Football Wraps Up Season with 24-7 Rout Over Dakota Wesleyan
(Mitchell, SD) – In their final game of the season, Hastings closed it out strong by beating Dakota Wesleyan, 24-7, to secure a 5-5 record on the year.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Team Stats
Dakota Wesleyan (SD)
| Game Statistics | Hastings | Dakota Wesleyan (SD) |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 130 | 241 |
| Rushing Yards | 252 | 47 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 3 |
| Time of Poss. | 31:31 | 26:35 |
(Mitchell, SD) – In their final game of the season, Hastings closed it out strong by beating Dakota Wesleyan, 24-7, to secure a 5-5 record on the year.
Hastings took their opening drive 89 yards on 11 plays, ending in a 20-yard touchdown run by junior running back Dalton Armbruster. The big play of the drive was a 47-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Jarrett Synek to sophomore receiver Cooper Butler, as they took a 7-0 lead.
Neither team scored the rest of the quarter, then on the first drive of the second period, Dakota Wesleyan had to settle for a 32-yard field goal attempt that sailed wide left. The Broncos chewed up the clock on their next possession, taking over eight minutes on their 16-play, 80-yard drive. All but two plays were rushing attempts, with Armbruster, junior Kaiden Merryman, and sophomore Brady Lichtenberg all accumulating double-digit yards on the drive, ending on a one-yard touchdown run by Armbruster to put the Broncos up 14-0 at the half.
The Broncos attempted an onside kick to open the second half, and after the Tigers recovered it, they worked it down into the redzone. On third-and-goal from the Hastings nine yard-line, senior linebacker Wyatt Ryan forced a fumble that sophomore defensive lineman David Lopez recovered. Armbruster took the next play 31 yards on the ground and four plays later, Synek found junior receiver Jake Weidinger for a 23-yard touchdown halfway through the third.
Dakota Wesleyan managed to get the ball down to the Hastings 18 on their next drive. On the first play of the quarter facing a fourth-and-seven, Ryan sacked the Tigers to give the ball back to the Broncos. Hastings would punt on their next two possessions, but on both occasions, they forced interceptions - one by senior linebacker Jake Lambert and the other by junior defensive back Colton Marsh.
Hastings turned the Marsh interception into a 41-yard field goal by freshman kicker Colton Willmott to go up 24-0 with 4:34 left. Dakota Wesleyan avoided the shutout with a touchdown on their final drive, but Hastings came away with the 24-7 road win.
The Broncos outgained the Tigers, 382-288, on offense, and had five sacks on defense. Synek was 8-20 passing for 130 yards and a touchdown. Armbruster had 17 carries for 108 yards and two touchdowns, while Merryman had 13 carries for 95 yards. Butler had two catches for 59 yards. Lambert and sophomore linebacker Dawson Kissinger each had 10 tackles, one sack, and combined for five tackles for loss. Ryan ended with three tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble.
Hastings will now set their sights on preparing for the 2026 season.
