The Waldorf football team is smashing opponents this year, and that was no different Saturday when they hosted NCAA D-III school Simpson College at Bolstroff in Forest City. The Warriors sent the Storm back to Indianola with a 54-21 loss, giving Waldorf their first-ever 3-0 start in four-year program history.
The Warriors came into Saturday’s game with two wins to start the season in the previous two weekends. They opened the season on August 27th, defeating Briar Cliff University 42-24 in Sioux City, before coming home to defeat Saint Ambrose 33-13.
That brings us to Saturday when Waldorf hosted the Storm.
The Warriors’ offense, to no surprise, started strong. Waldorf’s first score of the day came on their first offensive possession. Following a Simpson punt, the Warriors took over at midfield, where they drove 50-yards on eight plays in three minutes and fourteen seconds and scored on an 8-yard run from Javontey Harper.
Harper had his best offensive day in a Waldorf uniform. The junior from Houston, Texas, transferred from Southwestern Assemblies of God University before the start of this season. He rushed 11 times for 113 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught a 19-yard touchdown pass for three on the day. “The day was pretty good, and I have to start by giving all the credit to GOD. I’m not going to lie; my (offensive line) and coaches just believed in me. I just want to thank them for everything, said Harper following Saturday’s game. “He’s a stud. He’s athletic and works hard, and he deserves this”, said Waldorf head coach Will Finley of Harper.
Waldorf quarterback Jordan Cooper completed another 14 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns. Cooper is completing 68 percent of his passes this season for 712 yards, ten touchdowns, and only one interception.
The biggest storyline from the game came from former Estherville Lincoln Central prep Morgan Dostal. Dostal, a defensive lineman, playing on special teams, scored two touchdowns on blocked Simpson punts. The first came with 6:47 left in the third quarter. Dostal picked up the punt after momentarily wrestling with Simpson Punter Micah Baumhoefener. Baumhoefener, who stands at 5’8″ 140, was no match for Dostal, who checks in at 6’3″ 225. Dostal rumbled 22-yards for the touchdown, giving Waldorf a 30-14 lead. “Pretty cool, I’m happy for Morgan, and I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Finley. Dostal wasn’t done; six minutes later, he picked up another blocked Simpson punt from a similar location and ran 20-yards for the score, giving Waldorf a 44-14 advantage, helping to put the game out of reach.
After not being where Waldorf was hoping for in the first game, special teams have been huge for Waldorf in the last two. The Warriors have blocked three punts and two field goals – one returned for an 80-yard touchdown. Waldorf also kicked its first two field goals of the season on Saturday. Freshman kicker Connor Parker from Stillwater, MN, made his first from 39-yards out in the third quarter and another from 28-yards in the fourth quarter. “We wanted to get that on tape and get Connor comfortable – two great kicks. I was happy for him”, said Finley.
As previously mentioned, with the win, Waldorf is off to its best start in four-year program history, starting 3-0. The Waldorf football program’s last appearance in the postseason came in 1997 as a junior college. The ’97 season didn’t start well for Dave Bolstroff and the team. The Warriors’ started the season 2-3 before rattling off five straight wins to go 7-3 and make the Pepsi-Cola Bowl. Waldorf capped off the comeback season with a dominant win over North Dakota State College of Science, which received votes in the national poll. The final score of the game was Waldorf 41 NDSCS 7.
In the Cola Bowl, Waldorf continued their winnings ways, besting #10 Harper 35-14 in the UNI-Dome.
This Waldorf team is hoping to join the ’97 team making the postseason. The Warriors know it will be a long road with few mistakes possible. With only sixteen teams making the NAIA playoffs, a conference championship is likely the Warriors’ path to do so. Winning the North Star Athletic Association has been impossible for nearly a decade, as Dickinson State University has won the NSAA seven years in a row.
The Waldorf football team is back in action on Saturday at Bolstroff Field when they host Dakota State University. The Trojans are an NSAA member, but with a change in conference rules, this game will be played as a non-conference contest. It’s also military and first responder appreciation day. All active duty or retired military and first responders will receive free admission to the game. Kick-off is slated for 4:00 PM.
