FARGO — North Dakota State scored the game’s first 28 points and rolled to a 59-21 victory against Missouri State on Saturday in Missouri Valley Football Conference play before 14,679 fans at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.
The Bison honor 25 seniors prior to the game, including defensive tackle Eli Mostaert.
“It’s a surreal moment for me and the whole senior class,” Mostaert said.
The top-ranked Bison (10-1, 7-0 MVFC) have won 10 consecutive games and clinched at least a share of the conference championship with one game remaining in the regular season. NDSU plays next Saturday at the University of South Dakota.
The Bison can win the MVFC title outright with a win against the Coyotes.
Bison senior quarterback Cam Miller threw four touchdown passes in the first half to help NDSU build a 35-14 halftime lead. Miller completed 17 of 24 passes for 155 yards for the game.
Below are scenes from Saturday’s Bison home victory:
North Dakota State’s Eli and Will Mostaert tape up before play against Missouri State at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State’s Marty Brown carries against Missouri State’s Kanye Young at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State’s Darius Givance tangles with Missouri State’s Jacardia Wright at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State’s Marty Brown carries against Missouri State’s Tahj Chambers at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State’s Jaxon Duttenhefer snares Missouri State quarterback Jacob Clark at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State’s Logan Larson bears down on Missouri State’s quarterback Jacob Clark at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State’s Marcus Sheppard pounces on a Missouri State fumble at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State dance team members get down at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State quarterback Nathan Hayes launches a touchdown pass against Missouri State at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State’s Barika Kpeenu celebrates his second touchdown against Missouri State at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel greets youth football players from Winnipeg, Manitoba, before play against Missouri State at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State receivers and quarterbacks huddle up before kickoff against Missouri State at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State’s Barika Kpeenu breaks away for his second touchdown against Missouri State at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State kicker Griffin Crosa (39) high fives his holder Kaedin Steindorf after a field goal against Missouri State at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State’s Chris Harris brings in a catch against Missouri State’s Avery Powell at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
North Dakota State kicker Griffin Crosa lines up for his record setting kick against Missouri State at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State’s John Gores hauls in a touchdown reception against Missouri State at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State quarterback Nathan Hayes carries against Missouri State at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State quarterback Cam Miller spins for yardage against Missouri State at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State’s Truman Werremeyer carries against Missouri State’s Khalil Anderson at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State’s Anthony Chideme-Alfaro and Jaylin Crumby defend a pass against Missouri State’s DVontae Key at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State kicker Griffin Crosa is mobbed by his teammtes after breaking the Bison scoring record on a kick against Missouri State at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State’s Joe Stoffel celebrates a touchdown reception against Missouri State at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State’s Tyler Terhark grabs a pass reception against Missouri State at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State’s Joe Stoffel celebrates his second touchdown reception against Missouri State at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State’s Eli Mostaert (53) celebrates his quarterback sack against Missouri State at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
Missouri State quarterback Jacob Clark loses the football after being hit by North Dakota State’s Toby Anene as teammate Luke Weerts (47) applies pressure at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State’s Barika Kpeenu heads upfield on a 52-yard touchdown run against Missouri State at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State’s Enock Sibomana hits Missouri State’s Jayden Becks to force a fumble at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
David Samson/The Forum
Peterson covers college athletics for The Forum, including Concordia College and Minnesota State Moorhead. He also covers the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks independent baseball team and helps out with North Dakota State football coverage. Peterson has been working at the newspaper since 1996.
EAST LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – Fifth-seeded Michigan State women’s soccer punched its third-consecutive ticket to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 3-1 first-round victory over Western Michigan on Saturday at DeMartin Stadium.
MSU moves to 13-2-5 with the win, while Western Michigan ends its season at 13-2-6. The Spartans advance to play No. 4 seed and SEC champion Texas on Friday, Nov. 22 at 4 p.m. in the second round at Duke.
Graduate midfielder Emily Mathews opened the scoring for the Spartans in the 16th minute before graduate midfielder Justina Gaynor added another in the 18th minute. Sophomore midfielder Bella Najera sealed MSU’s victory with her seventh goal of the season late in the second half. In goal, MSU graduate goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks secured her 11th win of the season, making one save.
The Spartans held an 11-9 advantage in shots, including a 9-2 edge in shots on goal and held the Broncos without a corner kick for the game while registering nine of their own. “It’s a race to one in this game because if they score first, then they would sit much deeper and make it more challenging on us,” said head coach Jeff Hosler. “To score first, to keep the game wide open made a world of difference, not just in the first half, but carried onto the second half. It is important to keep your foot on the gas. We talked about that as a team the last few weeks, if you get a goal, have a little bit more urgency to go forward. Go get that next goal. It’s important for us to keep our foot on the gas, and we did that today.”
