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Waldorf drops road loss to Jamestown

By Matt Oliver

JAMESTOWN, N.D. – Executing on both sides of the ball proved to be a challenge for the Waldorf College football team in a 29-7 loss to the University of Jamestown during Saturday’s Dacotah Bank/North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) matchup.

The Warriors (2-6, 2-4) found themselves in a big hole early as the Jimmies (3-6, 3-3) started the game with 27 unanswered points.

“We came out flat, very tentative and didn’t play with much authority in any phase of the game,” Waldorf coach Kent Anderson said.

Jamestown found its rhythm on offense as quarterback Beau Eriksson accounted for three touchdowns in the first half. The Warriors struggled to respond.

“I can’t put my finger on why every time we feel we want to try to turn the corner, we just take a lateral step or step backwards,” Anderson said. “There was no emotion or tenacity.”

Eriksson completed 16-of-27 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 30 yards and a TD.

Charlie Heck hauled in a 9-yard TD pass from Eriksson to give the Jimmies a 7-0 lead with 3 minutes, 47 seconds to play in the first quarter.

JaRiguez Collier, who led Jamestown with 73 yards on three receptions, caught a 50-yard TD pass from Eriksson on the first play of the second quarter.

Mike Thingstad powered the Jimmies on the ground, rushing for 86 yards. Keldrick Sullivan added 85 rushing yards and scored on a 3-yard carry with 5:23 left in the second quarter.

Eriksson charged into the end zone on a 17-yard run with 1:42 remaining in the second quarter. The two-point conversion attempt failed and Jamestown maintained a 27-0 lead at halftime.

Waldorf sophomore Cody Smith went 20-of-35 passing for 146 yards and a TD. During the opening drive of the third quarter, he hit freshman Alvyns Alcenord on a 14-yard scoring strike to put the Warriors on the board.

Waldorf’s next drive showed promise as the Warriors marched near midfield, but they lost the ball on a fumble at their own 47-yardline.

The Jimmies tacked on the final two points, recording a safety with 1:04 remaining in the third.

Jamestown piled up 417 yards of total offense, rushing for 221 yards on the day.

Waldorf finished with 238 yards of offense. Despite averaging 166 rushing yards through the first seven games, the Warriors were limited to 92 yards.

“We couldn’t get the running game going with the lack of physicality,” Anderson said. “Our intensity all around was just not good. When you’re a running team and you don’t run with any intensity, it’s going to show.”

Waldorf freshman Kevin Pollock ran for a team-high 50 yards. Sophomore Julian Ampaw provided 22 yards and sophomore Gene Jackson contributed a 15-yard carry.

LaMont Johnson led the Warrior receiving corps with 60 yards as the junior pulled down five receptions. Junior Vybert Greene caught four passes for 19 yards, Alcenord finished with 16 yards on three receptions and freshman Cale Crowder added a 16-yard reception.

Waldorf sophomore Ty’Karius Brooks recorded eight tackles and senior Preston Landon turned in seven tackles. Senior Darnell Colvin and junior Rigo Verdin came away with six tackles each. Junior Trent Jones, sophomore D’Angelo Tucker and senior Jamaar Crayton finished with five tackles apiece. Crayton also had a sack and leads the Warriors with five sacks on the season.

Saturday marked Senior Day for the Jimmies, who came out fired up. After studying film throughout the week, Waldorf wasn’t caught off guard by Jamestown. It was simply a day where the Jimmies came to play.

“They did exactly what we thought they would do,” Anderson said. “They executed and they played well. You could tell they were into the game.”

Progressing on a weekly basis has been a promising sign for the Warriors this season, but the loss to Jamestown was a different story.

“We can’t afford to not improve each week,” Anderson said. “This is one of the few weeks where I thought we didn’t show any improvement. It was completely in the wrong direction when it comes to execution.”

Waldorf plays Valley City State University (6-3, 4-2) in next Sunday’s Dacotah Bank/NSAA Bowl, starting at 12:30 p.m. at the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota. The Warriors plan to move on from the tough loss while focusing on coming prepared against the Vikings.

“It starts before the game,” Anderson said. “Football isn’t a game where you can just show up, hit a switch and play. We just weren’t ready. We talked about it and they have to go through it themselves to figure it out.”