Week nine recap
Winona State suffered a 38-20 loss to #19 Augustana last week in Sioux Falls after the Vikings pulled away in the second half. Upper Iowa, who was 0-8 heading into last weekend, earned their first victory of the season after blocking a PAT in overtime against Wayne State. With both teams out of contention for playoffs, they will have hopes of ending their season's with wins in the final two weeks. Storied history
Winona State and Upper Iowa have squared off 16 total times, dating back to 1968. Winona State leads the series 14-2, with losses coming in 2015 and 2018. The Warriors won the most recent matchup in 2019 by a score of 28-0. In the last 10 games against the Peacocks, WSU has averaged 39.2 points while allowing 22.7. Getting back on track
After a defeat at Augustana last weekend, the Warriors now sit at 5-4 on the season and 2-2 in the NSIC South Division. A win this weekend against Upper Iowa would give WSU momentum heading into week 11's contest against rival, Minnesota State University Mankato.
Warrior Fans, Let's Ride!
# 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 19 20 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42
NAME Devon Moore Tyler Anderson Tyler Hughes Jace LaBuda Jake Balliu Darryl Williams Sam Santiago-Lloyd Ethan Wittenburg Seyi Afinni Brian Corbins, Jr. Ben McCabe Colin Klatt Trevor Paulson Marcellus Johnson Aarion Lacy Kenneth Sanders Aaron Adams Myles Tramill Owen Burke Noah Carlson Mekhi Besseck Easton Knoll Cam Gavin David Munson Zach Gulbransen Jarius Adams Carter Duxbury Richard Azunna Cair'ron Hendred Zach Myhre Ty Gavin Dominik London VJ Herron John Schmidt AJ Scaife Javian Roebuck Tyler Zirpolo Sam Strang Isaiah Siem-Davis Sam Shutter Mitch Snitker Jamon Williams Clay Schueffner Garit Wollan Vernon Porte Charlie Dennis
POS. LB WR WR QB WR WR RB WR WR DB LB DL QB DB DB FS DB WR QB RB FS WR DB DB DB DB LB DB RB LB RB RB DB DB LB RB FB DL LB LB DB DB LB TE DB LB
HT. 6-3 6-0 6-2 6-3 5-9 5-11 5-10 6-1 5-10 5-9 5-11 6-3 6-3 5-11 5-10 6-0 5-11 5-10 6-3 6-1 6-3 5-11 6-2 5-11 5-10 5-10 6-2 5-11 5-9 6-0 5-11 5-9 6-1 5-10 6-2 5-11 5-10 6-2 6-2 6-3 5-11 5-10 6-2 6-4 5-10 6-0
WT. 240 170 185 210 185 165 235 205 180 165 195 250 210 180 175 210 165 175 225 200 205 190 195 170 185 185 210 192 195 220 175 205 175 200 190 210 230 220 205 190 190 160 230 230 170 210
YEAR Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Gr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Fr. Jr. Jr. R-Fr. So. R-Jr. Fr. Jr. Fr. R-Fr. Gr. R-Fr. So. Fr. R-Sr. R-Jr. R-Fr. So. Sr. Sr. Fr. R-Fr. So. Sr. R-Fr. So. Fr. Gr. R-Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. R-Fr. Fr. R-Fr. Fr. Fr. R-Fr.
HOMETOWN HIGH SCHOOL PREVIOUS SCHOOL Chicago, Ill. Hammond Forest City, Iowa Forest City Onalaska, Wis. Onalaska Menomonie, Wis. Menomonie Lake Villa, Ill. Lakes Community Chetek, Wis. Chetek-Weyerhaeuser Milwaukee, Wis. Brookfield East Franklin, Wis. Franklin Roseville, Minn. Roseville Hales Corners, Wis. Hales Corners Caledonia, Minn. Caledonia Cedar Falls, Iowa Cedar Falls Marion, Iowa Marion Moline, Ill. Moline Iowa Central CC Park Forest, Ill. Brother Rice Chicago, Ill. Phillips Academy West Palm Beach, Fla. Suncoast Army West Point Round Lake, Ill. Carmel Catholic Lakewood, Colo. D'Evelyn Rushford, Minn. Rushford-Peterson Univ. of Michigan Minneapolis, Minn. Robbinsdale Armstrong Central Lakes Kasson, Minn. Kasson-Mantorville New Lenox, Ill. Lincoln Way West Chicago, Ill. Phillips Crystal Lake, Ill. Prairie Ridge Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Dwyer Rutgers University Chatfield, Minn. Chatfield Chicago, Ill. Niles North College of DuPage Cedar Rapids. Iowa Kennedy Grand Meadow, Minn. Grand Meadow Niles, Ill. Notre Dame Prep Woodbury, Minn. East Ridge Univ. of Minnesota Country Club Hills, Ill. Hillcrest Sartell, Min. Dowling Catholic Kent State Roseville, Minn. Roseville Area Phoenix, Ariz. La Joya Glendale CC Waukesha, Wis. Waukesha West Davenport, Iowa Davenport Central Des Plaines, Ill. Maine West Plymouth, Minn. Plymouth Waukon, Iowa Waukon Country Club Hills, Ill. Hillcrest St. Cloud, Wis. St. Mary Springs Academy Winona, Minn. Winona Senior High Dacula, Ga. Dacula St. Paul, Minn. Cretin-Derham Hall
# 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 60 65 66 67 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94
NAME Ikenna Ujuagu Joe Perhats Voshon Porte Tristan Root Carlton Ogata Levi Smith Morgan White Trey Telez Mason Staggemeyer Chance Backer Dejon Hall Myles Hawthorne Anthony Quinn Corrie King Bronson Schofield Enrique De Leon Joey Prondzinski Clay Craker Noah Pappas Jacob Leszczynski Conner Haggerty Jordan Haddard Alec Morris Joe Carlson Carter Berlin Payton Dachel Luke Vitale Declan Kyler Justin Precour Trevor Oppedal Ethan Trumpy AJ Frisby Thomas Kiesau Sawyer Maly Andrew Goergen Dakota Matthees Jose Benjamin Jason Michael Young Jaylen Schleicher Tyler Knutson Josh Giese Cole Wright Kyjuan Vengrowsky Luc Leszczynski Tyler Walls Darius Manuel
POS. LB LB DB K/P LB TE LS LB LB LB LB LB LB DL LB DL K/P OL OL OL DE OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL TE WR WR WR TE WR WR TE WR WR DL DL DL LB DL
HT. 6-0 6-3 5-9 5-8 6-2 6-2 6-0 6-0 5-11 6-2 6-2 6-0 5-9 6-1 6-0 6-4 5-9 6-5 6-5 6-4 6-2 6-3 6-5 6-4 6-5 6-3 6-4 6-4 6-5 6-8 6-6 6-3 6-2 6-1 5-10 6-4 5-11 6-4 6-6 6-3 6-3 6-0 6-1 6-0 6-1 6-2
WT. 210 210 165 180 205 250 225 230 220 215 215 195 220 225 200 250 165 310 315 330 265 275 315 315 325 300 265 320 300 295 330 235 195 185 190 210 175 205 245 210 225 240 230 245 220 235
YEAR R-Fr. R-Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Jr. R-Fr. Sr. R-Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Jr. R-Jr. So. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. R-Fr. So. Jr. Sr. R-Fr. Fr. So. R-Fr. R-Fr. So. R-Fr. Fr. So. R-Fr. R-Fr. R-Fr. Fr. Jr. Jr. So. R-Fr. Fr. Jr. Fr. R-Fr.