MSU controlled possession throughout the opening minutes but was unable to record a shot. In the ninth minute, WMU’s Jen Blitchok registered the Broncos’ only on-target look of the game, but her shot was easily corralled by Parks.
The Spartans’ first two shots of the game resulted in a pair of goals. Mathews opened up the scoring in the 16th minute after graduate forward Meg Hughes found her just outside the box. Mathews dribbled into the box and shot into the bottom left corner for her seventh goal of the season and first since Sept. 19 against Nebraska. Hughes was credited with the assist, recording her team-leading 20th point of the season.
Still lethal on the attack, MSU doubled its lead a minute later with Gaynor’s fifth goal of the season. Gaynor found junior defender Sofia Beerworth’s cross in front of the WMU goalkeeper and shot through a group of Bronco defenders for the 2-0 MSU lead.
The Broncos found their offensive footing after the MSU goals while holding the Spartans without a shot for the following 10 minutes. After an MSU turnover, Blitchok capitalized on a loose ball and shot past Parks to get the Broncos within a goal in the 32nd minute.
Neither side was able to get off any quality looks for the remaining 15 minutes, heading to the break with a 2-1 Spartan lead.
WMU’s Brielle Gomez was issued a red card early in the second half, forcing the Broncos to play with 10 players for the remainder of the game. MSU took advantage, recording five-straight on-target shots throughtout the opening 15 minutes of the half.
MSU continued to dominate possession throughout the second half. Despite an offensive push from WMU with 25 to go, the Broncos could not get off any quality looks.
Najera added the insurance goal for the Spartans in the 83rd minute, sending graduate forward Mackenzie Anthony’s cross to the top right corner of the net for her team-leading seventh goal of the season.
WMU could not get any shots off in the final minutes as the Spartans secured the 3-1 win.
Duke hosts the NCAA Second and Third Rounds, scheduled for Friday, Nov. 22 and Sunday, Nov. 24, respectively. The winner of Friday’s Michigan State/Texas match will play the winner of top-seeded Duke and No. 8 seed Texas Tech in the third round.
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But in Saturday’s state semifinal game at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Parkers Prairie ran into a Minneota program that hasn’t missed a beat since falling in the 2021 MSHSL Class A State Championship game.
Minneota, the winner of the last two Class A state titles, had its sights set on winning its 32nd game in a row and getting back to the state championship game. And that’s exactly what it did, beating Parkers Prairie 45-0 on Nov. 16, 2024.
“Minneota is a great team, and they have been for quite some time,” Parkers Prairie head coach Mike Johnson said. “It was a big challenge that we took head-on. We knew it was going to be a battle, and our goal was to play our best football today and see where the chips fall.”
Minneota (12-0) jumped out a 7-0 as its first drive of the game was capped off with a 2-yard rushing touchdown at the 5:14 mark of the first quarter. A 10-yard rushing touchdown by Ryan Meagher gave a 14-0 lead heading to the second quarter.
A Destin Fier 24-yard touchdown run, a 54-yard touchdown pass from Larson to Fier, and a 12-yard touchdown run by Meagher gave Parkers Prairie a 35-0 lead at halftime.
“Ryan, Destin, and Lucas Rybinski had a spectacular day on offense,” Minneota head coach Chad Johnston said. “When we ran the ball, we were able to mix it up with them. That was key to our success. Our guys blocked well, too.”
Minneota’s special teams scored in the second half as Kellen Bradley returned an interception for a touchdown from 34 yards out.
Parkers Prairie finishes the season with a 9-4 record.
Parkers Prairie’s Chavous Wendt (15) hands the ball off to Zackery Ruckheim (28) during an MSHSL Class A State Tournament semifinal game against Minneota on Nov. 16, 2024, at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Sam Stuve / Alexandria Echo Press
“Once these guys hit the playoffs, things really took off for them,” Johnson said. “They were playing well on the sides of the ball and were coming out with some extra juice and executing the game plan. We have great leaders on our team here, and they’ve led us every step of the way.”
This run to the state semifinals gives Parkers Prairie its best finish in school history.
“We’ve had great families supporting us,” Parkers Prairie senior Joe Johnson said.
“It’s great to see the community out here supporting us,” Parkers Prairie senior Ben Wagner said. “We have a great community.”
This state semifinal finish also caps off a successful 2024 calendar year in which the Parkers Prairie baseball team placed second in the Class A State Tournament, and the wrestling team (a co-op with Bertha-Hewitt-Verndale) made it back to the team state tournament.
“It’s been an unbelievable experience,” Parkers Prairie senior Mason Boesl said.
