WINFIELD, Kan. – The Warriors opened divisional play on the road against the Moundbuilders. Southwestern struck first with a 27-yard field goal and used a strong second quarter to jump ahead of Sterling and added touchdowns in the third and fourth quarter to secure the 31-10 victory over the Warriors.
Sterling started with a strong defensive performance, forcing Southwestern to punt on their opening drive. After a three and out from the Warriors offense, the Moundbuilders struck first with a 27-yard field goal from Jeremiah Schaefer. Neither Sterling or Southwestern could get anything else going the rest of the quarter.
However, the Moundbuilders found their stride in the second quarter as Christian Steward rushed for 11 yards to score the first touchdown of the game followed by a 4-yard touchdown pass from James Odom to Jenson Harness to give Southwestern a 17-0 lead. The Warriors did not go away quietly as Steven Werking completed a 29-yard touchdown pass to Khyaire Hines to put Sterling on the board and cut the score to 17-7 going into the half.
Sterling came out strong to start the third quarter, scoring first in the second half with a 31-yard field goal from Emmanuel Roman. Southwestern answered back on the next possession with a 26-yard rushing touchdown from Zamir Hall. The Moundbuilders added to their lead in the fourth quarter with another passing touchdown, with Odom finding Dazurre Paggett for a 34-yard reception.
Werking completed 22 passes of 39 attempts for a total of 233 yards through the air with a passing touchdown and two interceptions. His favorite target was Khyaire Hines who turned eight receptions into 106 yards and was on the receiving end of the touchdown pass. Also, a solid target for the Warriors was Nicholas Trepton who had four receptions for 61 yards.
Defensively, Sterling was led by Dutton Taylor who totaled 10 tackles (nine solo) while recording two tackles for loss. Right behind him was Sean Watson who had seven tackles (five solo) while Landon Pfannenstiel had a sack for a loss of 10 yards for the Warriors.
Up next, the Warriors (2-5, 0-1) continue divisional play as they host Kansas Wesleyan (5-2, 1-0) on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 1 p.m.
Be sure to check for news and updates on Sterling Warrior Athletics on Facebook (/SCWarriors), Twitter (@SterlingCSports), and Instagram (sterlingcsports), as well as the hashtag #SwordsUp. Watch the Warriors’ live home events on the Sterling College Sports Network.
