DAVENPORT, IA - Grand View clinched a berth in the NAIA postseason and took sole possession of first place in the Heart of America Athletic Conference North Division in the league's Week 10 Clash of the Week, shutting out Saint Ambrose 48-0 at Jack and Pat Bush Stadium on a sunny Saturday afternoon. With both teams entering unbeaten at 5-0 in North Division play, the Vikings improve to 9-1 overall and 6-0 in conference play and have now won six straight games.
The afternoon also went into the Grand View record book twice. Bryant Williams set a program single-game rushing record with 205 yards on 14 carries, a 14.6-yard average that included an 85-yard touchdown run. Dalten Van Pelt scored his 33rd career rushing touchdown, breaking the previous program record of 32.
Grand View opened the scoring on its first possession. The Vikings took over at midfield after the defense forced a three-and-out and moved 27 yards in seven plays, with Van Pelt gaining 16 yards on two carries, before Dominic Witt connected from 41 yards to make it 3-0 with 9:13 left in the first quarter. Grand View drove 58 yards to the Saint Ambrose 13 on its next possession before an interception ended the threat. The Fighting Bees answered with their best drive of the day, 15 plays and 84 yards that stretched into the second quarter and included a conversion on fourth and 11, but the Grand View defense stood tall. Simeon Reichenbach and Kellen Moore made stops inside the 15, and Saint Ambrose turned it over on downs at the Grand View 5-yard line when a fourth-and-1 pass fell incomplete.
The Vikings took full advantage of the goal-line stand. Van Pelt gained 4 and 6 yards to get out of the shadow of the goal line, and then Williams took a handoff at the 15 and raced 85 yards for a touchdown, capping a 95-yard drive in 1:26 and making it 10-0 with 12:04 left in the half. Ajai Russell sacked the quarterback on third down to force a punt, and Grand View marched 63 yards in 11 plays, with Jack Jepson converting two third downs with completions to Ja'Quez Hall and Williams adding 17 yards on two carries. Van Pelt finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, the 33rd rushing touchdown of his career, to make it 17-0 with 3:49 left. Drew Gerdes then intercepted a pass and returned it 6 yards to set up another score. Williams gained 24 yards on a second-and-17 run, Van Pelt picked up 11 on third and 1, and Jepson found Corey Phillips for a 4-yard touchdown pass with 20 seconds left in the half, sending Grand View to the locker room with a 24-0 lead.
The second half started with a bang. Titus Christiansen fielded the opening kickoff of the third quarter and returned it 95 yards for a touchdown just 15 seconds in to make it 31-0. On the Fighting Bees' second offensive play, Eli Moses sacked the quarterback and forced a fumble that Joel Greiner recovered at the Saint Ambrose 11, and Jepson hit Hall for an 8-yard touchdown two plays later, making it 38-0 with 13:18 left in the third. Grand View scored 14 points in the first 1:42 of the half. Reichenbach sacked the quarterback on fourth down to end a 10-play Saint Ambrose drive, and the Vikings answered with a 10-play possession that ended with a 25-yard Witt field goal, making it 41-0 with 3:13 left in the quarter.
Moore intercepted a pass on the first play of the fourth quarter, and Peyton Rottinghaus led the Vikings on a 13-play, 85-yard drive that used 6:41 of the clock. Rottinghaus completed passes to Ethan Schultz and Koah Thompson, added a 19-yard run of his own, and Landon Vander Werff chipped in runs of 11 and 9 yards before Rottinghaus found Thompson for a 4-yard touchdown to make it 48-0 with 8:10 left. The defense added a fifth sack, split between Russell and Leo Jones, and Grand View's reserves ran out the final minutes to complete the shutout.
GAME NOTES
- Grand View clinched a berth in the NAIA postseason and took sole possession of first place in the Heart of America Athletic Conference North Division, with both teams entering 5-0 in North play
- Bryant Williams set a Grand View single-game rushing record with 205 yards on 14 carries, including an 85-yard touchdown run, and Dalten Van Pelt broke the program's career rushing touchdown record with his 33rd, passing the previous mark of 32
- Titus Christiansen returned the opening kickoff of the second half 95 yards for a touchdown
- The defense posted the shutout, holding Saint Ambrose to 186 total yards and 73 rushing yards, with five sacks (Simeon Reichenbach 2.0, Ajai Russell 1.5, Eli Moses 1.0, Leo Jones 0.5), two interceptions (Kellen Moore and Drew Gerdes), and a fumble recovery by Joel Greiner
- Grand View out-gained Saint Ambrose 478-186, rushed for 364 yards at 7.9 yards per carry, and scored on five of six red zone trips
- Jack Jepson was 9 of 14 for 73 yards and two touchdowns, Peyton Rottinghaus threw a touchdown to Koah Thompson, and Ja'Quez Hall led all receivers with 34 yards and a score
- Harry Leinen led the defense with 8 tackles, Porter Doggett had 7, and Reichenbach added 7 with 2.5 tackles for loss
- Dominic Witt was 2 of 2 on field goals, Cory Wood was 6 of 6 on extra points, and Bradyn Cory's lone punt went 54 yards and landed inside the 20
UP NEXT Grand View closes out the regular season on the road against Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, IA, on Saturday, November 14th at 1:00 PM. A win would secure the outright North Division championship.