HOMETOWN St. Louis Park, Minn. Cary, Ill. Dacula, Ga. Eau Claire, Wis. Plymouth, Minn. Claremont, Minn. Pahrump, Nev. New Lenox, Ill. Caledonia, Minn. Chatfield, Minn. Roseville, Minn. Osseo, Minn. Oak Lawn, Ill. Minnetonka, Minn. Chetek, Wis. Brookfield, Wis. Middleton, Wis. Plymouth, Minn. Muskego, Wis. Onalaska, Wis. Mequon, Wis. La Crosse, Wis. Mukwonago, Wis. Augusta, Wis. Bloomer, Wis. Madison, Wis. Mesa, Ariz. Lake In The Hills, Ill. Blue Earth, Minn. Pekin, Ill. Twin Lakes, Wis. La Crescent, Minn. Waunakee, Wis. Caledonia, Minn. Winona, Minn. Rochester, Minn. Fort Dodge, Iowa Hammond, Ind. Prior Lake, Minn. Hortonville, Wis. Stevens Point, Wis. De Pere, Wis. Muskego, Wis. Broomfield, Colo. Des Moines, Iowa
HIGH SCHOOL Benilde-St. Margaret's Prairie Ridge Dacula Regis Wayzata Triton Pahrump Valley Lincoln Way West Caledonia Chatfield Roseville Osseo Richards Wayzata Chetek-Weyerhaeuser Brookfield East Middleton Robbinsdale Armstrong Muskego Onalaska Homestead La Crosse Central Mukwonago Augusta Bloomer La Follette Skyline Huntley Blue Earth Pekin Wilmont Union La Crescent Waunakee Caledonia Winona Senior High Century Hammond Prior Lake Hortonville Stevens Point Area De Pere Pius XI Prospect Ridge Valley
PREVIOUS SCHOOL
Minnesota Duluth
Upper Iowa
Iowa Western CC Iowa Central CC
# 95 96 97 97 98 99 -
NAME Cole LaLiberty Dmitri Shpak Nathaniel Wilcher Jacob Scott Ryan Tuttle Joseph Demro Payton Beyer Trey Borske Trevor Brake Mason Buehler Mason Carnell Brady Dannenbring Drew Goettl Reid Hartness Ty Johnson Ben Kingsbury Ryan Lund Samuel Mcenelly Codie Meinen Brett Perronne Michael Richardson Jacob Scott Joe Sikma Ethan Torgrimson Jake Van Hulzen Jakai Washington Griffin Wiegel Tyler Wilken Brice Wingad Patrick Wright Jr. Austin Zeeveld
POS. DT K DL K/P DL DL WR LB LS DB OL QB DB QB WR LB OL FB RB TE WR K/P WR RB QB DL DB WR TE OL OL
HT. 6-2 6-3 6-0 5-11 5-10 6-3 6-2 6-1 6-1 6-5 6-5 5-9 6-3 6-3 5-10 5-8 6-3 6-3 5-10 6-1 6-0 6-1 5-11 6-2 6-6 6-3
WT. 315 175 260 175 255 230 175 220 185 270 215 165 210 300 225 185 220 195 175 210 185 230 170 175 345 285
YEAR R-Sr. So. Fr. Fr. R-Fr. R-Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr.
HOMETOWN Chetek, Wis. Maple Grove, Minn. Mukwonago, Wis. Flower Mound, Texas Slinger, Wis. Plymouth, Minn. Owatonna, Minn. Naperville, Ill. Wind Lake, Wis. Hartland, Wis. Sioux Falls, S.D. Eau Claire, Wis. Fargo, N.D. Cambridge, Wis. Waconia, Minn. Chippewa Falls, Wis. Kimberly, Wis. Brookfield, Wis. Waukesha, Wis. Sartell, Minn. Coon Rapids, Minn. Country Club Hills, Ill. Kimberly, Wis. Cedar Rapids, Iowa Plymouth, Wis. Cascade, Wis.
HIGH SCHOOL Chetek-Weyerhaeuser Maple Grove Mukwonago Marcus Slinger Wayzata Owatonna Neuqua Valley Muskego Arrowhead Roosevelt Regis Davies High School Cambridge Waconia Chippewa Falls Kimberly Marquette HS Catholic Memorial Sartell-St. Stephen Hillcrest Kimberly Xavier Riverside Plymouth
PREVIOUS SCHOOL
Cisco JC
#
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 49 50 51 52 53 54 55
NAME
POS.
HT.
WT.
YR
HOMETOWN
HIGH SCHOOL / PREVIOUS SCHOOL
Brody Bazile DJ Emsweller Terrell Powell Lane Canny Aboubacar Barry Xavier Saldana Isaac Pope Ryan Pritchard Alessio Diana Zach Reader Willy Camacho Kenny Draeving Alexander Stevens Davyn Braker Marcus Orr TJ Smith Kyle Domin Tyler Owen Darnell Jones II DJ Green Jr. Zacarius Murray Keontae Luckett Eric Ihde James Buchanan Jaylen Olokun Dawson Pedersen Zay McCray Johnston Freeman Biingo Lewis Jacob Daniel Desean Phillips Smidley St. Louis Jack Beulke Deion Duncan Kevin Carlton Jr. Erik Hansen Joey Rattin Spencer Wegmann Collin Jones Abe Metelus Erik Rogers Samson Tufui Charlie Caruso Jesse Weber Jeremy Waymire RJ Knaack Jaeden Stovall Alan Ayala Trevor Thompson Jordan Bries Landon Barrett Skyler Gill-Howard
LB WR DB WR RB WR DB WR DB QB RB QB WR RB QB QB DL DB WR DB DB RB FB WR LB DB DB DB DB DB RB RB DB P DB DL DB LB DB DB RB DL LB DB RE LB LB LB LB LB LB LB
6-1 6-2 5-10 6-1 5-11 5-9 6-3 6-3 6-0 6-0 5-8 6-6 6-2 5-9 6-2 6-3 6-5 6-0 6-2 5-10 5-9 5-10 5-6 6-3 5-10 6-1 6-2 5-9 5-10 5-10 5-11 6-0 6-1 6-0 6-0 6-3 6-0 6-1 6-1 5-10 5-10 6-1 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-0 6-1 6-1 6-1
220 205 195 200 200 170 190 205 195 200 165 240 190 185 210 205 290 190 180 175 165 200 240 180 215 195 207 175 170 210 220 195 185 180 170 260 190 210 195 185 200 265 235 184 241 210 225 218 205 225 215 240
R-Sr. Sr. Sr. Gr. Fr. So. R-So. Jr. Jr. R-So. Fr. So. Sr. Jr. Fr. R-Fr. R-Sr. Fr. Fr. So. Fr. R-So. Sr. R-So. Fr. Jr. Jr. R-Fr. So. R-Jr. So. Fr. Sr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Fr. So. So. Jr. R-Fr. R-Sr. So. Fr. R-Fr. Jr. Jr. So. Fr. Jr. Fr. Fr.
Freedom, Wis. Tampa, Fla. Tallahassee, Fla. Brownsdale, Minn. Moline, Ill. Elwood Park, Ill. San Antonio, Texas Kansas City, Mo. Southington, Conn. Oak Creek, Wis. Palmdale, Calif. Beloit, Wis. Romulus, Mich. Fall River, Wis. Mount Vernon, Iowa Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Westmont, Ill. Madison, Wis. Chicago, Ill. Tampa, Fla. Waco, Texas New London, Iowa Garnavillo, Iowa Chicago, Ill. Chicago, Ill. Breckenridge, Minn. McComb, Miss. Minneapolis, Minn. South Phoenix, Ariz. Havana, Ill. St. Michael, Minn. Naples, Fla. Wanamingo, Minn. Savannah, Ga. New Orleans, La. Burlington, Ill. Rolling Meadows, Ill. Solon, Iowa Oshkosh, Wis. Naples, Fla. La Crosse, Wis. Los Angeles, Calif. Aurora, Ill. Theresa, Wis. Redlands, Calif. Kaukauna, Wis. St. Paul, Minn. Fond du Lac, Wis. Ellsworth, Iowa Manchester, Iowa Tallahassee, Fla. Milwaukee, Wis.
Freedom HS Seffner Christian Academy North Christian HS / Charleston Southern Hayfield HS / RCTC Moline HS St. Patrick HS Yoakum HS / Texas State University Academy / Iowa State Southington-Milford Academy / ASA Brooklyn Oak Creek HS Chaminade College Preparatory HS Beloit F J Turner HS Romulus HS Fall River HS Linn-Mar HS McArthur HS / Iowa Western CC Westmount HS Madison East S Homewood-Flossmoor HS Wharton HS Midway HS New London HS / Iowa Clayton Ridge HS St. Laurence HS Homewood-Flossmoor HS Breckenridge HS / NDSCS McComb HS / Minnesota Crookston Champlin Park HS Mountain Pointe HS / Phoenix College Havana HS St Michael-Albertville / Eastern Illinois Naples HS / Minnesota Crookston Kenyon-Wanamingo Islands HS Archbishop Hannan HS Burlington Central HS William Fremd HS Solon HS Oshkosh West HS Saint John Neumann HS Luther HS Southlands Christian HS Oswego East HS Lomira HS Redlands East Valley HS Kaukauna HS Park HS / St. Cloud State Horace Mann HS South Hamilton HS West Delaware HS Family HS Greenfield HS
#
56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99
NAME
POS.
HT.
WT.