This loss is the end of a long journey for a lot of Parkers Prairie seniors.
Four seasons ago, the Panthers went 1-8. The Panthers took a step forward in 2022, finishing 3-6.
Parkers Prairie’s Shane Hanson (25) makes a tackle as Evan Lenzen follows during an MSHSL Class A State Tournament semifinal game on Nov. 16, 2024, at US Bank Stadium.
The Panthers made a big leap in 2023, finishing 9-3 and making it to the state tournament for the first time in 20 years and the second time in school history.
In 2024, Parkers Prairie went to new heights, finishing as a state semifinalist.
“They’ll leave their mark on Parkers Prairie history from the top down as far as being good people, good student-athletes, and experiencing the things they have,” Johnson said. “They’ve created a buzz around the town and in the halls. I have four little kids who want to be like these guys. We couldn’t have better role models for our kids and for our underclassmen. They set the tone and set an example of what it takes to be successful, both on the field and off the field, and at the end of the day, that’s what high school sports are about. They’re both becoming better young people and becoming people who will make an impact, not while they’re just in high school but also after they leave. Their legacy and impact on our school and community will carry on for a long time.”
1/3: Parkers Prairie’s Ben Wagner makes a catch during an MSHSL Class A State Semifinal game against Minneota on Nov. 16, 2024, at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Sam Stuve / Alexandria Echo Press
2/3: Parkers Prairie’s Joe Johnson (32) kicks the ball during an MSHSL Class A State Semifinal game against Minneota on Nov. 16, 2024, at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Sam Stuve / Alexandria Echo Press
3/3: Parkers Prairie’s Mason Boesl (white jersey) tries to avoid a trio of Minneota Vikings during an MSHSL Class A State Semifinal game against Minneota on Nov. 16, 2024, at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Sam Stuve / Alexandria Echo Press
Parkers Prairie – 0 0 0 0 – 0
Minneota – 14 21 10 0 – 45
MINNEOTA – Brody Larson 2-yard run, Ian Myhre PAT, 5:14 (Minneota 7-0)
MINNEOTA – Ryan Meagher 10-yard run, Myhre PAT, 1:26 (Minneota 14-0)
VERMILLION — The Howard Tigers reign as the Class 9A State football champions after defeating the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion.
Wolsey-Wessington’s Moshe Richmond jumps for a pass while Howard’s Tate Miller (27) and Carson Hinker (8) defend in the Class 9A state football championship game on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion.
Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
Howard’s Kolt Becker (3) breaks through a tackle from Wolsey-Wessington’s Colin Hughes (9) during the Class 9A State football championship game on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion.
Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
1/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
2/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
3/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
4/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
5/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
6/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
7/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
8/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
9/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
10/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
11/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
12/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
13/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
14/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
15/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
16/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
17/44: Wolsey-Wessington’s Moshe Richmond jumps for a pass while Howard’s Tate Miller (27) and Carson Hinker (8) defend in the Class 9A state football championship game on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
18/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
19/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
20/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
21/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
22/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
23/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
24/44: Howard’s Luke Koepsell (24) catches a touchdown pass during the Class 9A state football championships game against Wolsey-Wessington on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at the DakotaDome in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
25/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
26/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
27/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
28/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
29/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
30/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
31/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
32/44: Howard’s Kolt Becker (3) breaks through a tackle from Wolsey-Wessington’s Colin Hughes (9) during the Class 9A State football championship game on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
33/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
34/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
35/44: Howard’s Luke Koepsell (24) sprints away from a pair of Wolsey-Wessington defenders after making a reception on the way to a touchdown during the Class 9A state football championships game on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at the DakotaDome in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
36/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
37/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
38/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
39/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
40/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
41/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
42/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
43/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
44/44: Action from the Class 9A State football championship game between the Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds and the Howard Tigers on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Vermillion. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
Adam Thury joined the Mitchell Republic in March of 2022. He was born and raised in Mitchell, S.D., and graduated from Mitchell High School in 2015. He always had an eye for photography but started honing his skills mid-2014. He has worked on growing his knowledge of photography by shooting for local events. He can be reached at athury@mitchellrepublic.com and found on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/adamthury.
THIS WEEK
Women’s ice hockey (2-9-1, 1-1-0 AHA) heads to Pennsylvania to take on #12 Penn State (9-3-0, 2-0-0 AHA).
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
GAME 1 Date/Time: Friday, November 15 – 1:00 PM CST.
GAME 2 Date/Time: Saturday, November 16 – 12:00 PM CST.
Location: Pegula Ice Arena – University Park, Pa.
Live Video: Big Ten + (Game One) | Big Ten + (Game Two) Live Stats
LAST TIME OUT
Lindenwood split their series against St. Thomas, falling in game one 7-2. In game two, Lindenwood would be able to rebound, scoring six goals in a 6-1 victory over the Tommies.
