The Dordt Defender football team will travel to Indianapolis, Indiana on Saturday, November 29 to face Marian University in the second round of the NAIA Football Championship Series. The game will kickoff at noon (Central).

COVERAGE
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Marian Season Stats  
Dordt Season Stats  

MARIAN
2025 Record Overall/MSFA NW Division: 10-1/5-0
Results

• Aug. 28               Lost to University of Indianapolis 45-21
• Sept. 6                def. Lawrence Tech 35-21
• Sept. 13             def. Defiance 69-14
• Sept. 27             def. Indiana Wesleyan 52-42
• Oct. 4                  def. Madonna 58-7
• Oct. 11               def. Taylor 42-35
• Oct. 18               def. Saint Francis (Ind.) 49-0
• Oct. 25               def. Olivet Nazarene 44-36
• Nov. 1                  def. St. Francis (Ill.)    28-11
• Nov. 8                  def. Judson 62-0
• Nov. 15               def. Saint Xavier 45-0

The Numbers

• Points Per Game/Points Per Game Allowed: 45.9/19.2
• Yards Per Game/Yards Per Game Allowed:   420/315
• Yards Rushing Per Game/Yards Rushing Per Game Allowed:  221/109
• Yards Passing Per Game/Yards Passing Per Game Allowed: 199/207
• Turnovers Committed/Turnovers Forced: 11/27
• Sacks By/Sacks Allowed: 36/15

Individual Leaders

• Tristan Polk | 133-220 passing | 17td | 2int | 2,105 yards passing | 72 rushes | 3.3 yards per carry | 9td
• Keagan La Belle | 214 rushes | 1,158 yards | 5.4 yards per carry | 21td
• Alijah Price | 51 rushes | 279 yards | 5.5 yards per carry | 3td | 20kick returns | 28.9 yards per kick return
• Jake Reichard | 44 catches | 14.9 yards per catch | 7td
• Aidan Wanner | 23 catches | 20.3 yards per catch | 4td
• Dean Mason | 43.1 yards per punt 
• Kenny Curry | 4-8fg | long of 49 | 35-36PAT
• Ashton Vogel | 2-3fg | long of 48 | 26-28PAT
• Charles Vaden | 10 punt returns | 8.1 yards per return
• Cade Houseman | 88 tackles | 1 int
• Wyatt Woodall | 75 tackles
• JT Downey | 63 tackles | 1 int
• Yassine Falke | 38 tackles | 3 int
• Reis Walker | 2 int
• Logan Carrington | 7 int
• Isaiah Street | 54 tackles | 7 sacks | 12.5tfl
• Ozzy Pollard | 30 tackles | 5 sacks

DORDT
2025 Record Overall/GPAC:  9-1/9-1
Results

• Sept. 6  def. Dakota Wesleyan 66-7
• Sept. 13 def. Doane 41-0
• Sept. 27 def. Northwestern 21-20
• Oct. 4 def. Briar Cliff 51-0
• Oct. 11 def.  Waldorf 59-7
• Oct. 18 def. Mount Marty 33-13
• Oct. 25 def. Midland 17-14
• Nov. 1 def.  Hastings 31-26
• Nov. 8 def. Concordia 56-20
• Nov. 15 lost to Morningside 34-28 ot

The Numbers

• Points Per Game/Points Per Game Allowed: 40.3/14.1
• Yards Per Game/Yards Per Game Allowed:  458/296
• Yards Rushing Per Game/Yards Rushing Per Game Allowed: 247/89
• Yards Passing Per Game/Yards Passing Per Game Allowed: 212/209
• Turnovers Committed/Turnovers Forced: 10/19
• Sacks By/Sacks Allowed:18/5

Individual Leaders

• Noah Strickfaden | 87-157 passing | 1,531 yards | 11 td | 4 int | 39 carries |5.9 yards per carry | 2td
• Kolson Kruse | 33-70 passing | 540 yards | 3 td | 40 carries | 3.8 yards per carry | 5td
• Thomas Fritz | 62 carries | 8.8 per carry | 7 td | 546 yards
• Preston McCoy | 72 carries | 7.5 per carry | 8 td | 541 yards
• Daniel Dickerson | 51 carries | 6.0 per carry | 9 td | 304 yards
• Keenan Valverde | 56 carries | 5.2 yards per carry | 4 td | 10 kick returns | 26.3 per kick return | 12 punt returns | 14.1 yards per punt return
• Rhett Williams | 27 catches | 18.8 yards per catch | 2td
• Isaac Looker | 19 catches | 15.9 yards per catch | 3td
• Jacob Van Donge | 11 catches | 17.7 yards per catch | 1 td
• Ivan Orozco | 38.9 yards per punt
• Stephen Leinen | 11-16 fg | 60 long | 52-53 PAT
• Isaac Kacmarynski | 83 tackles | 3.5 tfl | 2 sacks | 1 int
• Ethan Mills | 33 tackles
• Cole Johnson | 46 tackles | 2 int | 3 fumble recoveries
• Zach Quiring | 36 tackles | 10.5 tackles for loss | 2 sacks
• Thomas McCullough | 2 interceptions
• Nolan Buckholtz | 5 sacks
• Nathan Feldmann | 3 interceptions

 LAST TIME
 
Dordt overcame a 20-14 halftime deficit to take a 28-20 lead at the 5:59 mark of the third quarter.  Morningside tied the game on a 14 play, 73 yard drive and two point conversion late in the third quarter and neither team scored in the fourth quarter.  Morningside got a stop on the first overtime decision and converted a nine-yard touchdown pass to win the game 34-28.

