MARSHALL, Mo. – Evangel racked up a season-high 576 yards of total offense against Missouri Valley, scoring 24 unanswered points to begin the afternoon before holding off the Vikings’ comeback bid for a 30-23 Heart Conference victory Saturday afternoon at Gregg-Mitchell Field.
Dyllan Decker threw for a career-high 342 yards and three early touchdowns, while Derome Williams rushed for 149 yards on 20 carries to pace the EU offense.
Evangel stormed out to a 24-point first-half lead, as Decker tossed three first-half touchdowns to three different receivers, and Williams powered a potent EU rushing attack that racked up 163 yards on the ground in the opening half.
Evangel, which recorded three different scoring drives of 60 yards or more in the first half, seized control of the contest from the onset, moving the ball 56 yards on its opening drive to take 3-0 lead on a 28-yard Jonah Edwards field goal. Decker then extended the lead to double-digits with 7:31 left in the first, completing an 88-yard scoring march by connecting with Dillon Hester on a 25-yard touchdown pass to make it a 10-0 game.
Williams, who also rushed for 121 yards on 12 carries in the first half, helped EU add to its lead early in the second period by taking a Decker toss 47 yards to pay dirt for a 17-point Valor margin.
Decker completed his first-half trifecta with just under five minutes left on the clock, finding Demareus Little on a 38-yard scoring strike that pushed the lead to 24-0.
MVC rallied in the closing minutes of the half, first with a 37-yard James Lahrman field goal. Following an interception that gave the Vikings the ball at the EU 44, Darrion Cole completed a 13-yard touchdown toss to Keenen Young with just 19 seconds left on the clock to pull MVC back to within 24-9 heading into intermission.
Cole and the Vikings continued to chip away at the Valor lead early in the third quarter, taking advantage of two additional EU turnovers to nearly climb all the way back. Following a Decker fumble, Cole found Khaleel Dampier for a 38-yard scoring pass that capped a 71-yard drive for MVC.
Evangel responded by marching 69 yards to the MVC 3-yard line, only to see the scoring opportunity thwarted by a 100-yard Drew Peterson interception return for a touchdown that sliced the Valor lead to just one point with just under six minutes to play in the period.
But Decker had an answer on EU’s next snap, threading a 51-yard completion to Joshua Tips that positioned the Valor at the MVC 11. That play ultimately set up a 24-yard Edwards field goal that stopped MVC’s string of 23 unanswered points and gave the Valor some much-needed breathing room.
Hester, who led all receivers with 120 yards on seven catches, reeled in three receptions for a total of 62 yards on a key EU drive midway through the fourth that led to another Edwards field goal that extended the lead back to seven points.
The Evangel defense put the finishing touches on the victory, limiting the Vikings to just three total yards in the fourth quarter. Dalton Cloyd led the Valor defense with nine stops, as well as 1.5 sacks.