Highlights:
Morgan Neitzke recorded her 100th career point in the series against St. Thomas. Neitzke is the first ever Lion to reach this milestone. The Michigan native also led the Lions in points on the weekend with four.
Maegan Cronan and Josey Dunne recorded their first career goals in a Lindenwood uniform.
Catherine Hodgins registered her first career win in net for the Lions, making 33 stops on one goal against.
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Points – Neitzke (9), Sidney Jackel (7), Sydney Rarick (5)
Goals – Neitzke (4), Gigi Pora (3), four tied (2)
Assists – Three tied (5), Ellie Muscedere (3), four tied (2)
+/- – Four tied (0)
Powerplay Goals – Three tied (1)
Short-Handed Goals – N/A
Game Winning Goals – Pora (2)
Blocked Shots – Dunne (35)
Saves – Anna LaRose (194)
Save Percentage – Hodgins (.929)
Goals Against Average (GAA) – Hodgins (2.25)
PREVIEW
The Lions are looking to find the win column for the third straight week versus nationally ranked Penn State. Lindenwood is looking to continue their success on the offensive side of the puck, scoring six goals in their last game played.
This will be the 49th and 50th meeting between both teams. Penn State currently leads the all-time series 32-10-6. Lindenwood has not defeated Penn State, since the 2017-2018 season, and the Lions currently sit on a 12-game losing streak versus the Nittany Lions. In the last meeting, Lindenwood fell 6-1 to Penn State (January 27, 2024).
Penn State in the AHA preseason poll was picked to finish first. Penn State through 12 games is 9-3-0, picking up two wins over Syracuse in their last series played. Tessa Janecke leads the Nittany Lions in points with 14 (5g-9a). Maddy Christian leads Penn State in goals with seven. Katie DeSa has played nine games in net for the Nittany Lions, compiling a record of 6-3-0, picking 147 saves on 14 goals against, for a save percentage of .913, and a goal against average of 1.6.
Six Alamance County high school football teams have qualified for the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s playoffs, which kick off Friday night.
Southeast Alamance clinched the No. 3 seed in the East Region of the 2A division of the NCHSAA Football Playoffs, and the Stallions will host Heide Trask in Haw River at 7 p.m.
Walter M. Williams secured the No. 5 seed in the East Region of the 3A division and will host East Wake at 7 p.m.
Western Alamance garnered the No. 16 seed in the East bracket of the 3A division and will host Vance County in Elon at 7 p.m.
Hugh M. Cummings High School earned the No. 13 seed in the East region of the 2A division and will host SouthWest Edgecombe at 7 p.m.
Southern Alamance earned the No. 20 seed in the East region of the 2A division and will travel to Fayetteville to take on Cape Fear High School at 7 p.m.
Eastern Alamance locked up the No. 29 seed in the East region of the 2A division and will travel to Pikeville to take on C.B. Aycock High School for a 7 p.m. game against the Golden Eagles.
In only its second season of existence, Southeast Alamance defied the odds, going undefeated during the regular season and wrapping up the 1A/2A Mid-Carolina Conference crown with a 31-3 victory over Hugh M. Cummings High School on Nov. 1.
“It has been an amazing journey for this team,” Stallions’ head coach Tony Aguilar said. “We set this goal [of going undefeated] when we lost last year in the third round to Clinton.”
Aguilar said Southeast’s coaches and players have always believed in one another, and the team’s relentless work ethic in the offseason has been key to the squad’s success this season.
“Our coaching staff does an amazing job of getting these guys prepared and ready to play each week,” Aguilar said. “We are able to compete in practice, which forces players to push themselves.”
Walter M. Williams (9-1) reeled off nine consecutive victories after dropping its season opener to Northwest Guilford. Led by senior quarterback Dan Mahan, the Bulldogs’ high-powered offense has put up more than 44 points per game. A dual threat, Mahan has found the end zone 35 times this season — racking up 29 passing touchdowns and rushing for six — helping lead Williams to a Central 3A Conference title.
Williams head football coach Patrick Stokes said his squad’s mental focus has been razor-sharp on each snap this season.
“Our level of preparation at each position is very fundamental and intentional,” Stokes said. “We do our best to break the game down into minute components and teach our players the proper skills and techniques in order to achieve a desirable result.
“On each play, every person has an assignment and the identified objective is to win that individual battle. That focus remains regardless of the opponent or the context of the game.”
Western Alamance (7-3) finished the regular season with a tough loss to Southern Alamance on Nov. 1, but the Warriors still garnered the No. 16 seed in the East bracket of the 3A division and will host Vance County in Elon at 7 p.m.