• Dordt was outgained 548-540
• Dordt outrushed Morningside 163-107
• Noah Strickfaden | 16-29 passing | 285 yards  
• Daniel Dickerson | 12 rushes | 6.3 yards per carry
• Thomas Fritz | 12 rushes | 5.0 yards per carry
• Rhett Williams | 5 catches | 19.2 yards per catch
• Ethan Snieder | 3 catches | 26.7 yards per catch
• Cole Johnson | 13 tackles
• Isaac Kacmarynski | 12 tackles
• Coleson Quiring | 10 tackles
• Zach Quiring | 2 tfl | 1sack

Marian was a 45-0 winner over Saint Xavier (Ill.) and blew the game open in the third quarter with 21 points to go from up 17-0 at halftime to 38-0.

• The Knights outgained Saint Xavier 371-183 with 153 in the air and 218 on the ground.
• Marian limited Saint Xavier to 57 yards passing.
• Tristan Polk was 8-16 passing for 153 yards and two touchdowns.
• Keagan LaBelle ran 24 times for 118 yards and a touchdown.
• Jake Reichard caught four passes for 59 yards.
• Marian had five sacks and three interceptions.
• Tyler Cunningham and Cade Houseman each had nine tackles and Houseman had two tackles for loss.

PLAYOFF HISTORY
DORDT

• 18th season
• 3^rd berth
  • 2020
    • Lost to Grand View in Des Moines on April 17, 38-10
  • 2023
    • Beat Ottawa in Sioux Center on November 18, 35-7
    • Lost to Northwestern in Orange City on November 25, 7-0
  • 2025
• Joel Penner Head Coach
  • 10^th season
    • 72-33 record

MARIAN

• 19^th season
• 13^th berth
  • 2010
    • Beat Ottawa 35-20 (1^st Round)
    • Lost to Carroll 38-6 (Quarterfinals)
  • 2011
    • Beat Grand View 31-0 (1^st Round)
    • Beat St. Francis 49-7 (Quarterfinals)
    • Lost to Saint Xavier 30-27 (Semifinals)
  • 2012
    • Beat Northwestern 42-32 (1^st Round)
    • Beat St. Francis 45-34 (Quarterfinals)
    • Beat Missouri Valley 20-17 (Semifinals)
    • Lost to Morningside 30-27 OT (Championship)
  • 2014
    • Beat Georgetown 34-3 (1^st Round)
    • Beat Grand View 34-6 (Quarterfinals)
    • Beat Morningside 41-21 (Semifinals)
    • Lost to Southern Oregon 55-31 (Championship)
  • 2015
    • Beat Campbellsville 44-7 (1^st Round)
    • Beat Grand View 30-3 (Quarterfinals)
    • Beat St. Francis 45-14 (Semifinals)
    • Beat Southern Oregon 31-14 (Championship)
  • 2016
    • Beat Robert Morris 32-7 (1^st Round)
    • Lost to Eastern Oregon 17-0 (Quarterfinals)
  • 2018
    • Lost to Saint Xavier 34-21 (1^st Round)
  • 2019
    • Beat Reinhardt 17-7 (1^st Round)
    • Beat Cumberlands 30-0 (Quarterfinals)
    • Beat Lindsey Wilson 34-24 (Semifinals)
    • Lost to Morningside 40-38 (Championship)
  • 2020
    • Lost to Reinhardt 40-29 (1^st Round)
  • 2021
    • Beat Southwestern 21-17 (1^st Round)
    • Lost to Northwestern 25-20 (Quarterfinals)
  • 2022
    • Beat Saint Xavier 41-7 (1^st Round)
    • Lost to Northwestern 52-27 (Quarterfinals)
  • 2023
    • Lost to Saint Xavier 31-21 (1^st Round)
  • 2025
• Head Coach Ted Karras Jr.    
  • 9^th Season at Marian (2007-12/2023-present)
    • 75-28 career record at Marian
       

2025 GPAC STANDINGS  

Dordt 9-1 9-1 Morningside 9-1 9-2 Concordia 7-3 7-3 Midland 6-4 6-5 Northwestern 6-4 6-4 Hastings 5-5 5-5 Briar Cliff 5-5 6-5 Mount Marty 3-7 4-7 Dakota Wesleyan 3-7 4-7 Doane 2-8 2-8 Waldorf 0-10 0-10   2025 MSFA MIDWEST LEAGUE STANDINGS   Marian 5-0 10-1 Saint Francis (Ind.) 4-1 10-2 Saint Xavier 3-2 7-4 Olivet Nazarene 2-3 6-4 St. Francis (Ill.) 1-4 3-7 Judson 0-5 0-11   NAIA FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES November 22 First Round William Penn def. Texas Wesleyan 38-19 Carroll def. St. Thomas 42-35 Southeastern def. Reinhardt 24-22 Saint Francis (Ind.) def. Evangel 13-12   November 29 Second Round #16 Saint Francis (Ind.) @ #1 Grand View #15 Southeastern  @ #2 Keiser #14 Carroll @ #3 Montana Tech #13 William Penn @ #4 Friends #12 Campbellsville @ #5 Benedictine #10 Dordt @ #6 Marian #11 Indiana Wesleyan @ #7 Lindsey Wilson #8 Morningside @ #8 College of Idaho   December 6 Quarterfinal Round @ Campus Sites   December 13 Semifinal Round @ Campus Sites   December 20 Championship @ Fort Worth, Texas