YR
HOMETOWN
HIGH SCHOOL / PREVIOUS SCHOOL
Nolan Freeman Thomaj Davis Albert Jones Peyton Bieber Conner Ariss Reese Griffin Zachary Bravo Logan Zacharia Noah Jackson Zach Hamilton Drew Knese Brian Sadler Connor Andresen Cameron Hart Brody Gregory Hassan Madkour Hunter Brooks Tyler Nielsen Eddy Gosche Carter Harris Alex Schneider Caden Wendt Riley Kennow Jacob Shonk Isaac Durand Baxter Bohr Cole Ewald Isaiah Gray Drake Kinney Marcus Gulley Jr. Noah Schirmers Ben Houselog Ethan Bayles Zach Wegmann Kaiden Sell Dalton Cannon Rhett Smith Laith Smith Nicholas Peck Trey Baker Myles McHaney IV Kyle Curran Fabien Guillen
LB LB LB LB OL DL OB OL DL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL WR WR DL WR TE TE WR TE WR OL DL DL DL DL DL LS DL DE DL K/P
5-11 6-1 6-2 6-0 6-1 6-3 5-6 6-1 6-1 6-5 6-2 6-2 6-2 6-5 6-2 6-1 6-4 6-4 6-6 6-1 6-4 6-1 6-5 6-1 6-4 6-3 6-2 6-5 6-5 5-10 6-7 6-2 6-5 6-1 6-1 6-4 6-3 6-2 6-3 6-2 6-3 6-5 5-9
220 185 215 215 295 290 207 300 260 270 285 310 280 290 310 320 310 315 315 315 300 290 300 185 215 225 200 210 225 180 245 195 300 245 238 285 270 280 225 273 230 285 190
Sr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Sr. Fr. R-Fr. R-So. So. Fr. Sr. R-Jr. Fr. Sr. Jr. R-So. R-Fr. R-Fr. Sr. R-Jr. Sr. So. Fr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. So. Fr. R-Jr. R-Sr. So. R-Fr. Fr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. So.
Grundy Center, Iowa Des Moines, Iowa Roseland, Ind. Waukon, Iowa Dubuque, Iowa Chicago, Ill. Willis, Texas Custer Park, Ill. Saint Petersburg, Fla. Milwaukee, Wis. St. Louis, Mo. Jesup, Iowa Anamosa, Iowa Davenport, Iowa Chattanooga, Tenn. Plymouth, Minn. Joliet, Ill. Ventura, Iowa Schaumburg, Ill. St. Cloud, Fla. Waterloo, Iowa Mechanicsville, Iowa Kenosha, Wis. Webb City, Mo. Argyle, Minn. Swisher, Iowa Hopkins, Minn. River Falls, Wis. Cedar Rapids, Iowa Peoria, Ill. Blaine, Minn. North Liberty, Iowa Vandalia, Ill. Solon, Iowa Neenah, Wis. Marion, Iowa Wapello, Iowa Wapello, Iowa Ontario, Calif. Cedar Rapids, Iowa Chesterfield, Mich. Spring Grove, Ill. Bakersfield, Calif.
Grundy Center HS Roosevelt HS Harold L. Richard HS Waukon HS Dubuque Senior HS William H Taft HS Willis HS Reed Custer HS Saint Petersburg HS Greendale HS Fox HS Jesup HS / Iowa Anamosa HS Davenport Central HS Hixson HS Wayzata HS Joliet West HS Garner-Hayfield-Ventura HS Conant HS Harmony HS Waterloo West HS North Cedar HS Indian Trail HS Webb City HS Stephen-Argyle Central / Minnesota Cedar Rapids Prairie HS St. Louis Park HS River Falls HS Cedar Rapids Kennedy HS Quest Charter Academy Blaine HS Liberty HS Vandalia Community HS Solon HS Neenah HS Marion HS Wapello HS Wapello HS Colony HS / Riverside City College Linn-Mar HS / Ellsworth CC L'Anse Creuse North HS/ Youngstown Richmond Burton Community HS Ridgeview HS
#19 Augustana downs Winona State in Sioux Falls
The Winona State University football team had a tall task taking on #19 Augustana University on the road in their second trip to Sioux Falls in as many weeks. The Warriors (5-4, 3-2 NSIC South) and Vikings (8-1, 4-1 NSIC South) met in the 49th Shrine Game, but after a first half comeback, Augustana was able to pull away in the second half to defeat Winona State, 38-20. Penalties played a major part in the contest, with WSU flagged 12 times for 125 yards on the day, compared to the Vikings 68 yards on seven penalties. Augustana, the top ranked squad in the NCAA Division II Super Region rankings released earlier this week, took full advantage of the opportunities afforded to them to extend key drives throughout the game. The Viking defensive line made things tough on the WSU passing game, with four quarterback sacks in the contest. When the Warriors did have time, Owen Burke was able to get some downfield looks and had five completions for 20 yards or more, including a pair of 33-yard throws to Ethan Wittenburg and Tyler Knutson.
Unfortunately for Winona State, the Vikings started the second half the same way they opened the game, scoring back-to-back touchdowns on consecutive possessions, moving the scoreboard to 31-14 Augustana. As the second half wore on, WSU suffered a series of sacks that stymied offensive drives and facing a stiff wind, were unable to use the punt game to their advantage. Augustana's Kyle Saddler was 23-of-35 for 271 yards and four touchdowns. With his 22 completion day, Burke moved over the 500-career completion mark, currently sitting at 521 all-time. Overall, Burke was 22-for-39 for 247 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, Noah Carlson had 38 yards on 10 carries, while teammate Javian Roebuck had 31 yards and touchdown on eight attempts. On defense, Mitch Snitker had nine tackles and an interception to lead Winona State. Clay Scheuffner chipped in with six stops, all solo tackles. Carter Duxbury had a sack a forced fumble, while Lacy's interception included a 39-yard return.
After conceding a pair of touchdowns and a 45-yard field goal in the opening 20 minutes of the game, Winona State's JMichael Young latched onto a Burke delivery underneath and went 30 yards untouched into the end zone for the first WSU score. Jacob Scott delivered on the PAT, cutting the AU lead to 17-7. Following the score, the Winona State defense came up with a big three-and-out stop, earning the ball back for WSU with under five minutes to go in the half. After a gutsy Jake Balliu 12-yard punt return, Burke and company marched 47 yards down the field with time winding down in the half. Javian Roebuck had his number called three times in the drive, the final run resulting in a three yard touchdown dive.
Jake Balliu had a touchdown catch in the fourth quarter to account for the WSU second half scoring.
For Roebuck, the touchdown was his team-leading sixth of the year.
Winona State will return home to Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium to host Upper Iowa University on Saturday, Nov. 6. Kickoff on Maxwell field is set for 1pm.
With under 90 seconds left before the break, Mitch Snitker came up with the first of two Warrior interceptions as time wound down. Aarion Lacy also ended a Vikings drive with a pick of his own as time ran out. Also in the first half, two Warriors - Colin Klatt and Darius Manuel both notched quarterback sacks on the day, marking just the second and third time this season an Augustana signal caller was downed behind the line of scrimmage. As the two teams headed into the locker rooms, the Warriors had some momentum, having scored the final 14 points of the half, down just 17-14.
In terms of special teams play, returner Darryl Williams took advantage of the Vikings reluctance to kick to Balliu on kickoffs, with Williams earning 53 return yards on four returns. Balliu did his damage on punt return duty, with 19 yards on three attempts. Placekicker Jacob Scott was 2-for-2 on PAT's and had a pair of touchbacks on kickoffs. The turnover battle went the way of the Warriors, as the WSU defense claimed two interceptions. Neither team lost a fumble.
Winona State uses late touchdown to defeat Sioux Falls
The Winona State University football team capitalized on a 70-yard touchdown pass from Owen Burke to Dakota Matthees in the final minutes to knock down Sioux Falls. The first half was a defensive battle. The Warriors started the game with a steady offensive drive into the Cougar's territory before a deflected ball in the secondary was intercepted by Sioux Falls. USF went three-and-out, followed by a WSU three-and-out, and another USF threeand-out. Winona State used another drive to enter into the redzone before missing a field goal. The Cougars had a sustained drive of their own that also ended in a missed field goal. A second missed field goal from the Warriors capped off a nine-minute drive that ate up most of the second quarter. Aarion Lacy intercepted a pass in the final minute of the first half, but the Warriors ensuing drive ended the half. The halftime score was 0-0. After forcing Sioux Falls to punt on the opening drive of the second half, Winona State went on an eleven play, 61-yard scoring drive. Facing 4th and four from the USF 12-yard line, the Warriors lined up for a field goal. Jace LaBuda took the snap as the holder and dropped back to pass, connecting with Dakota Matthees for a Warrior first down. On the next play, Noah Carlson ran the ball for a 2-yard touchdown. With Jacob Scott's PAT good, WSU took the 7-0 lead. The fourth quarter started with a six -minute Cougar drive that resulted in a 33-yard field goal. The Warriors next drive resulted in an interception at their own 33-yard line. USF used the great field position to score and take the 10-7 lead with just under five minutes to go in the game. After trading punts, Winona State got the ball at their own 30-yard line. On second down, Burke found Matthees down the field and Matthees snatched the ball as the USF defender fell. Matthees then had open space and ran down the sideline into the endzone. The 70-yard connection and the ensuing Scott PAT gave the Warriors a 14-10 lead with 1:28 left on the clock.
