PELLA—Clinging to its American Rivers title hopes entering the season's final four weeks, the Central College football team returns home to take on the league's leading passer and Nebraska Wesleyan University Saturday.
           
Game time is 1 p.m. at Ron and Joyce Schipper Stadium in Pella.
           
The Dutch (5-1 overall, 3-1 conference) were 44-27 winners at Buena Vista University Saturday while senior quarterback Jonathan Curti and Nebraska Wesleyan (3-3 overall, 1-3 conference) were overwhelmed at home by Coe College 56-21.
           
"They're a balanced team," coach Jeff McMartin said. "They're an improved team. I feel like each year we've played them they've gotten better and better."
           
On the air and online—The Voice of the Dutch, Trevor Castle, will call Saturday's action on KRLS-FM (92.1), with Denny Hanson providing the color. The KRLS pregame show will air at 12:35 p.m. The broadcast can 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.

A video webcast of the action and live stats can be accessed via the Central athletics website at www.central.edu/athletics.

On Mondays, Castle plays host to coach Jeff McMartin on the KRLS Coaches' Corner at 7 p.m. Those broadcasts are also available on demand through www.kniakrls.com.
Twitter users can get updates through @CentralDutch.
           
The series—Central escaped Nebraska Wesleyan 35-29 at Lincoln last year. Central leads the teams' series 7-0.
           
The Prairie Wolves—Curti tops the conference passing yardage list (300.3 yards per game). He has completed 125 of 215 passes (58.1%) with four interceptions for 1,802 yards and 20 touchdowns. He's also rushed 49 times for 111 yards and two scores.
           
"He's a playmaker," McMartin said. "He can hurt you with his legs, he throws very accurately, he throws on the run really well, he just makes a lot of plays. He's tough to contain."
           
Senior wide receiver Derrick Curtis and junior Kevin Tims each have 29 catches. Curtis has gained 529 yards with nine touchdowns.
           
"They have a really outstanding group of wide receivers," McMartin said. "They can all make plays and are tough to defend. Their running back, (junior) Colby Ensz, does a very good job. He's very good at finding a seam, breaking tackles. Their offensive line is very big and it's a multi-dimensional offense. They do a good job at finding weaknesses. If you're trying to take away a certain thing, they'll find something else."
           
Junior Nebraska Wesleyan linebackers Jacob Garnas and Kaden Dawe each have 49 tackles and two interceptions. McMartin is also impressed with junior nose guard Justen Hall, who has 25 stops, including a team-high 7.0 tackles for loss with 2.0 sacks.
           
"They're a four-man front defense," McMartin said. "They try to take away the inside zone and force you to the edges. Their nose guard is really having a great year. He plays the game with a lot of energy and really sparks their defense. The linebacker corps is really solid. They're hard to block and do a great job in coverage. They react to things really well. The secondary will play a lot of match-up coverages and has good speed. We have to make sure we're sharp with our routes and make sure we're accurate when we throw the football."
           
The Prairie Wolves are averaging 300.3 yards passing and 68.7 rushing yards while giving up 256.7 yards passing and 183.5 on the ground. They're getting outscored 36.2-26.7.
           
Bounce-back—Dutch quarterback Blaine Hawkins (junior, Ankeny) completed a career-high 27 of 50 passes for 276 yards with one interception and three touchdowns at Buena Vista Saturday, rebounding from a dismal loss to Dubuque the previous week. McMartin said it was a good restart.
           
"We had to earn this victory," he said. "I think we took another good step this week and moved out of maybe a low point. There was a lot of improvement from the week before. We have to continue to build on that this week."
           
Hawkins, who rushed for 318 yards on 105 carries a year ago, has not been a featured runner this season but Saturday, despite losing 18 yards on sacks, led Central with 56 yards rushing on 12 carries with two touchdowns. However that wasn't by design.
           
"With the pressure that we got from BV, certain things were off the table for us," McMartin said. "You had to find different ways of moving the football. Sometimes when you get pressure and everybody's covered, Blaine's really good about tucking it and running it. And in the running game, too, we tried to use their aggressiveness against them."
           
More honors—Cornerback Danny Anderson (senior, Boone) notched three pass breakups, including on a fourth-and-goal play in the fourth quarter, and also recorded 1.5 tackles for loss. He was named to the D3football.com Team of the Week.
           
"Those were all big plays," McMartin said. "We continue to need Danny to improve each week and provide the leadership and experience he brings to the secondary. He can play a really key role in our success."
           
Anderson got thrown into a new role as starting punter as well. He averaged 32.8 yards on four boots and opened some eyes by tossing a fourth-down 16-yard pass completion to tight end Ross Norem (senior, Iowa Falls, Iowa Falls-Alden HS) on a fake punt.
           
"That's the first time he's ever done anything like that," McMartin said. "We installed it last week. He doesn't have a lot of reps passing the football. It speaks a lot to his maturity and his athleticism that we can ask him to do that and he can successfully execute it. It was a good pass. He put it where he needed to put it."
           
For the seventh time, kicker Jon Alberts (senior, Huntley, Ill.) was named the league's special teams performer of the week. He was 5-for-5 on extra points and is perfect on all 31 tries this season. He also booted three field goals and four of his nine kickoffs went for touchbacks.
           
"Our special teams were better overall," McMartin said. "Our coverage was better, our returns were better. We kicked the ball so well. Jon Alberts' kickoffs were the best I've ever seen. Almost out of the end zone. And the field goals he made were all rock solid."
           
Less noticeable, but significant, was the work done in front of Alberts, McMartin said.
           