Warriors’ head football coach Jeffrey Snuffer said his squad has taken full advantage of the extra week of preparation heading into the playoffs.
“We were able to add some elements to our offensive and defensive schemes during the bye week,” Snuffer said. “We will continue to set a high bar for our football team. We have great tradition and culture at Western Alamance and we expect our players, coaches, and supporters to achieve high levels of success every year.”
Snuffer said his players at Western Alamance have built an atmosphere within the football program that will set the standard for years to come.
“This game teaches values that are life-lasting, and we want our players to be successful while they are here and long after they are gone,” Snuffer said. “We also want to teach our players that life is bigger than themselves — they are here to make a positive impact on those around them and that starts with being a great teammate to everyone.”
Aguilar said the secret ingredient to Southeast Alamance’s stellar season has been his players’ willingness to sacrifice for the greater good of the team.
“No one player or coach is bigger than this team,” Aguilar said. “We are trying to build a ‘Stallion Standard’ for which we do things on and off the field. Our players have bought into this team, this school, and this community — we truly believe.”
Stokes said his players have embraced two things this season — his personal philosophy of coaching and the championship tradition of Williams High School football. Stokes said his philosophy is expressed succinctly by the team’s motto of “Onward Bulldogs.”
“We engage and empower young people to make a positive difference in his or her community,” Stokes said. “This puts the onus on each individual to maximize opportunity and instills a strong sense of personal accountability to the betterment of the team as a whole. We echo this mission in all that we do so that it is embedded in the culture of our program.”
Penn State took care of business with a 35-6 White Out win over Washington on Saturday night, but other top teams didn’t fare as well.
A pair of top-five squads went down, and other teams in the playoff race sustained losses, leading to some shuffling in the College Football Playoff picture.
Here’s where things stand after another action-packed weekend of college football.
Conference autobids
After being dead-even last week, Oregon pulled away as a slight betting favorite to win the Big Ten. If the Ducks can avoid an upset the rest of the way, they’d finish at 13-0, locking up the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs.
After Georgia’s embarrassing loss to Ole Miss, the Bulldogs are no longer the favorite to represent the SEC. Texas is now the heavy favorite to win the conference and earn the No. 2 seed, despite previously losing to Georgia 30-15. After picking up their second loss, the Bulldogs have the sixth-best odds to win the SEC and will need other teams to lose just to make the championship game.
The ACC champion is positioned to grab the third seed in the bracket. Despite a loss to unranked Georgia Tech, Miami still remains the favorite to win the ACC at 12-1 and slot in at No. 3 overall. SMU and Clemson are also in the mix, but as it’s been for most of the season, the Hurricanes are the team to beat.
From the Big 12, BYU still sits as the favorite to win the conference after squeaking past unranked Utah in “The Holy War” on Saturday. Though they slotted at No. 9 in the initial College Football Playoff Rankings last week and will likely remain in that range, they’d get the No. 4 seed due to winning the conference.
First-round hosts
In the next tier, the Big Ten is expected to have a heavy influence. If Ohio State falls in a rematch to Oregon in the Big Ten title game, which is the most likely scenario assuming the Buckeyes beat Indiana in two weeks, they’d be in the mix for the No. 5 seed.
The committee has previously stated teams won’t be “unduly punished” for losing a conference championship game, meaning it would be hard for Indiana or Penn State to pass Ohio State even if the Buckeyes lose to Oregon again.
The Buckeyes are favorites over the Hoosiers and would hold head-to-head wins over them and the Nittany Lions, creating a ceiling of No. 6 for Penn State and Indiana.
Tight end Khalil Dinkins (16) misses a touchdown pass on fourth down during the Penn State football game against Ohio State on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pa. The Buckeyes beat the Nittany Lions 20-13.
Kate Hildebrand
Since the Nittany Lions face a tougher strength of schedule, they’d likely get the nod over the Hoosiers for No. 6, though Indiana’s performance against Ohio State will play a role.
Additionally, Texas A&M and Tennessee are the frontrunners to face Texas in the SEC championship, though the Aggies will face the Longhorns in the regular season and Tennessee has a tough test remaining against Georgia.
Texas A&M has a slightly better chance to make the SEC championship before losing to the Longhorns, likely locking in a No. 7 seed, behind Penn State but ahead of No. 8 Indiana.
First-round road trips
Teams on the bubble of the playoff include Georgia, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Alabama, SMU, Ole Miss and Boise State, and all have interesting cases.
It’ll likely come down to splitting hairs, but Tennessee is a 10-point underdog against Georgia, which would be its second loss. A key win over Alabama may keep the Volunteers in the picture, though.
