PELLA — The Central College football team has waged an assault on the school record book this fall but faces one more hurdle Saturday at Luther College before bringing the 2016 campaign to a close.
Game time is noon at Carlson Stadium in Decorah. The early start is due to the end of Daylight Savings Time for the year.
Luther (3-6 overall, 2-5 Iowa Conference) is flying high after surprising Wartburg College 28-27 in overtime Saturday. It was Luther's first win in Waverly over its arch-rival since 1986. Central surged to 7-2 overall and 5-2 in the league with a 49-14 romp past Simpson College at Pella Saturday.
The Dutch are bidding to reach the eight-win mark for the seventh time in coach Jeff McMartin's 13 seasons as head coach, and the first time since 2014. Central has averaged 7.75 wins in McMartin's previous 12 campaigns.
On the air and online—The Voice of the Dutch, Trevor Castle, will call Saturday's action on KRLS-FM (92.1), along with Cory Houser and sideline reporter Libbie Randall, a Central junior. The KRLS pregame show will air at 12:05 p.m. The broadcast can also be accessed through www.kniakrls.com or directly at rdo.to/krls. It's also accessible via mobile device with the KRLS app available through iTunes and other outlets.
On Mondays, Castle also plays host to McMartin on the KRLS Coaches' Corner broadcast live from Fred's dining establishment inside Central's Maytag Student Center at 7 p.m. Those broadcasts are also available on demand through www.kniakrls.com. A live video stream of the show can be accessed via the Central athletics website at www.central.edu/athletics.
Twitter users can follow Saturday's action through the Central football account @CUI_Football.
The series—Central was a 45-10 winner over Luther at Pella last year and hasn't lost to the Norse since 2008. The Dutch hold a 54-22-1 record in the teams' all-time series, which launched in 1928.
The Norse—The perennial challenge against Luther is cramming a few days of study in before taking on its trademark triple-option offense, with its heavy emphasis on misdirection and the running game. It's the only time Central faces the throwback offensive style that was once common in college football.
Junior Brady Letney quarterbacks the attack, which is led by 6-foot-1, 245-pound senior fullback Christian Moore. The conference male athlete of the week, Moore pounded Wartburg on 38 carries for 178 yards and two touchdowns, including a 16-yard score in overtime. For the year, Moore has rushed 156 times for a team-high 816 yards and nine scores. He averages 90.7 yards a game and 5.2 per carry. Meanwhile Letney has 170 rushes for 666 yards and six TDs. The Norse don't throw a lot, but rank third in the NCAA Division III in yards per completion at 20.6. Letney has completed 25 of 93 throws for 516 yards with two touchdowns and eight interceptions.
"(Letney) does a good job of running that offense," McMartin said. "They've got a big, powerful fullback (Moore), which you need in that offense. Their halfbacks are bigger and improved over last year and they've improved up front, too."
Luther ranks sixth nationally in rushing (294.2 yards per game) and 11th in fourth-down conversions (.667).
The key to success for the Norse is using its offense to monopolize the ball. Luther ranks fourth in Division III in possession time at 35:31 and controlled the ball for 40:30 of the 60 regulation minutes against Wartburg. They also converted on five of six fourth-down tries.
"Their offense fits them like our offense fits us," McMartin said. "If they do a good job of maintaining possession of the ball and get stops on defense, they're going to beat you."
Luther's defense relies on a four-man front. Senior linebacker Josh Olerud has a team-high 81 tackles while senior free safety Ricky Humes and sophomore safety Dante Joseph have 62 and 60, respectively. Joseph also has three interceptions.
The Norse are getting outscored by an average of 35.8-23.4 and outgained 415.8 yards to 365.2.
Records tumbling—Central's offense is already among the most prolific in school history. The Dutch are assured of breaking the school's total offense season record of 4,663 yards set in 2007 and the season average mark of 457.0 in 1996. Central has racked up 4,907 yards, an average of 545.2. The latter ranks fourth in the NCAA Division III and the Dutch continue to lead the nation in first downs with 275, blowing past the 2009 school mark of 246.
Central is 14th in Division III in passing yardage with 331.0, well beyond the 2007 school record of 244.4. The squad's 2,979 passing yards are just 198 shy of the 2007 record of 3,177, a total compiled over 13 games that year.
In Division III Central is also sixth in fewest penalties per game (4.22), 10th in third-down conversions (.503, 78-155) and 26th in scoring average (40.0).
Individually, wide receiver Sam Markham (senior, Atlantic) slipped to second in Division III with 10.3 catches per game. He's sixth in receiving yards per game (123.8) and seventh in receiving yards (1,114). All are school records. Markham is also 19th in touchdown receptions with 11, one shy of the season mark set by Geoff Lamb (1995) and Chris Johnson (1997).
Free safety Zach Matter (senior, Ankeny) had his third season interception Saturday and ranks ninth in passes defended (1.8 per game). Receiver/returner Zack Martinelli (senior, Elburn, Ill., Kaneland, Texas HS) is eighth in punt return average (11.0 yards).
Quarterback Riley Gray (senior, West Des Moines, Waukee HS) is 16th in Division III in touchdown passes (26), 25th in completion percentage (64.7), 26th in passing efficiency (158.1) and 34th in total offense (307.4 yards).
Gray is assured of breaking records for most completions per game (averaging 20.7) and passing yards per game (averaging 256.9). He's second in season completions (187), season yards (2,312) and touchdown passes (26). Connell had 228 completions for 3,084 yards and 35 touchdowns over 13 games in 2007.
Scoring flurries—Central puts up points in bunches. The Dutch struck for 35 points in 18 minutes in a 51-37 decision over Wartburg Oct. 22, then dropped 35 in 17 minutes in a 49-14 romp past Simpson Saturday. Trailing Simpson 14-7 with less than four minutes left in the first half, the Dutch were up 42-14 before the end of the third quarter.
