touchdown run by sophomore quarterback Jarrett Synek to go up 7-0. Dordt went 70 yards on nine plays and scored on a three-yard touchdown run of their own, tying it at seven. Hastings turned it over on downs to close the quarter and Dordt capitalized three plays later, connecting on a 66-yard touchdown pass to take a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter.
Following a Hastings interception on their next drive, the Defender took a 21-7 lead on a one-yard touchdown run that was initially set up by a 72-yard catch-and-run. The Broncos got back into the game with a 11-play, 70-yard drive at the end of the first half. Synek was 4-5 passing for 34 yards on the drive, including a 20-yard pass to Nappe. Synek finished the drive with a one-yard sneak to make it a 21-14 game at the half.
Hastings went three-and-out to begin the third quarter and Dordt had to settle for a 40-yard field goal to make it 24-14. The Broncos fought back with a 74-yard touchdown drive on their next series. Junior running back Kaiden Merryman picked up a first down on the ground, then Synek had a couple of scrambles and completions to senior wide receiver Quaesean Hill to get to the Dordt 32. On fourth-and-three, Synek threw a rope across the middle to junior wide receiver Jake Weidinger for a 31-yard touchdown. The extra point was missed, keeping it a 24-20 game.
The Bronco defense got a stop on the next series and the offense got down to the Dordt 33, but on fourth-and-six, the screen pass to senior tight end Jake Bargen was read well defensively, stopping him short of the first down with 12:50 left in the game. Dordt responded with a touchdown on their next drive, finishing on a 37-yard run to go up 31-20.
Hastings began their next drive with a big conversion on third-and-11, with Synek finding Nappe for 12 yards. Weidinger and Nappe each had 19-yard receptions on the drive that ended with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Bargen. Hastings went for two, but the pass fell incomplete, keeping it at 31-26 with 4:46 left.
A quick three-out-out on defense and short punt gave Hastings the ball back with 2:45 left, needing 60 yards for the go-ahead score. Synek made a big play on third down, finding junior running back Dalton Armbruster for a 20-yard catch-and-run to the Dordt 34. On 2nd-and-12, he set up a third-and-three with a nine yard pass to Hill. On third down, his pass to Nappe would have picked up the first down, but the ball slipped though his hands and right to Dordt in the game-deciding play, giving the Defenders the 31-26 win.
Hastings outgained Dordt offensively, 419-400, leading in the rushing and passing categories as well, at 280-262 in passing and 139-138 in rushing.
Synek was 26-41 passing for 280 yards and two touchdowns passes. Synek also had nine carries for 30 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Armbruster was the leading rusher with 13 carries for 74 yards. Nappe had six catches for 82 yards, Hill had eight catches for 61 yards, and Armbruster had three catches for 61 yards. Weidinger had four catches for 31 yards and a score, while Bargen had four catches for 24 yards and a touchdown. Senior defensive back Marcus Dustin, senior linebacker Jake Lambert, and sophomore linebacker Dawson Kissinger led the team with eight tackles each.
Up next, Hastings will have next weekend off before their season finale at Dakota Wesleyan at 1pm on Saturday, November 15.
