DUBUQUE, Iowa – Using a second-quarter offensive surge and a shutdown defense that limited Clarke to 251 yards of total offense, Evangel opened its 2021 football season with a convincing 24-9 victory over the Pride Saturday afternoon at Dalzell Field.
The Evangel defense held the Pride to 126 rushing yards—and just 2.7 yards per carry—and forced a trio of fumbles while holding Clarke scoreless in the second half.
Oswaldo Garcia led a stout Evangel defense with a big afternoon that included seven total tackles, including a sack, two stops for losses and a forced fumble. Ian Ary added seven tackles, two TFLs and a sack, while Will Anoa’i recorded a pair of sacks for EU.
Evangel relied on a potent ground attack and its smothering defense to establish a 21-9 halftime edge. EU racked up 147 rushing yards in the opening half, led by Nicos Oropeza‘s 65 yards on four carries, while Dyllan Decker hooked up with Dillon Hester on a pair of second-quarter scoring passes to help EU establish a 21-3 lead.
Evangel kicked off the season with an 11-play, 75-yard scoring march that was capped off by Oropeza’s 1-yard touchdown run to take a 7-0 lead. Decker completed a 16-yard pass to Josh Dennie on the game’s first play from scrimmage, before Bryce Nyumah ripped off runs of 10 and 15 yards on successive snaps to move EU into the red zone.
The Evangel defense delivered a big play early as well, as Dominique Puentes fell on a Clarke fumble deep in EU territory to thwart the Pride’s initial scoring threat of the game.
Decker connected with Hester for the first of the duo’s two critical first-half touchdowns early in the second quarter. The senior quarterback converted a third-and-nine at the Clarke 24, finding Hester for a scoring pass that extended the EU lead to 14-0 with 9:46 left in the half.
Clarke took advantage of an Evangel fumble to put its first points on the board with just over five minutes left on the clock via an Anthony Gomez 33-yard field goal.
But EU responded on its next drive, thanks in large part to Oropeza’s 57-yard scamper on the initial play of the possession. Two plays later, Decker found Hester once again, this time for a 1-yard scoring strike that extended the cushion to 21-3.
Clarke’s Brandon Mueller completed a 35-yard touchdown pass to Max Steffen with just 38 seconds to play in the half to pull the Pride to within 12 at intermission.
The second half saw both defenses flex their collective muscles, as EU held Clarke to just 60 yards of offense following the break.
Evangel registered the lone scoring drive of the second half, as Jonah Edwards punctuated a 35-yard drive by successfully booting a 23-yard field goal at the 1:35 mark of the third period to make it a 15-point affair.
EU held Clarke’s offense to nine yards or less in four of six possessions after halftime to turn in the second-half shutout, with the Pride advancing into Evangel territory just one time.
Oropeza finished with 80 rushing yards on 10 attempts, while Sammy Robinson added 56 yards and Nyumah totaled 49 yards on the ground.
Hester hauled in four receptions for 44 yards and two touchdowns to lead all Evangel receivers.
Up Next
Evangel opens its 2021 home season next Saturday (Sept. 4) with a 6 p.m. game against Graceland at Eagle Stadium in Nixa.