Georgia now has its second loss but should win out and finish 10-2. With a win over Texas and potentially over Tennessee, it’d be hard to boot the Bulldogs from the bracket.
Notre Dame sits at 8-1 and is favored to win out, but has a weaker strength of schedule, which was reflected in the first College Football Playoff Rankings with a No. 10 spot. Wins in the last three games likely won’t do much to move the needle, and the Fighting Irish won’t have the opportunity to play in a conference championship as an independent team.
Alabama already has two losses, but has key wins over Georgia and LSU, and is favored in its remaining three games. It would be hard to see the committee leaving out the Crimson Tide, unless they stumble along the way and pick up a third loss.
SMU is 8-1 and clearly doesn’t have the respect of the committee with a No. 13 ranking. But with three more wins in the regular season and a close loss to Miami in the ACC title game, the Mustangs could play their way into a No. 10 or No. 11 seed.
Penn State and Ole Miss helmets sit next to the Peach Bowl trophy and Battle for Bowl Week belt at the Battle for Bowl Week dinner on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Ga.
Sienna Pinney
Ole Miss was ranked No. 16 by the playoff committee last week, but a win over Georgia should change that. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Rebels in the top 10 this week, and remaining games against Florida and Mississippi State should be easy victories. A 10-2 Ole Miss squad from a good conference with a win over Georgia and two losses by three points each would likely earn a nod into the postseason near the bottom of the bracket.
The Group of Five conferences are guaranteed one autobid into the dance, and Boise State remains the heavy favorite to lock down that spot. The Broncos were ranked No. 12 last week, and the only other G5 school in the rankings was Army at No. 25, though the Black Knights can either rise or drop significantly depending on their matchup against Notre Dame.
The Broncos won again on Saturday, and their only loss remains a 37-34 defeat against No. 1 Oregon. If they can run the table and finish 12-1, they’re a virtual lock to take the No. 12 seed, if not higher.
Most likely scenario:
Based on the current landscape and last week’s College Football Playoff Rankings, a likely scenario involves Penn State earning the No. 6 seed and hosting No. 11 Tennessee for their first meeting since 2007 and first ever at Beaver Stadium. The winner would earn the right to face No. 3 Miami in the semifinals.
1. Oregon
2. Texas
3. Miami
4. BYU
5. Ohio State
6. Penn State
7. Texas A&M
8. Indiana
9. Notre Dame
10. Georgia
11. Tennessee
12. Boise State
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Prince Avenue Christian football breaks up its schedule into three “seasons.”
The first five games, all non-region competition, are usually out of state as they look for talent worthy of meeting at the line of scrimmage. Then comes a bye week.
The second five games are region competition, this year it was Class 2A-Region 8. The year before it was Class A-Division I. Then comes another bye.
The last — and hopefully — five games are the state playoffs. The Wolverines have a long-lasting streak in GHSA state playoff history. They’ve qualified every year since Mark Farriba was head coach in 2010, but they only started winning when current head coach Greg Vandagriff took over.
“What we try to do is, we tried to break the season into like, three different seasons,” Vandagriff explained. “Three different, five game seasons. Just because the non-region was going to be so challenging that we didn’t want to, you know, if it didn’t go great, like we were 0-5, we wanted to be able to mentally handle it.”
The Wolverines made it to the semifinals once with Farriba (2011), the same year he won his only region title with the program. Jeff Herron took over 2013-15 and won three straight region titles, making it to two quarterfinals and one semifinal in that time.
Vandagriff took over in 2016 and won his first region title that year, also advancing to the semifinals in the playoffs. They went to the semifinals in 2017 and 2018 and the second round in 2019 before the current streak they’re on got started.
In 2020, Vandagriff won the first state title with the program, also claiming his first of five straight region titles. Since then, he has gone on to win two consecutive state championships in 2022 and 2023 and they claimed runner-up in 2021.
They went completely undefeated in 2022 to win that GHSA honor and that streak lasted seven weeks into the 2023 season before Mary Persons got the better of them.
Vandagriff holds a 104-15 record in eight seasons, known for having one of the best quarterback rooms in the state between his son Brock Vandagriff, now at Kentucky, and Aaron Philo, the state passing yards leader now at Georgia Tech, rotating through.
Since the program started in 2005, Prince Avenue is 181-57-1 overall.
This year though, things started out a little bit different than years past. They fell to three different opponents, the most losses in a single season since 2019. And all of it happened in the first third of the season.
So, what happened?
“We thought the best we could do was 3-2,” Vandagriff continued. “We ended up 2-3, so we’re a little disappointed there, but the thing that mattered then was preparing for region.”
