Defense Gives It All They Can, Offense Hits Warp Speed in 4th Quarter Comeback

Highland, KS

The closest of any football opponent in proximity to the Iowa Western Campus, Kessinger Field in Highland is far from the Reivers' favorite place to play a road game.

Saturday's game in Northeast Kansas certainly won't help the rating.

The Reivers (10-1) used a blitzing offensive attack and a steady defense in a 21-14, 4th quarter comeback win that left Highland (5-6) looking forward to next year.

The last three games between the two teams have featured two one-score games including 2019's Reiver rally that closed the regular season on a high note for IWCC.

The eleventh meeting between the two programs definitely wasn't one for the offenses, in fact, if you used one word to sum up Saturday's offensive start for both squads it would be … slow.

The two teams combined for a first half consisting of only 167 yards to go along with six punts, an interception, a blocked field goal attempt and two foiled 4th down attempts.  It was the first scoreless tie for the Reivers since October 29th, 2022 against Iowa Central, a game IWCC ultimately went on to win 35-21. The Reivers have been blanked in the first half of games in only six of 181 program contests.

"Our line needs to offer some protection, we're getting outplayed right now," said Head Coach Scott Strohmeier at the break, "Defensively we've played well, but offensively we've got work to do, I told 'em we're playing for home field and this game is the difference between a long road trip and sleeping in our own beds."

The message was heard loud and clear with quarterback Hunter Dekkers putting the Reivers into high gear to start the 3rd quarter, marching the team 62 yards in just under a minute and a half of game time.

Dekkers hit on three of four passes on the drive, including a 43-yard catch and run by tight end Naivyan Cargill for the game's first score.

Max Bartachek's PAT put him into a tie for third place all-time with Lance Irvin for points scored by a kicker and his next would not only give him sole possession, but also put the Reivers' into an early 4th quarter tie with the home team.

Highland burned over seven minutes on their game-tying scoring drive, a five yard catch by TJ Porter from Gunnar Smith.

However, on the ensuing drive, Jaivyn Moore fumbled away a reception from Dekkers, giving the ball back to the Scotties and the home squad capitalized on the next play.

Smith found a wide open receiver in Jason Scoma, 20-yards down field, and the tight end rumbled into the endzone to stir Highland's bench and home crowd into a frenzy on the 50-yard score.

With the Reivers trailing, running back Trevor Burnett teamed with Dekkers for 28 yards rushing before the quarter ended and Daniel Swinney finished the job when the 4th got underway.  Swinney ripped off runs of seven and 16 yards before blasting into the endzone from three yards out for the game tying score.

The 'Darkside' regained their footing and the football on Highland's subsequent drive, forcing a punt after De'Veion McLilley-Bulo  batted away one pass and tackled HCC running back Myles Murphy for a five-yard loss sandwiched around an incompletion.

Justin Anderson's punt set up the Reivers at the Scotties' 40 and five plays later IWCC took a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

A pair of tight end receptions by Cargill and Owen Gish and Burnett's tough running gave the Reivers a first and goal at the HCC five-yard line before Jonathan Humpal cruised in for the touchdown.

The Reivers took over after a pair of Scottie punts with 7:40 remaining and the offense ran out the clock with a 13 play drive, the last two in victory formation for IWCC.

The win marked Iowa Western's 10th season of 10 wins or more in its 16 seasons and their fourth straight overall. The victory also ensured four straight seasons that IWCC will play in the NJCAA Playoffs, the only team able to make such a claim.

Iowa Western will more than likely welcome Northwest Mississippi on the first weekend of December, however that confirmation will not come until Thanksgiving week after the completion of the NJCAA regular season and the SWJFC Playoffs that conclude this Saturday. IWCC, #4 Northwest, #2 Hutchinson and #3 Georgia Military are the only four one-loss teams left, however the order could change with the release of the final regular season poll on November 25th as it did with this week's release which saw KJCCC co-champion Hutchinson slip past Georgia Military for the number two spot in the Top 15.

Television coverage of the NJCAA semi-final will be provided by ESPN with the radio call available at 89.7 The River in the Council Bluffs-Omaha Metro and worldwide with The River App or streamed online at 897theriver.com OR GoReivers.com.

Tickets for the game will be available for purchase with an external link as booster passes can not be honored for the game.

Details will be released as soon as they are finalized.