SIOUX CITY, Iowa – In a playoff-worthy match-up, (19) Benedictine Football was able to out-dual (10) Morningside University to earn a 48-45 win Saturday night.
Trailing 45-41 after the Mustangs took their first lead of the game with 3:31 left to play, the Ravens came up with a defensive stop to force a punt by Morningside. After a 17-yard punt return by JaShawn Todd, Jackson Dooley connected on a 29-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Gathright to put Benedictine back in the lead. After Harry Balke connected on the PAT, the Ravens held a 48-45 lead with 1:03 remaining in the game.
Morningside started its drive with 55 seconds after its own 25. Morningside moved the ball downfield to the Benedictine 1-yard line with 4 seconds remaining in the game. The Mustangs elected to go for the win and were held short as Lennx Brown was held to no gain as time expired giving the Ravens the win.
Benedictine opened the game, scoring on a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown by Zachary LaCombe. After a field goal from Morningside, the Ravens added a 40-yard rushing touchdown by Todd and a 17-yard touchdown pass from Dooley to Gathright to pull ahead 21-3 as the first quarter ended.
Morningside's offense scored twice in the second quarter after Benedictine's Xavier Ugorji scored on a 20-yard rushing touchdown. That touchdown allowed Benedictine to hold an 11-point lead, 28-17, at the half.
The third quarter started just like the first – this time on a 41-yard interception return for a touchdown by Jackson Hoskins for the Ravens only score of the quarter. The two interception returns for a touchdown marked the first time the Raven defense scored two touchdowns on interceptions since Dominique Morning recorded two on his own against Avila University during week eight (Oct. 23) of the 2004 season.
Morningside scored a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter, the second of which resulted in a failed two-point conversion to send the game into the fourth quarter with the Ravens holding on to a 35-30 lead.
The two teams combined for 28 points in the fourth quarter. Balke connected on field goals of 24 yards and 22 yards for 6 of Benedictine's 13 points with the touchdown catch from Gathright accounting for the Ravens remaining points.
LaCombe and Kevin Harris were credited with the tackle on Brown on the game's final play that sealed the win for Benedictine.
Benedictine held Morningside to 67 yards rushing as they handed the Mustangs their first season-opening loss since the 2003 season. Benedictine finished with 4 tackles for a loss but was held without a sack, snapping a 28-game streak that dates back to week seven (Oct. 16) of the 2021 season.
Dooley finished with 244 yards passing on 12 of 26. Dalton Witherspoon led the Ravens rushing attack – which finished with a total of 245 yards – with 96 yards on 19 carries. Gathright added 86 yards on 3 receptions while Tanner Zimmerman joined him with 55 yards on 2 receptions.
Todd finished with 177 yards on 7 kickoff returns while also adding 17 yards on 2 punt returns.
LeCombe led the Ravens with 9 tackles and a breakup to go with his interception return. Dylan Witherspoon and Isaac Anderson added 7 each. Witherspoon added 2 breakups while Anderson was credited with 2.5 tackles for a loss. Javhi Blomquist added another interception that came during the second quarter.
Benedictine returns home for their next two games of the season. They host William Penn University at 1 p.m. on Sept. 7 as we celebrate Football Alumni Day on O'Malley Field at Larry Wilcox Stadium.
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