Sioux Falls was able to drive the field and get to the WSU 24-yard line with 40 seconds left. A sack by Luc Leszczynski on first down helped the Warriors defense stall the driving Cougar offense. Three consecutive incompletions by Sioux Falls led to the end of the game with Winona State winning 14-10. Overall, the Warriors led the Cougars in total yards, 374310. WSU was able to run for 153 yards and hold USF to just 81 rushing yards. In the passing game, Winona State threw for 221 yards while Sioux Falls through for 229. Winona State led the time of possession as they controlled the ball for 34:32 to USF's 25:28. Individually, Noah Carlson led the team with 78 rushing yards on 16 attempts. Dominik London was also looked upon heavily, as he had 14 rushes for 60 yards. Matthees led the Warriors in receiving, with 80 yards on two receptions, including the 70-yard game winning reception. Jake Balliu led WSU in receptions with five receptions for 55 yards. Owen Burke threw for 211 yards completing 18 of 31 attempts. He threw two interceptions but connected with Matthees for the game-winning 70-yard touchdown pass. Jace LaBuda completed one pass for 10 yards on the conversion of the fake field goal. Defensively, Aarion Lacy was a spark for the Warriors. Lacy corralled two interceptions and also contributed with two tackles. Clay Schueffner led Winona State with 11 total tackles. Richard Azunna and Mitch Snitker made eight tackles each.
Winona State defeats SMSU in Battle for the Sledge
The Winona State University football earned the right to keep 'The Sledge' another year, defeating Southwest Minnesota State 26-14 on Saturday, Oct. 16 in Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium. Senior quarterback Owen Burke was 17-of-31 for 193 yards with a pair of touchdowns to lead the Warriors in the win over the Mustangs, claiming the BIG Athletics / Adidas MVP trophy for WSU in the process. Burke connected with eight different receivers, led by Ethan Wittenburg who had five catches for 46 yards. Jaylen Schleicher and Jake Balliu both had three catches on the day, with Balliu accounting for the first Warrior touchdown. Sawyer Maly also had a touchdown grab, scoring his second touchdown of the season. Southwest Minnesota State was able to keep the game within reach due in large part to the play of Marshawn Reese, who had eight total tackles including four solo stops. Reese received the SMSU Sledge MVP award for his efforts, which included holding Winona State to a pair of field goals in the first half after the Warriors gained the red zone with a fresh set of downs. WSU placekicker Jacob Scott connected from 27 yards on two separate occasion to put points on the board for the Warriors. Defensively, Winona State held SMSU to 15 first downs and 88 total rushing yards. Richard Azunna and Mitch Snitker stood out for WSU, with both players racking up seven tackles. Snitker had three pass breakups in the secondary and Azunna had one. Devon Moore was a one-man wrecking crew, racking up five stops, all the solo variety. Vernon Porte and Clay Scheuffner had six and seven tackles, respectively. Luc Leszczynski collected two fumble recoveries and had three tackles.
On offense, WSU opened both halves with scoring drives, collecting two field goals in their first two drives of the first quarter and back-to-back touchdowns to open the second half. Dominik London was the top Winona State ballcarrier in the game, earning 91 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown. Javian Roebuck had 64 yards on nine carries including a longest run of 38 yards. Jake Balliu had 71 allpurpose yards, with a 25-yard kickoff return and 16-yard punt return to his credit. Although they never led in the game, Southwest Minnesota State made things interesting late in the game after registering two scores to climb back in the contest at 26-14. The Mustangs had two possessions late in the fourth quarter which could have resulted in scores, but the Warrior defense held tight both times. An eight-play Mustang drive stalled out with :41 remaining in the game to end any scoring threat, allowing Winona State to regain possession and end the contest. For head coach Tom Sawyer, who was honored by the NSIC and commissioner Erin Lind prior to the game, the win moved his record to 194-86, and pushed WSU to 4-3 overall on the season. It also was his fifth straight opportunity to claim the Sledge, a staple in the Warrior trophy case for the past five years. Individually, Owen Burke moved into third all-time in terms of total passing yards in Winona State history with 6,517 in his career. Jake Goettl (1995-98) is second with 7,568 and Jack Nelson (2013-16) is tops at WSU all-time with 12,007.
Winona State comeback effort falls short on Homecoming
The Winona State University football team battled back from a significant second half deficit, but in the end Northern State escaped Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium with a win to spoil the WSU Homecoming, 52-49. The Wolves (4-2 / 0-1 NSIC North) scored the first two touchdowns of the game to stake themselves a 14-point cushion over the Warriors (3-3, 0-1 NSIC South), an early lead which would prove pivotal as the game wore on. A sluggish first half for Winona State sprung to life when Jake Balliu took a Northern State kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown, the longest kick return scoring play of his career and one of several exciting special teams plays on the day. Balliu's response was important both to keep the game within striking distance and to ignite the 4,552 fans in attendance. NSU responded with a pair of scores of their own, capping 77-yard and 57-yard scoring drives that kept Owen Burke and the Warrior offense of the field for significant stretches of the Homecoming contest. However, down 28-7 late in the second quarter, Burke connected with Jason Michael Young on a 28-yard reception for Warrior touchdown. For Young, it was his first Winona State score of his career and one of two catches he had on the day. While the Warrior faithful had hopes of WSU heading into the locker room down just two scores, the Wolves had other ideas.
A motivated Warrior team took the field in the fourth quarter and nearly completed a tremendous comeback. Darryl Williams scored on a 41-yard pass from Burke to draw WSU within 14 points just 45 seconds into the final frame and Tyler Knutson found the end zone again just one minute later on a 17-yard touchdown grab from Burke. The back-to-back touchdowns represented the first time in the game that the Warriors put consecutive scores on the board without a Wolves response in between. The two teams traded possessions for much of the fourth quarter until Northern State struck on a 38 yard field goal from Payton Eue. The three points proved to be key in the game, as did the 13-play drive that used up over five minutes of the clock that produced it. Hope was restored through a second Knutson catch for a touchdown with 1:26 left in the game, as Owen Burke found Knutson with one-on-one coverage in the red-zone and took advantage. An onside kick effort was not successful for Winona State after the score, and NSU was able to run out the clock with their final possession. Although Winona State outscored NSU 21-3 in the fourth quarter and racked up 35 second half points, the margin was too steep to climb in the end, and resulted in the Warriors on the wrong side of a 52-49 final. Individually, Owen Burke was 22-of-38 for 334 yards and five passing touchdowns on the day. With the impressive passing effort, Burke registered his second 300-yard game as a Warrior. He also moved north of the 50-TD line, sitting at 54 touchdown tosses in his career. Burke now has 6,327 passing yards, moving him in front of former Warrior Jason Mitchell for fifth all-time.
Receiving the kickoff following the Burke-to-Young score, NSU drove 69 yards in six plays to produce a touchdown with just three seconds left in the half. NSU's Hunter Trautman spied Dakota Dominik London had 13 carries for 59 yards and touchdown, the Larson in the back of the end zone as time wound down for a key only Warrior rushing score of the game. One rushing play that stood score. out in the first half was a Tristan Root 18-yard fake punt pulled off perfectly, running to a Warrior first down to sustain a drive in the At 35-14, Winona State was in need of a second half effort first half. reminiscent of some Warrior comebacks earlier in the season. They almost made it happen. Ethan Wittenburg led Winona State in reception yards with 72 yards on three catches and touchdown, while Jaylen Schleicher had four The Warriors opened up the second half with a score on their first grabs for 62 yards. Tyler Knutsen had four catches, two touchdowns, possession, as Dominik London broke out of the pile to rumble 44 while Darryl Williams had three catches and a TD as well. Jake Balliu yards to the end zone, adding another impressive long-yardage had five receptions on the day. effort to his Winona State resume. Defensively, Cam Gavin racked up 12 solo stops in his 14 total After a NSU long-distance effort of their own, with Trautman tackles, a season-high so far. Clay Schueffner had 11 tackles, while connecting on a 72-yard bomb to Dewaylon Ingram, Winona State Jarius Adams, Carter Duxbury, Darius Manuel and Corrie King scored again to make it 42-28 through Ethan Wittenburg. combined for two sacks of Wolves quarterback Hunter Trautman, Wittenburg hauled in a 39-yard pass from Burke on a four play who had 418 yards with five touchdowns for the visitors. drive that used up just 90 precious seconds. Balliu's 97-yard kickoff return touchdown was a big part of his 215 As had been the script all game, unfortunately, NSU had an answer return yard day, and is now the sixth-longest kickoff return in for Wittenburg's team leading fifth touchdown of the season, Warrior history, while fellow kick returner Darryl Williams had 107 scoring what would be the final Wolves touchdown of the game. yards on four returns. Jacob Scott extended his PAT streak to 27-forWith just over two minutes to go in the third quarter, Brett Benton 27 on the year. ran in from five yards out to move the scoreboard to 49-28 in favor of Northern State.