Prince Avenue has recently taken to traveling out of state to find competition. This semi-tradition started with Baylor in Chattanooga, Tenn., in 2022 and expanded to two other states in 2023, including Hammond in Columbia, S.C., and Pensacola Catholic in Florida. They also played Nashville Christian last year in Tennessee.
This year, they played Mallard Creek during Week 2 in Charlotte, N.C., and Westside during Week 5 in Anderson, S.C. Both games ended in losses.
“With the first three games, we won the first one and lost the second two,” Vandagriff said. “We’re in all the games that we lost, we had a chance to win (them all). Not that we should have won, but we could have won. There’s a little bit of a difference. To me, should have won means you beat yourself. Could have won means there were some things that went right for you.
“The biggest thing we realized was we needed to rotate our quarterbacks.”
Sophomore Ben Musser and senior Jake Bobo shared the quarterback slot, each 50-percent of what Philo was before them. Musser came in from Jefferson this season, while Bobo was in year two after transferring from North Oconee. Together, they combined for 133 completions on 218 attempts for 1,927 yards and 19 touchdowns.
“He’s a good leader,” Bobo said of Musser. “He’s smart. Really fast too, faster than me. He can throw it and he’s strong. Sure, I’m a little bit older, but he knows what he’s doing.”
“They’re definitely progressing a lot more than they were earlier this season,” sophomore wide receiver Hudson Hill said. “It is a big change from Philo, but I’m still comfortable with my quarterbacks.”
Region contests began Sept. 28. PACS moved up to 2A-Region 8 over the summer.
“We were going up from single A to double A, and we felt the non-region schedule would help us, and it has,” Vandagriff said. “The biggest thing in the region is you want to go 5-0 because it gives you the best set up for the playoffs.”
The Wolverines took care of that by defeating Hebron Christian, the only team on the schedule this year that they’ve previously played.
Now, they wait to see what happens. Because they’re a private school — all A-3A private schools will be lumped together for the playoffs this year — and they won a region title, they expect to have a bye in round one.
“One week at a time,” senior defensive lineman and Georgia Tech commit Christian Garrett said. “It’s time to really lock in and get the job done.”
Everyone says records are made to be broken, and one was when Drew Allar found Tyler Warren from Washington’s 3-yard line for a 2-yard gain late in the fourth quarter, giving Warren the Penn State single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end.
The previous record was held by Mike Gesicki, who recorded 679 receiving yards in 2016. Warren left the Nittany Lions’ 35-6 win over the Huskies with 681.
“To be in that conversation with as many great tight ends who have played here and that I’ve played with is special to me,” Warren said. “That’s kind of what makes it special to me is knowing the guys that have been here and how talented Penn State tight ends are, so that’s kind of why (the record) means so much to me.”
Warren didn’t only break Gesicki’s single-season receiving yards record, he also broke Gesicki’s record for most single-season receptions by a tight end in Penn State history with 58.
Those aren’t the only records Warren has broken this season — James Franklin said there’s “about 33 more.” As a result of his record-breaking season, Warren was named a semifinalist for the John Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top tight end, and a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award, given to the most versatile player in college football.
“I don’t see how this guy doesn’t win the Mackey Award and the Paul Hornung award,” Franklin said. “They would be proud of that guy representing their award. He does everything right on and off the field, he’s done it that way since he stepped on campus, so just a great example of what a Penn State football player is.”
After losing to Ohio State last week, one of the biggest complaints Penn State fans had was the lack of involvement from Warren. The Nittany Lions had the ball inside the 5-yard line and didn’t attempt to get the ball into the tight end’s hands once, something Franklin said Penn State should’ve done.
To remedy that, Penn State gave Warren the ball at the goal line twice. The first time, Warren jumped over the entire Washington defensive line to put the ball across, which he joked was a bit scary, but the end result was all that mattered.
“I was up there for a little while. There’s a point where I was getting a little worried,” Warren said. “I did have to stretch out a little bit, but getting six points in that situation is what we want to do, so I was happy with it.”
Warren tallied his second rushing touchdown of the game on Penn State’s next drive, and finished the contest with three rushes for seven yards on top of eight catches for 75 yards.
“Obviously you can see how many ways we got him involved today, run-game wise, pass-game wise and even some of our option stuff,” Allar said. “We just try to get him involved in the game plan as much as we can, because we know what type of player he is and how much he helps our offense just generate explosive plays in general.”
Warren has cemented himself as a Penn State great, but the work doesn’t stop for the senior, who was disappointed with his fumble in the third quarter and a few other plays.
“(I think the offense) did a great job,” Warren said. “In the second half, that’s on me stopping that first drive with that fumble, so that’s something I got to work on.”
Regardless, Warren showed Saturday what’s been clear all season — the sky’s the limit for the senior tight end, who the Nittany Lions are always trying to involve.
