The Dordt Defender football team secured a 17-8 road win over Midland to finish the year with a 7-3 record and a four-game winning streak. The win, in typical Dordt-Midland fashion, wasn't decided until the final moments.
The defensive struggle unfolded with Dordt getting on the board with a pitch to
Chase Tompkins who then found
Eli Boldan behind the Midland defense for a 55 yard touchdown pass with 1:30 left in the first quarter. Midland's defense set up a safety early in the second quarter when it pinned Dordt deep in its own territory and the snap to
Blade Koons resulted in the ball going out of the end zone for a safety.
Dordt got another pass completion from a running back to set up a field goal late in the first half as
Anthony Trojahn found Boldan for a 37 yard completion and set up first and goal at the Midland 10 but the Defenders were forced to settle for a
Fulton Gunderson field goal that ended the first half scoring with his 21 yard try splitting the uprights.
The Dordt defense was called on to preserve the 10-2 halftime lead and was tested in the second half. Midland's first drive ended on downs at the Dordt 33 and their second possession of the period ended on downs at the Dordt 21.
The Warriors finally broke through with a 16 play, 87 yard drive that ended with a touchdown run with 7:37 left in the game. The two-point conversion try failed and Dordt was left clinging to a 10-8 lead. Dordt put together a drive with
Anthony Trojahn tipping the field with a 52 yard run to the Midland 26. There the Midland defense stiffened and with 2:54 left
Fulton Gunderson's 35 yard field goal try into the win came up short.
Midland took over but an intentional grounding penalty turned a first and ten into a second and 31 and Dordt eventually got an interception from Abe Stoesz to end the drive and give Dordt the ball at the 30. On third and goal with :13 left Trojahn scored to cap his Dordt career and Gunderson put the game out of reach with the extra point and the eventual winning margin of 17-8.
THE NUMBERS
- Dordt outgained Midland 338-236 and ran for 147 yards while limiting the hosts to 77 yards.
- Anthony Trojahn ran for 84 yards on nine carries and Chase Tompkins ad four carries for 33 yards.
- Eli Boldan caught two passes for 92 yards and Tompkins had four catches for 59 yards.
- Kade McDaniel completed eight passes for 99 yards.
- Ian MacDonald and Eric Gustafson each had a sack on defense and MacDonald had four total tackles for loss and Colton Vander Berg had 2.5 for loss.
- Abe Stoesz was in on 10 tackles with an interception and Grant Hixson had eight tackles.
- Dordt's 7-3 record is the program's fifth straight seven win season. Dordt finished the year tied with Midland for third in the final GPAC standings.