Winona State football falls to Wayne State
The Winona State University football team found itself on the road for the second week in a row on Saturday, Oct. 2, taking on Wayne State College in a key week five Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) matchup. Unfortunately for the Warriors (3-2 / 0-1 NSIC South), the Wildcats (4-1 / 1-0 NSIC South) put up a big second quarter number - scoring 28 points - and then combined an effective ground game and an opportunistic takeaway defense in the second half to deal Winona State a 38-21 setback. Jake Balliu had a 62-yard kickoff return to answer a Wildcat scoring drive in the first half, and then threw for a Warrior touchdown on the game's next play. Following his kick return, Balliu remained on the field and lined up as a wide out, taking a pass in the backfield from quarterback Owen Burke. As the Wildcats secondary bit on the play, Balliu then went downfield to a wide-open Ethan Wittenburg for the Warriors second score of the game. Wittenburg had opened the WSU scoring in a more conventional manner earlier in the game, as Burke hit the senior from Franklin, Wis. on a three-yard pass in the first quarter to give Winona State the initial lead in the contest. Wayne State ran their hurry-up offense to the tune of 28 second quarter points, with the Wildcats scoring four rushing touchdowns on four successive possessions. Much like their win the week earlier against nationally ranked Minnesota Duluth, the Wildcats rushing efforts consumed the clock and kept the Winona State offense off the field for significant stretches at a time. Winona State answered the Wildcats ground game with Noah Carlson, who racked up 48 first half rushing yards, a touchdown and 12 receiving yards all before the break. Teammate Dominik London also had ten carries in the first half. A Winona State score late in the second half by Carlson and successful PAT from Jacob Scott - provided hope for the Warrior faithful as the teams left the field heading to the locker room, as WSU had outscored every opponent in the second half of each contest in 2021.
Prior to Saturday, Winona State had earned comeback wins on three occasions in four tries. However, in the second half, Wayne State won the turnover battle and the line of scrimmage, intercepting three Warrior passes while sacking Burke four times. Ethan Wittenburg finished the day with four catches and two scores including a longest catch of 43 yards. Noah Carlson rushed for 58 yards, leading the Warriors in that category and caught four passes for 23 yards. The Rushford-Peterson High School product scored the second Winona State touchdown of his career on a three-yard run in the first half. Burke was 16-of-34 for 209 yards, eclipsing the 200-yard mark in passing for the fifth consecutive time this season. He had three interceptions, while tossing for one touchdown, the 49th passing TD of his career. The Winona State defense was led by Devon Moore, who racked up seven tackles including two solo stops. Moore accounted for 11 tackle-for-loss yards, while Carter Duxbury had 18 TFL yards on seven tackles, including a season-high three sacks. Duxbury now has 4 1/2 sacks on the season to lead the team. Both teams missed short field goals in the game, with WSC's Alex Powders going wide right from 23 yards in the first half and Winona State's Scott missing from 30 yards out on the first WSU drive of the second half. In addition to Balliu's big kickoff return, Darryl Williams had four kick returns for 87 yards, including a 28-yard effort. Combined with a 30-yard catch, Williams had 117 total all-purpose yards. Balliu also had four punt returns for 67 yards, with a longest effort of 39.
Winona State football earns win over UMary
The Winona State University football team traveled to the University of Mary and ended up on the right side of a back-and-forth affair, 48-38 to claim their third win of the 2021 season.
Oftentimes, football fans from around the NSIC take notice when Jake Balliu drops back to receive a punt for the Warriors and midway through the third quarter on Saturday, he showed why.
Winona State had the first lead and the last lead of the game, but in between, the Marauders and Warriors exchanged blows that left the outcome in doubt for fans of either team until the last seconds of the contests.
Balliu received a punt from UMary's Kevin Powell after yet another Warrior defensive stop. Sixty-one yards later, Balliu was diving into the end zone to score his first return touchdown of the season and fifth of his career. Balliu's big play is believed to be the first punt or kickoff touchdown return across the NSIC ranks so far this year. Just as importantly, Balliu's TD put WSU out in front again, this time at 31-24.
In the end, it was a key punt return by Jake Balliu with the game in balance and a next-Warrior-up mindset from Dominik London that was the catalyst for a Winona State comeback that will surely be remembered. Javian Roebuck started the scoring for Winona State, and the contest, on a 10-yard run, capping a five-play 78-yard drive that included two key catches by Balliu and Jaylen Schleicher from starting quarterback Owen Burke. UMary answered the Warrior score with a field goal on their ensuing possession, but WSU responded with a scoring drive of their own, foreshadowing what would be a trend the rest of the game. Winona State's Burke-to-Ethan Wittenburg collaboration that has been strong all season delivered again, as the two connected first on a 16-yard throw and then a 41-yard strike to double the Warrior lead. As with the first TD, Jacob Scott drilled the PAT and the Warriors were up 14-3. The Marauders answered again, this time on a 12-yard Logan Nelson pass to teammate Luke Little, narrowing the score to 14-10 in favor of WSU after one quarter of play. UMary took advantage of a missed Warrior field goal in the start of the second quarter to craft another scoring drive, going up 17-14 but Jacob Scott hit a 31-yard field goal to knot the game at 17 apiece on the next Warrior offensive series. However, just before the end of the second half, UMary scored their third TD of the day, again with Nelson connecting a pass to Marauder wide receiver Danny Kittner for the score.
Although UMary would tie the game again at 31 - 31, the fourth quarter belonged to Winona State. UMary matched the Warriors TD with one of their own, as Small scored on a four-yard rush. The two team traded scores again, with WSU's Noah Carlson scoring from three yards out, the result of a seven-play drive that covered 69 yards. Like London, Carlson was pressed into service in the backfield with injuries sidelining Roebuck and Gavin earlier in the game. After six minutes of scoreless football, London launched the longest run of the season so far for WSU to score once more, going 78 yards and blowing by UMary defenders along the way and moving the scoreboard to 45-38 in favor of the Warriors with four minutes left in the contest. With their fourth key stop of the quarter, the WSU defense earned the ball back for Winona State and the offense scored again, this time on a 25-yard field goal by Scott. The three points were valuable breathing room for Winona State and the seven-play time-consuming drive that supported it was key in terms of clock management at the end of the high scoring affair. Individually, Burke was 16-of-28 for 286 yards and a touchdown. Dominik London excelled in the running back role, rushing for 153 yards and two TD's. Noah Carlson had 45 yards on five carries and a TD. Ethan Wittenburg had 113 yards receiving, while Jaylen Schleicher had 101.
The bad news for the Warrior faithful at halftime was that Winona State was On defense, Clay Schueffner led the Warrior way with eight tackles; Ben McCabe and Mitch Snitker had seven each, and Snitker claimed an down, 24-17. The good news was that WSU has made a habit of scoring interception as well. Devon Moore and Carter Duxbury rang up five second-half points in bunches in 2021 and Saturday's game was no tackles, including stops behind the line of scrimmage. exception. In the second half, the Warrior comeback started with a Luc Leszczynski and Darius Manuel sack on first down, a big play that set the tone for WSU. Combined with some Marauder penalties to stymie the UMary drive to start the third quarter. Corrie King also had a key play on third down, breaking up a pass intended for the Marauders David Small. Winona State got the ball back and five plays later, the Warriors had the scoreline level at 24-24 with a score at 8:26 in the quarter. Wittenburg managed two more grabs and Dominik London, taking most of the snaps at running back due to injuries, scored on an eight-yard run to cap the drive.
Special teams were key on the day, with Balliu's 103-yard total kick return yards coming on three efforts. Jacob Scott was 2-for-3 on field goals and a perfect 6-for-6 on PAT's. For Winona State the game was a key road win moving the Warriors on to 3-1 on the year. Despite several injuries - particularly in the backfield - the Warriors showed the resilience they have made a calling card this season.
Warriors fall just short in battle with UMD
A heavyweight fight between two NCAA Division II football contenders was on tap for over 4,000 fans at Winona State University on Saturday, as the unbeaten Warriors hosted the #13 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs at Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium on Saturday.
WSU scored the last 14 points of the contest, with Jaylen Schleicher scoring on a three-yard TD pass from Burke. The try for two points failed, but the Warriors found themselves at 29-16 and with life late in the game.