"The nature of our offense is if we take care of the football, do a good job of finding favorable match-ups and Riley (Gray) makes good decisions on where to go with the ball, we're going to be successful," McMartin said. "We've got a lot of options on every play. Our offensive line is doing a good job of blocking. And we've got some guys making great catches. We had people make some unbelievable catches on Saturday."
While Markham's 93 catches for 1,114 yards and 11 TDs garners attention, other Dutch receivers are having big years. Kohle Helle (junior, Guttenberg, Clayton Ridge HS) has 44 receptions for 435 yards and three TDs and Martinelli has 32 for 434 yards and four scores. Also overlooked are S-back Kyle Gritsch (junior, Brooklyn, BGM HS), who has 29 catches for 350 yards and seven touchdowns, and tight end Mitchell Boerm (senior, Traer, North Tama HS), who has 24 receptions for 383 yards and two TDs. Each has made some of the remarkable grabs McMartin raved about.
Defense, too—Linebacker Jessie Peterson (senior, Coralville, Iowa City West HS) ranks 56th nationally with 5.6 solo tackles per game. He has 67 tackles overall, including 3.5 for loss with three pass breakups and a forced fumble despite missing two games with injury.
Linebacker Sam Norgaard (senior, Naperville, Ill., Neuqua Valley HS) has a team-high 77 stops overall with 3.5 for loss, an interception and two pass breakups. Linebacker Chris Neeld (junior, New Boston, Ill., Mercer County HS) has 59 tackles with 4.5 for loss and a team-high 4.5 sacks, along with an interception. And linebacker Drew Carlson (senior, Ankeny) has 55 tackles with a team-best 6.0 for loss, one sack, three pass breakups and a fumble recovery.
"Our defense has done a better job each week," McMartin said. "We've been getting some critical stops and we're getting more turnovers."
Let's just keep playing—There's no intensity decrease as Central's season winds down, particularly for the squad's 23 seniors.
"They're excited to play this game," McMartin said. "They'd play all winter if you let them. They care about each other and they love this team. It's been a really special season for them and it's going to be hard for the seniors to walk off the field for the last time."
The team's mantra of improving each week doesn't change for game 10.
"It's a special time, it's an emotional time," McMartin said. "But we want to make sure we do everything in our power to be as good as we can be."
Notes—Central is hoping to gain a share of second place in the conference. The University of Dubuque completed its season with a 6-2 league mark while Central stands at 5-2. Wartburg, 4-3, dropped out of contention for second with its loss to Luther Saturday. Coe is assured of the league crown with its 7-0 mark heading into its league finale at Simpson… Eleven of Central's listed starters for Saturday are seniors…McMartin carries a 100-35 (.740) record into Saturday. He became the second coach in school history to reach 100 Saturday and trails his mentor, Ron Schipper (1961-96), who compiled a 287-67-3 (.808) mark. McMartin is in his 13th season and only Schipper and Central Athletics Hall of Honor charter member Richard "Babe" Tysseling coached longer. Tysseling, a highly decorated four-sport athlete at Central, was head football coach for 23 years (1938-60), posting a 91-90-7 record…Markham has one less catch than Division III receiving leader Brian Hunca of Kenyon College (Ohio), who passed Markham last Saturday with 16 receptions for 140 yards in a 64-17 loss at Wittenberg University (Ohio). The 3-6 Lords close the year at home against Denison University Saturday…Markham is bidding to become the third Central player to capture a Division III statistical title. Don Taylor led Division III in rushing in 1977 and Steve Flynn had the top pass efficiency rating in 1988. The Dutch were NCAA playoff participants both years.
Probable starters
Central College
Sat., Nov. 12
OFFENSE
QB 16 Riley Gray (6-1, 200, sr.)
RB 26 Nathan Fitzgerald (5-9, 190, so.)
SB 28 Kyle Gritsch (6-1, 205, jr.)
TE 88 Mitchell Boerm (6-5, 250, sr.)
WR 13 William Meredith (6-1, 185, sr.)
WR 5 Sam Markham (6-2, 170, sr.)
LT 51 Steven Peterman (6-3, 245, jr.)
LG 60 Kyle Pepper (6-1, 275, sr.)
C 57 Josh Brunk (6-1, 265, jr.)
RG 56 Cole Tanner (6-2, 275, sr.)
RT 76 Cal Smith (6-4, 290, jr.)
DEFENSE
DE 22 Edwin Etienne (5-9, 240, sr.)
NG 91 Wes Wheat (5-11, 265, jr.)
DE 78 Corbin Blythe (6-2, 265, sr.)
OLB 19 Drew Carlson (6-1, 220, sr.)
ILB 2 Tyler Olson (5-11, 215, jr.)
ILB 42 Sam Norgaard (6-1, 215, sr.)
OLB 5 Chris Neeld (5-10, 200, jr.)
CB 14 Danny Anderson (6-0, 175, fr.)
SS 7 Collin Erickson (5-9, 175, so.)
FS 20 Zach Matter (6-0, 200, sr.)
CB 25 Trevor Smith (5-9, 170, so.)
SPECIALTY
K 32 Aaron Marcellus (5-9, 205, sr.)
P 87 Cam Kiner (6-4, 215, so.)
PR 11 Zack Martinelli (5-8, 185, sr.)
KR 11 Zack Martinelli (5-8, 185, sr.)
LS-K 83 P.J. Norem (6-2, 225, jr.)
LS-P 33 Carson Remick (5-10, 205, jr.)
H 2 P.J. Carey (6-0, 160, jr.)
