Posted: Sep 05, 2021
Dodge City, KS
It was only fitting that a newcomer to the Iowa Western Football roster named 'Wyatt' was a standout performer Saturday in Dodge City. Freshman defensive back Wyatt Rhomer scooped a muffed punt for a special teams touchdown and recovered another fumble as the Reivers pulled away from upset-minded DCCC to open the 2021 football season. IWCC, 1-0, overcame an early deficit to post a convincing 38-14 victory at Memorial Stadium to officially open the 2021 season.
Running backs Milton Sargbah and Moses Bryant paved the way on the ground for the Reivers, combining for 112 yards and three touchdowns to lead the offense, while the defense pitched a second-half shutout of the Conqs on their home turf. Defending NJCAA Offensive Player of the Year Nate Glantz struggled to find his touch through the air against the Kansas wind, but the freshman still racked up 155 yards and avoided any turnovers as the Reivers got all they needed to pull away from Dodge for a seventh straight time.
"We missed a couple of chances in the first half that really could have put them away," said Head Coach Scott Strohmeier, "I was proud of the team for locking down in the second half to earn the victory."
Strohmeier picked up his 10th win in Reivers' openers and stayed perfect against Dodge City, improving to 7-0 all-time against the Conquistadors.
Defensively, Iowa Western pressured DCCC all day, getting sacks from Tyree Hill, Ethan Weirather, and Jackson Filer, while recovering three loose balls to win the turnover battle.
The Reivers head into ICCAC action for their next two games, including the Fall 2021 Home Opener against Ellsworth in the team's next game, September 18th. That kickoff has been set for 2:30 at Lewis Central High School's Titan Stadium. A free tailgate, sponsored by Barley's Bar & Grill, will begin approximately one and a half hours before kickoff in the Lewis Central Middle School parking lot. For those fans unable to attend the game in person, the Reiver Sports Network will have the coverage on both 89.7 FM and the video stream on GoReivers.com
NOTES - The Reivers moved to 42-10 all-time versus Kansas Jayhawk conference teams, including a 7-0 mark against Dodge City. IWCC owns a perfect record against three KJCCC teams, remaining perfect against Ft. Scott, Independence, and Dodge City, combining for an 18-0 record against the three schools. With the victory, the Reivers extended their consecutive road victories mark to nine, improved to 10-3 in season openers and earned their 33rd all-time victory in the month of September. The win also improved the team to 2-0 all-time on September 4th.