After an important defensive stop, highlighted by Cole LaLiberty When the dust settled, the Bulldogs (3-0, 0-0 NSIC North) escaped and Carter Duxbury combining to sack Larson on second down, WSU earned the ball back with just under seven minutes to play. with a 29-23 win over Winona State (2-1, 0-0 NSIC South) in a Owen Burke put together another key drive to spark his team. great game that was not decided until the final whistle. Winona State was knocking on the door and then stepped through when Ty Gavin scored his second touchdown of the day, Minnesota Duluth started the contest firing on all cylinders, and third of the season. Jacob Scott hit the PAT, pulling WSU to scoring ten points in the opening quarter. The Bulldog's Zach within six points at 29-23. Ojile two-yard dive capped a four play, 71-yard drive for the game's first score. Winona State responded with a first-quarter The final drive of the game for Winona State was sparked by field goal, as Jacob Scott connected on a 35-yard effort after a nine-play Warrior drive was halted in the red zone. Scott's three Sawyer Maly, who raced onto a Burke delivery for 46 yards to the UMD 30. The Warriors picked up another five yards on a toss to points were the only WSU scoring in the first half, while Tyler Knutson. Unfortunately, WSU was unable to connect on its Minnesota Duluth posted 26 in the opening 30 minutes. final two chances and turned the ball over on downs. A Bulldog kneel-down later, the game was in the books. The Warriors found the ground game particularly tough going, rushing for 39 yards in the first half. For the game, factoring in tackles for loss, Winona State was held to net zero rushing yards. Burke was 19-of-31 for 239 yards and a touchdown, with a longest completion of 46 yards, one of the most important grabs While the run game was off, Owen Burke was on. He had 239 yards of the game. He was sacked six times on day when both passing, and handful of catchable balls were dropped downfield. downfield Bulldog coverage and defensive line pressure were His counterpart, John Larson had 206 yards on a 12-of-23 effort. distinct factors. Jake Balliu led Winona State in receiving, making four catches for 32 yards. The speedy senior had 29 Neither Winona State or UMD had an interception on the day. yards-after-catch and racked up 84 yards returning kickoffs and punts. Darryl Williams fired up the Warrior crowd with a 32-yard For the game, UMD had 14 first downs, compared to 13 for the kickoff return that he nearly broke for a score. Warriors, while Winona State won the discipline battle, flagged for just 45 yards on five penalties while the Bulldogs were penalized eight times for 93 yards. Overall, Minnesota Duluth ran Tyler Knutson and Ethan Wittenburg were favorite targets on for 179 yards, led by former RCTC standout Cazz Martin who had day, with Knutson nabbing four throws and 28 yards, while Wittenburg had three catches for 89 yards, including a 41-yard 68 yards on the ground. reception. For the second game in a row, Sawyer Maly delivered downfield at a key time, making a 46-yard reception in the While the first half was not Winona State was hoping for, the Warriors went into the locker room with the outcome still in reach fourth quarter, the longest Warrior catch of the day. Jaylen Schleicher had two catches, including a TD. and the memory of last week's 27-13 comeback win over Minnesota State - Moorhead. As expected, the Warriors rallied Devon Moore led the Warrior defense, registering seven tackles, after the break and clawed their way back into the game. one tackle-for-loss and a pass breakup. Clay Schueffner had a big Late in the third, WSU running back Ty Gavin scored on a ten-yard game as well with seven stops, Mitch Snitker was all over the field in his pursuit of seven tackles. Darius Manuel picked up two rumble in which he carried the ball and two Bulldog defenders TFL's, good for ten yards, while David Munson had six stops. into the end zone. Although UMD put together a long drive to open the fourth quarter, the Warrior defense held the Bulldogs to The Warrior kicking game performed when called upon, as Jacob a field goal, a stop that proved key to giving the Winona State Scott hit a 35-yard field goal and converted both PAT attempts. faithful hope in the late stages of the game. Punter Tristan Root racked up 255 yards on five kicks. Impressively, he also managed a tackle on kick coverage.
Warriors earn comeback win over MSU-Moorhead
The Winona State University football team got off to a slow start offensively in the first half of Saturday's week two contest against Minnesota State – Moorhead but went into the locker room at halftime down just one score, thanks in large part to the Warrior defense. After the halftime break - and after some adjustments - the Warriors opened up the Dragons with the balanced attack WSU is known for, scoring 27 unanswered points and ultimately leaving Moorhead with a 27-13 win.
The Warriors won the fourth quarter - and ultimately the game - with a combination of power running football and an opportunistic, ballhawking linebacker corps. The Winona State defense had two interceptions in the final stanza, first when Ben McCabe latched onto a tipped pass. McCabe's pick and an unsportsmanlike penalty assessed on his return for an illegal MSUMoorhead tackle, put the ball on the Dragon's doorstep. Moments later, Owen Burke connected with Tyler Zirpoli for a Warrior touchdown.
Although both the Dragons and Warriors put up big scoring numbers in On the next series, Devon Moore intercepted a Falk pass and re-started the WSU offense again. Javian Roebuck capped a six-play, 44-yard drive week one, it was a surprisingly defensive showcase in the first two with a one-yard dive on fourth down for his first TD of the day, and quarters of Saturday's matchup. fourth of the season. Winona State never looked back after Roebuck's score and tacked on a Jacob Scott 28-yard field goal for good measure, In the first half, the two teams combined for seven punts, and both struggled on third down conversions; Winona State was 1-for-7 on third pushing the score to 27-13 with four minutes to go. down, while MSU-M was 2-for-8. The lone score in the first half was a Dragon touchdown when MSU-M quarterback Tommy Falk hit receiver To their credit, the Dragons would not go quietly. MSU-M put together a 11-play drive in two-minute offense format to get to the Warrior twoRyan Bieberdorf on a 10-yard pass to cap an eight play, 58-yard drive. yard line. However, while the WSU offense was working to find their rhythm, linebacker Mitch Snitker and his Warrior defensive teammates kept the In a final series that reflect the game, the Dragons drove but did not score. The Winona State defense stood their ground inside the five yard game within striking distance for head coach Tom Sawyer and the line, stopping the Dragons on all four attempts from scrimmage. With Winona State squad. the big stop, WSU iced the game and moved to 2-0 on the year. Snitker had eight first half tackles, while teammate and NSIC South Individually, Burke finished with a 19-of-33 day for 288 yards and two Division Preseason Player of the Year Cam Gavin had seven. Just as touchdowns. Javian Roebuck had 58 yards on 14 carries and a importantly, the Warrior defensive line forced Falk to his secondary touchdown, while Ty Gavin chipped in 28, and Dominik London had 14. reads on most passing plays, limiting his looks downfield. On offense in the first 30 minutes, Jake Balliu led the WSU receiving corps after two quarters, hauling in four catches for 38 yards. Owen Burke was 10-of-20 for 91 yards in the first half. In the second half, things changed. The two teams traded scores on their opening drives, with the home team picking up their second touchdown of the day. However, the Dragons missed the point after, perhaps sign of things to come, and Winona State answered with a Jacob Scott 24-yard field goal in their first offensive series of the second half. Things were trending up for Winona State, but down 13-3 midway through the third quarter, the Warriors needed a spark. Owen Burke and Sawyer Maly delivered. More accurately, Burke delivered to Maly.
Sawyer Maly had two catches for 75 yards, none bigger than his 70-yard scoring effort. Jake Balliu had five catches for 59 yards and Tyler Knutsen added 53 on three catches. As in week one, Burke spread the wealth among his receivers, as nine different Warriors caught at least one pass in the game, including Zirpoli's TD catch. Defensively, Mitch Snitker finished with 11 tackles, as did Clay Schueffner. Cam Gavin had 10 stops and David Munson had eight. Devon Moore and Ben McCabe maximized their impact on the game as they both claimed interceptions. Darius Manuel, Corrie King, Joe Perhats, Nathaniel Wilcher, Luc Leszczynski and Aarion Lacy all had tackles for losses for defensive coordinator Brian Curtin, evidence of the multiple looks thrown at the Dragons thoughout the game. Special teams play saw Jacob Scott hit two field goals, from 24 and 28 yards, respectively, and was 3-for-3 on PAT's. Jake Balliu had four punt returns for 21 yards, while Tristan Root handled the kickoff duties for the Warriors.
A picture-perfect 70-yard bomb from the senior captain QB to Maly lit the fire of the Warrior sideline, with Maly catching the pass in stride and With the win, Winona State moves to 2-0 on the 2021 season; head coach Tom Sawyer now has 192 wins, second most among active NCAA finding the end zone in the ultimate quick strike offense. With the ensuing successful PAT from Scott, Winona State was back in the game, Division II coaches, and will own a 17-2 career mark against the Dragons. down just three at 13-10 with six minutes to go in the third stanza. Winona State is back in action on Saturday, Sept. 18 when they host the University of Minnesota Duluth. Kickoff is set for 1pm in Altra Federal Winona State continued to find ways to claw back into the contest, Credit Union Stadium including partially blocking a Dragon punt as the third quarter wound down, providing Owen Burke and the Warrior offense prime starting position for the last drive with the wind at their backs. A Dominik London fumble foiled a promising Warrior drive with one minute left in the third, but Winona State rebounded from the setback nicely as the game moved into the last fifteen minutes. .
Warriors come out firing on all cylinders, make quick work of CSP in season opener
Tom Sawyer and his team had been waiting for nearly 22 months for a chance to compete together again and the Warriors wasted no time in delivering a signature win to kick off the 2021 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) campaign.
Winona State steamrolled the Golden Bears 47-6 with a dominant performance in all phases of the game, providing over 3,500 fans in attendance a Thursday night under the lights to remember. Several tremendous first half plays, including an outstanding Sawyer Maly special team's effort on punt coverage, set the tone early in the contest for Winona State and they never looked back, cruising to the programs fifth-straight opening week win. Maly outran everybody to push a Tristan Root punt out of bounds at the one-yard line, one of many hustle plays that were a part of the Warrior effort on the evening. Running back Javian Roebuck had set the scoring tempo early for Winona State, notching touchdowns on a two-yard dive at 2:35 in the first quarter and with a 64-yard run in the second quarter to double the Warrior lead. Shortly thereafter, Maly's massive effort pinned the Golden Bears in the shadow of their own goalposts on the one-yard line. One snap later, Winona State delivered a safety, tackling the CSP ball carrier in the end zone in front of a raucous student section happy to be back in the friendly confines of Maxwell Field. On the scoreboard the play was only worth two points, but the momentum generated effectively decided the outcome of the game.