“He’s our best playmaker on offense and the best tight end in the country,” Allar said. “We’re going to get him involved in the game somehow, in some way, in some form or capacity … Just getting him easy completions. He’s hard to bring down. There weren’t many cases where one guy brought him down today.”
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Roundup of Saturday’s high school district playoff action from the Greater Spokane League and Eastern Washington.
Girls soccer District 6 4A
Richland 4, Lewis and Clark 0: The second-seeded Bombers (15-4) eliminated the third-seeded Tigers (13-5-2) at ONE Spokane Stadium to punch their ticket to state. Details were unavailable.
District 6 3A
University 1, Walla Walla 0: Addison Cox scored in the 17th minute, Tayler Nordean made three saves and the sixth-seeded Titans (11-7-1) eliminated the visiting top-seeded Blue Devils (10-9) in the district third-place game to earn a trip to state.
District 5/6 2A crossover
West Valley 5,East Valley (Yakima) 1: Chloe Van Wey scored two goals, Jenna Howe added a goal and an assist and the Eagles (18-0-1) beat the visiting Red Devils (12-8-1) at University HS to qualify for state. West Valley outshot EV 21-2.
Pullman 1, Prosser 0: The visiting Greyhounds (13-6) beat the Mustangs (14-4) to earn a trip to state.
District 5/6 1A crossover
Lakeside 2,Cascade (Leavenworth) 0: Brooklyn Moore and Lainee Higgens scored, Bre Oleson made six saves and the Eagles (9-7) eliminated the Kodiaks (15-6) in a crossover to qualify for state.
Royal 1, Riverside 0: The Knights (15-6) eliminated the visiting Rams (6-9) in a shootout. Details were unavailable.
District 6 2B
Freeman 4,Northwest Christian 0: Nora Gass scored two goals and the top-seeded Scotties (17-0) defeated the visiting second-seeded Crusaders (14-3-1) in the district championship. Abigail Strandy had 15 saves for the Crusaders. Both teams qualified for state.
Volleyball District 6 4A
Mead 3, Gonzaga Prep 1: Ava Durban had 12 kills, Maya Cassel added 26 assists and the visiting fifth-seeded Panthers (8-7) defeated the top-seeded Bullpups (12-3) in a semifinal. Noella Migliuri had 33 assists for G-Prep. Mead faces Kamiakin in the championship on Thursday.
Kamiakin 3,Lewis and Clark 2: Jennavive Roberts had 16 kills, but the second-seeded Braves (14-2) defeated the visiting third-seeded Tigers (8-8) in a semifinal. LC faces Richland in an elimination match on Tuesday.
Ferris 3, Chiawana 2: Olivia Hart had 19 hills, Kjersti Jacobson added 39 assists and the visiting seventh-seeded Saxons (6-10) eliminated the sixth-seeded Riverhawks (6-12). Ferris plays Gonzaga Prep in a loser-out on Tuesday.
District 6 3A
Ridgeline 3,Hermiston (Ore.) 0: Reagan Rothley had 10 kills, Kyla Ross added 25 assists and the second-seeded Falcons (15-1) defeated the visiting third-seeded Bulldogs (12-5) in a semifinal. Ridgeline hosts Mt. Spokane in the championship match on Thursday.
Mt. Spokane 3, Kennewick 0: The fourth-seeded Wildcats (12-3) swept the top-seeded Lions (14-5) in a semifinal. Details were unavailable.
District 6 3A
Shadle Park 3,University 1: Brynn Hooper had 11 kills, Sophia Crone-Johnson added 23 assists and the sixth-seeded Highlanders (10-9) eliminated the visiting eight-seeded Titans (3-12). Shadle travels to Kennewick for an elimination match on Tuesday.
Walla Walla 3,Central Valley 0: The fifth-seeded Blue Devils (10-10) eliminated the visiting Bears (4-14). Details were unavailable.
District 5/6 2A crossover
Pullman 3, Selah 0: Rowyn Lee had 14 kills, Camber Wolfe added 32 assists and the visiting Greyhounds (13-6) defeated the Vikings (11-3) to advance to state.
Toppenish 3, West Valley 2: Tala Gilchrist had 20 kills and four aces, and Kendall Focht had 40 assists, but the Eagles (17-2) were eliminated by the visiting Wildcats (10-9) to earn a bid to state.District 5/6 1A crossover
Zillah 3, Riverside 2: The Leopards (13-8) beat the Rams (9-11) at Chelan Community College to claim a bid to state. Details were unavailable.
Lakeside 3, Connell 0: The Eagles (11-2) defeated visiting Connell (13-4) to earn a berth to state. Details were unavailable.