"They brought a lot of pressure and I thought we protected well on field goals," he said. "Cody Wonderlich (junior, Pleasant Hill, Southeast Polk HS), Que Baker-McCaulay (freshman, Mesa, Ariz., Tempe HS) and Joey McIntyre (junior, Chicago, Ill., St. Viator HS) all were asked to do a really hard job in protection. Buena Vista brought a lot of pressure and basically tried to run people over. But they stood in there. They were tough and they didn't allow penetration. The physical toll that takes over all those plays, it's not easy. It's one thing to block your gap, it's another thing to let two or three guys basically have a running start at you and try to run you over. And you know it's going to happen again and again every time you go out there. So I give those guys a lot of credit."
           
Despite surrendering 27 points, McMartin saw good things from the Central defense.
           
After two weeks as the team's tackles leader for free safety, Brayden Egli (sophomore, Saint Charles, Interstate 35 HS) was topped by safety Jordy Borman (senior, Eagan, Minn.), who was credited with 11 tackles and two breakups.
           
"Jordy and Brayden have really made a good pair at safety," McMartin said. "Jordy knocked down a (pass on a) fake punt. He had some other big knockdowns and a lot of big tackles. He's somebody who's always learning. If something is new or a different look he'll learn that concept and execute it really well on game day."
           
Linebacker Connor Lewin (senior, Stillman Valley, Ill.) recorded 10 stops, including seven solos.
           
The numbers weren't as gaudy up front, although defensive lineman Blade Durbala (junior, Blairstown, Benton HS) had five tackles, including 1.5 for loss.
           
"I thought we played well in the defensive line," McMartin said. "Blade continues to get better every week. He's definitely somebody who has anchored our defensive line. (Nose guard) Tom Adolph (sophomore, Coralville, Iowa City West HS) also played really well. He may not show up in the stat sheet but he does what we need him to do. He's been really good this season.  And Hunter Maddy (junior, Mystic, Centerville HS) each week continues to get better and learn. He's got great speed and plays with a real high motor. I think those guys all showed up on Saturday and played very well."
           
NCAA numbers—Central ranks seventh in Division III in red zone offense (93.3%), 19th in third-down conversions (50.5%, 46-91) and 22nd in total offense (457.2 yards per game). Hawkins is fourth in points responsible for (156), fifth in passing touchdowns (22) and 22nd in total offense, (303.7 yards per game). He's also the conference total offense leader.
           
Wide receiver Hunter Robinson (senior, Lisbon) is 13th nationally in punt returns (14.9 yards per return) and is the league leader as well. He's also 13th in Division III in touchdown catches (10).
           
Alberts is 17th in Division III in field goal percentage (85.7%, 6-7). His 48-yarder matches the ninth-longest kick of the season in Division III. Last year, Alberts had Division III's longest boot with a school-record 55-yard kick. With Alberts the Dutch are also leading the conference in kickoff yardage (40.9 yards per kick).
           
Central is the conference team offense leader with 457.2 yards per game. The Dutch defense is fourth, allowing 346.5 yards.
           
Notes-- Central is still among those schools receiving votes in the AFCA Division III top 25 poll…When Buena Vista recovered a mistimed Central snap in the end zone Saturday, it was the first fumble return for touchdown by an opponent since Oct. 8, 2011, also by Buena Vista…Central is tied with Simpson College for third place in the league standings at 3-1, trailing Wartburg College (5-0) and Coe College (4-1). Those are the final three teams on the Central schedule…Saturday's win extends Central's string of seasons without a losing record to 59. The Dutch last endured a losing campaign in 1960, the final year of the Eisenhower administration.
 
Probable starters
OFFENSE
QB       3         Blaine Hawkins (5-11, 200, jr.)
RB       24        Joey McIntyre (5-8, 210, jr.)     
SB        1         Caleb Schlatter (5-11, 200, jr.)  
TE        83        Ross Norem (6-3, 230, sr.)       
WR      11        Erik Knaack (6-0, 190, jr.)       
WR      2          Hunter Robinson (6-0, 190, sr.)
LT        68        Cody Smith (6-4, 295, sr.)        
LG       61        Colton Anderson (6-0, 250, so.)
C          70        Ian Den Herder (6-0, 270, fr.)   
RG       58        Josh Mayhew (6-1, 260, jr.)      
RT       70        Travis Wagner (6-5, 270, jr>)
 
DEFENSE      
DL       85        Matt Glockel (6-0, 245, jr.)      
NG       52        Tom Adolph (5-11, 250, so.)    
DL       92        Blade Durbala (6-1, 285, jr.)     
OLB     33        Tate O'Tool (5-11, 185, sr.)     
ILB      9          Drew Smith (5-9, 195, so.)       
ILB      12        Connor Lewin (6-1, 195, sr.)    
OLB     54        Hunter Maddy (6-3, 220, jr.)    
CB       14        Danny Anderson (6-1, 190, sr.)
SS        22        Jordy Borman (5-10, 170, sr.)   
FS        4          Brayden Egli (6-1, 180, so.)     
CB       13        Tre Wilridge III (5-7, 145, jr.)  
 
SPECIALTY
K         19        Jon Alberts (5-11, 180, jr.)       
P          14        Danny Anderson (6-1, 190, sr.)
KR       12        Connor Lewin (6-1, 195, jr.)     
            8          Jason Hopp (6-0, 225, so.)        
PR        2          Hunter Robinson (6-0, 180, jr.)
            14        Danny Anderson (6-1, 190, sr.)
LS        46        Justin Thomas (6-0, 185, fr.)
H         10        Tanner Schminke (6-0, 180, jr.)