The Winona State offense racked up 17 first downs on the day, accumulated 272 rushing yards and had another 281 through the air. In addition to the Roebuck and Balliu scoring tallies, Ethan Wittenberg had a touchdown catch, going 48 yards on a pinpoint pass from Burke in the third quarter. Nine different WSU receivers had catches in the game. In addition to Roebuck, Ty Gavin gave defensive coordinators something to think about in upcoming weeks, as he made the most of his six carries, racking up 86 yards and a touchdown, showing an ability to get to the outside in a hurry. Defensively, Winona State was outstanding. NSIC South Division Preseason Player of the Year Cam Gavin was a big part of the success, with five tackles from the secondary while linebacker Clay Schueffner led the Warriors by racking up eight stops, including a sack. Longtime defensive coordinator Brian Curtin dialed up a "D" that held CSP to just 57 rushing yards in the game and only 187 yards of total offense. The Golden Bears averaged 2.2 yards a carry on the evening. The lone highlight for CSP was a pair of field goals from Sam Henson, including an impressive 48-yard effort from the left hash. However, the WSU defense was dominant on the day, holding Concordia to 130 yards passing and just 57 on the ground.
Roebuck rambled to 131 total yards on 14 carries, including three touchdowns. The senior running back had 122 yards in the first half alone and averaged 9.4 yards per rush.
WSU fans got a first look at the special teams play for the Warriors, as junior college transfer Jacob Scott went 1-for-2 on field goal attempts and was a perfect 6-for-6 on PAT's. Tristan Root handled the majority of the punting and kickoff duties. Jake Balliu handled kick returns for the Warriors including a 40-yard effort in the second half.
Jake Balliu delivered over 160 all-purpose yards, including a 65-yard TD catch in the first half to the delight of the Warrior faithful. Concordia had no answer for the balanced WSU offense, as coordinator Cameron Keller combined with his signal caller Owen Burke to keep the Golden Bears guessing all night.
With the outcome in hand by the fourth quarter, WSU got some important experience for several reserves, including Trevor Paulsen taking over for Burke at quarterback. Dominik London left an impression with several touches in the fourth quarter, showing some elusive moves on six carries. Overall, Winona State could not have scripted their first game of the 2021 season any better, firing on all cylinders and moving to 1-0 on the season and look to prepare for a trip to Minnesota State – Moorhead in week two. Concordia St. Paul fell to 0-1 on the year.
Winona State has been tabbed for third place in their division and fifth place overall in the 2021 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Football Preseason Poll. The Warriors earned 26 points in South Division voting and 126 points total, including one first-place vote.
2021 NSIC Football Preseason Poll Overall Points
Defensive standout Cam Gavin also was named as the NSIC South Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, as selected by NSIC coaches. Gavin and quarterback Owen Burke were tabbed as the Winona State Players to Watch by the NSIC as they lead their team into the 2021 Winona State campaign. Long-time Winona State football coach Tom Sawyer has announced he will retire at the conclusion of the WSU 2021 season and the Warriors are looking to send Sawyer out in style. Sawyer has been the head coach at Winona State for 25 years, one of the longest-tenured coaches in NCAA Division II football and is the dean of coaches across the NSIC. Saywer sits at 190-85 overall and led his team to the 2019 Mineral Water Bowl, the program's 11th postseason appearance.
1. Minnesota State (12).... 2. Minnesota Duluth....... 3. Augustana (1)............. 4. Sioux Falls..........................
168 144 140 135
5. Winona State (1)............
126
6. Bemidji State .................... 117 7. Concordia-St. Paul............. 96 8. Northern State .................... 75 9. MSU Moorhead................... 74 10. Wayne State .................. 60 Fittingly, a veteran roster will take on the task of Sawyers' successful swan song, with several 11. SMSU.................................... 46 impactful returners lining up on both sides of the ball. 12. Minot State ....................... 38 13. University of Mary........... 28 Leading the Warrior offensive, Owen Burke returns for his final season, under the tutelage of 14. Upper Iowa ....................... 27 offensive coordinator and assistant head coach, Cameron Keller. The pair have helped lead WSU to back-to-back eight-win seasons in 2018 and 2019.
South Division Burke has thrown for 42 touchdown passes in his career and will enjoy a receiving corps led 1. Minnesota State (5) 35 by Jake Balliu and Tyler Anderson, both senior standouts who had solid 2019 campaigns. Sam 2. Augustana (1) 27 Santiago-Lloyd leads the way from the backfield, having earned All-NSIC South Team accolades in 2019, running for 956 yards and eight touchdowns.
Other Warriors on the offensive side of the ball that have the coaching staff excited about the upcoming season are Tyler Knutson, Jaylen Schleicher and Javian Roebuck. Knutson has recorded 23 catches so far in his career with a pair of touchdown grabs, while Schleicher is expected to be a force at tight end. Roebuck adds another dimension to the WSU ground attack and was a 2017 All-NSIC First Team selection in his first season in Winona. The former Glendale (Ariz.) Community College standout has amassed 1,277 rushing yards and 109 receiving yards at Winona State, scoring 11 Warrior touchdowns along the way.
3. Winona State (1)
26
Sioux Falls 5. Wayne State 6. SMSU 7. Upper Iowa
26 15 10 8
North Division 1. Minnesota Duluth (6) 2. Bemidji State (1) 3. Concordia-St. Paul 4. MSU Moorhead 5. Northern State 6. University of Mary 7. Minot State
36 31 26 16 15 13 10
Years at Winona State: 25th season Record at Winona State: 193-86 (.692)
Tom Sawyer Career Totals
Year
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 Totals
W
L
4 7 9 2 9 2 7 4 9 3 10 2 8 4 11 2 10 2 8 3 9 3 10 2 6 5 7 4 7 4 7 4 10 2 6 5 4 7 5 6 8 3 10 2 8 3 8 3 3 3 193 88
Pct.
.364 .818 .818 .636 .750 .833 .667 .846 .833 .727 .750 .833 .545 .636 .636 .636 .833 .545 .364 .455 .727 .833 .727 .727 .690
Postseason
Mineral Water NCAA Playoffs Mineral Water NCAA Playoffs NCAA Playoffs NCAA Playoffs NCAA Playoffs
Mineral Water
Hometown: Barron, Wisconsin College: Winona State 1983 (B.S. Physical Education) Graduate Degree: Winona State 1989 (M.A. Education) Children: Jessica and Tommy
Tom Sawyer heads into his 25th year as the head coach of the Winona State football program having already reached an unparalleled level of success and longevity in NCAA Division II football. Sawyer was named as the 21st head coach of the program in 1996, and on his watch, the Barron, Wis. native has pushed the Warriors to heights previously unseen. The longest serving among active NSIC head coaches, Sawyer has won 10 or more games in a single season six times during his illustrious career. He sits atop the leaderboard in program history in both the career wins and career winning percentage category. Sawyer has been named the NSIC Coach of the Year five times by his coaching peers. In NCAA Division II football, Sawyer ranks second among active NCAA DII head coaches in career wins (190) entering the 2021 season. In the state of Minnesota, Sawyer is just one of two active college football coaches with over 185 career wins. Nationally, only 17 other active four-year college football coaches - NCAA and NAIA, combined - have more wins than Sawyer. Currently, there are over 850 college football teams competing in the NCAA and NAIA. The Warriors have played in the NCAA Division II Playoffs six times under Sawyer as well as making three Mineral Water Bowl appearances.
NCAA Playoffs Mineral Water 10 Postseasons
Sawyer and his staff have recruited and developed outstanding football talent, including seven Harlon Hill Award candidates, eight Academic All-Americans, 50 All-Americans, and nearly 400 AllNSIC selections. Sawyer has also coached several Warriors who have gone on to play professional football. In all, five Warriors have earned NSIC Offensive Player of the Year accolades under Sawyer while six others have been the NSIC’s Defensive Player of the Year. In 2021, Cam Gavin was named the NSIC South Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
Cam Gavin: NSIC South Preseason Defensive Player-of-the-Year
Winona State goes into the 2021 campaign having already turned some heads around the NSIC. League coaches voted Cam Gavin, a senior safety from New Lenox, Illinois, as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year in the NSIC South. In 2019, racked up 47 tackles for the Warriors - including 34 solo stops – and lead the team in pass breakups with nine. Has appeared in 30 career contests for WSU, one of the most experienced defensive players on the 2021 squad Has 85 career tackles, six INT’s and 19 pass break-ups while leading the WSU secondary. Earned 2019 All-NSIC South Honorable Mention honors.
Luc Leszczynski earns 2021 CoSIDA Academic All-American honors
Winona State defensive lineman Luc Leszczynski has been named to the 2021 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division II football team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The senior from Muskego, Wis., earned second team All-America honors with a 3.72 GPA as an Economics / Finance major. Leszczynski was tabbed to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Fall All-Academic Team of Excellence earlier this year.
Owen Burke named the WSU Player-to-Watch on offense by the NSIC
Warrior quarterback Owen Burke was tabbed as the Winona State Player to Watch on offense by the NSIC, and for good reason.
Owen Burke QB | 6-3 | 225 Graduate student Lakewood, Colo. D'Evelyn H.S.
In 2019, Burke started all 11 games under center, going 155-of-260 for 1,986 yards. The Lakewood, Colo. product threw for 16 touchdowns with nine interceptions. He registered a final QB rating of 137.14 on the year and turned in a stellar Mineral Water Bowl performance, going 22-of-32 for 284 yards and three touchdowns. Over the course of the season, Burke had seven contests with zero interceptions and he threw for three touchdowns in a game on three occasions. Studying opponents defensive tendencies comes naturally to Burke; he is a three-time NSIC All-Academic performer as well. Having already earned his undergraduate degree in business from WSU, the 6-3 signal caller is currently pursing a graduate degree while completing his final season of eligibility for the Warriors.
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2021 Winona State Football
Dr. Scott R. Olson was appointed the 15th president of Winona State University on May 16, 2012. Prior to joining Winona State, Dr. Olson served as Provost, Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, and Professor of Communication Studies at Minnesota State University, Mankato. During his time at Minnesota State Mankato, it saw significant growth in enrollment, diversity, innovation, industry partnerships, international programs, system collaboration, and applied research. He served as Dean of the College of Communication, Information, and Media at Ball State University and as a faculty member at Central Connecticut State University. He also served for one year as Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. He has published two books, 30 book chapters, and 22 journal articles in publications in the United States, Canada, China, Korea, Poland, Russia, and India. He has delivered over 100 papers at conferences in Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Korea, Poland, Taiwan, and the United States. Through a $20 million gift from the Lilly Endowment he was able to create the Global Media Network (which won a national award from the American Council on Education) and the Center for Media Design. Olson has served on 21 different international, national, and local boards, including current service on the Great River Shakespeare Festival Board of Directors, the Higher Learning Commission Institutional Actions Council, the Winona State University Foundation Board, and as Chair of the Executive Alliance of HealthForce Minnesota. He won an Emmy Award and a Cine Golden Eagle Award in 2004 as Executive Producer of a documentary film about digital learning. His Ph.D. is from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He grew up in suburban Minneapolis.
2021 Winona State Football
Kara Lindaman, PhD NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative Dr. Kara Lindaman serves as the NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) for Winona State athletics, a role she has held since 2018. A FAR is a member of the faculty at an NCAA member institution who has been designated by the institution to serve as a liaison between the institution and the athletics department, and also as a representative of the institution in conference and NCAA affairs. The role of the FAR is to ensure that the academic institution establishes and maintains the appropriate balance between academics and intercollegiate athletics. Academic Interests Public Administration: Public Management, Governance, and Public Budgeting and Finance American Politics: Voting Behavior and Democratic Citizenship Public Policy: Health and Welfare Policy Comparative Politics: Comparative budgeting and administration Courses Taught at Winona State Public Service: Introduction to Public Administration Public Budgeting and Finance Health Policy and Politics Public Research Seminar American Congress American National Government and Politics
Eric Schoh started with the Warriors on June 11, 2012. He has almost three decades of athletics experience in Division II, 17 as an athletic director in the NSIC, and is in his tenth year as the director of athletics at Winona State. During his time as an AD, Schoh has served on the Division II Management Council from 2016-2020, serving as Vice Chair of the Council in 2018. Also during that time, he served on the DII Identity Subcommittee, and acted as chairperson in 2019. Other NCAA committee involvement included Championships Committee, Planning and Finance, DII Administrative Committee, DII Membership Committee, and the DII Committee for Legislative Relief. Schoh is the Past President of the Division II Athletic Directors Association and previously served on the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics’ (NACDA) executive committee. He currently serves on the DII Nominating Committee and Women’s Basketball Central Region Advisory Committee. Previously, he served on numerous sport committees, most recently the Central Region Softball Committee. He served on the DII Men's Basketball National Committee from 2010-2014, serving as the national chairperson the final two years. Schoh served on NACDA's Learfield Sports Directors' Cup Committee for several years, and stays involved with the D2ADA through its Mentoring Program, serving both as a mentor and faculty presenter over the past 11 years. Schoh was the recipient of the Under Armor Athletics Director of the Year award in 2015. With a strong commitment to the student athlete experience, Warrior student athletes have continued to excel in the classroom and give back to the Winona area through community service. During spring 2021, the average student athlete term GPA was 3.43 (compared to 3.28 for the general student body) and the second highest on record. The average student athlete cumulative GPA through spring 2021 was 3.37 (compared to 3.22 for the general student body). There were 101 Warriors with perfect 4.0 GPAs in spring 2021, with 196 making the Dean’s List. The latest NCAA Federal Graduation Rate for the Warriors is 78%, which ranks first in the NSIC and 22nd out of 316 institutions in Division II. During the pandemic, the community service hours for the Warriors decreased dramatically. However, normally the Warriors log more than 3,000 hours of community service each academic year. Over the past nine years, Warrior Athletic facilities have seen many improvements, including a complete renovation of McCown Gymnasium; installation of new turf and state-of-the-art video board at Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium; construction of a new gymnastics practice facility and locker room; an indoor training facility for men’s and women’s golf; new batting cages and practice mounds at softball; new infield, mound and scoreboard at baseball; complete renovation of Talbot Gymnasium, including a multi-purpose synthetic floor; remodeled W Room for home volleyball and basketball games; and the installation of a film room for all teams. A comprehensive facility master plan for Warrior Athletics was completed in 2017 and the department continues to make strides toward completing the facilities outlined in the master plan. In the field of play, the Warriors continue to be known as a conference, regional and national contender, winning numerous regular season and conference championships over the past nine years. Several teams have advanced to NCAA post season play during Schoh’s tenure as well, including football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, volleyball, soccer, cross country, track and field, softball, gymnastics, men’s golf, and women’s golf. WSU hosted a football playoff game in 2017 and women’s softball regionals in 2014 and 2017. Schoh served as athletic director at Wayne State College from 2004-12. At Wayne State, Schoh helped build Wildcat Athletics into a consistent presence on both the regional and national level. Wayne State won 13 NSIC regular season championships and six more conference tournament titles. The WSC women’s basketball team advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in 2012 and ended the season ranked fourth in the nation. More than 20 teams advanced to NCAA Tournament play under Schoh’s leadership. A native of La Crescent, Minn., Schoh holds both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Iowa State University. Schoh also has worked as the Associate Athletic Director for Development at California State University, Bakersfield (2002-04); the Associate Athletic Director at the University of South Dakota (1999-2002); and as an Assistant Athletic Director at Montana State University, Billings (1995-97). Schoh and his wife Stephanie have three children and one grandson: Paige (31) and River (5), Eric (26) and Tyler (25).
Warriors compete on new turf in 2021 The replacement of the playing surface on Maxwell Field is complete and the new FieldTurf synthetic field is ready for Warrior practice and competition. The renovation project began in late May, 2020 and was completed by Mammoth Sports Construction over the weekend of June 27-28. Maxwell Field at Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium is the competition home for two Winona State varsity athletic teams - football and women's soccer - and is also used by the community, campus intramural programs, and the football team at Cotter High School. Several other Warrior varsity programs also make use of the synthetic surface during inclement weather. With the addition of the new state-of-the-art turf, Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium has seen major improvements in each of the past two summers. In June, 2019, the installation of a new Daktronics video board provided the Warriors the largest display Daktronics board in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The 2020 renovation of Maxwell is the third artificial surface to be featured on the facility. In 1999, an Astro-Play field was installed to replace the natural grass field; this upgrade also eliminated the cinder track around the surface at that time. In 2009, a FieldTurf product was installed, and Warrior Nation enjoyed not only the new playing field but additional bleachers that were installed in both end zones. Winona State has installed FieldTurf Classic HD as its new field surface. According to FieldTurf, "The FieldTurf Classic HD is our leading, slit-film fiber, carefully crafted to maximize durability and safety, as well as be aesthetically pleasing. As we say, it's a Beauty and a Beast." FieldTurf Classic HD is the surface most recently installed on Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, Albertsons Stadium at Boise State University and Falcon Stadium, located on the campus of the U.S. Air Force Academy. Maxwell Field has been home to Winona State Warrior football teams since 1937, and the women's soccer program beginning in 1995. It was named Maxwell Field in honor of Guy Maxwell, who served as the Winona State University president between 1904 and 1939.