Iowa Wesleyan football starts strong, fades out

MAYVILLE, N.D. — A promising start turned bleak for the Iowa Wesleyan football team on Thursday at Mayville State. The Tigers lost an early lead and fell 42-14 in the final game of the season.

There were a lot of early fireworks in the contest, which was moved from Saturday to Thursday due to snow. A pair of big plays happened on Iowa Wesleyan kickoffs, one for each team.

On the opening kickoff, the ball bounced in favor of Iowa Wesleyan. The kick was taken by Mayville State’s Javeion Davidson, who coughed it up. Iowa Wesleyan’s Jakim Brock recovered it at the 24-yard line and the Tigers were in business.

Six players later, Iowa Wesleyan was in the end zone. Quarterback Gavin Esquivel found running back Hezekiah Hunter on an 8-yard touchdown run, and it was 7-0 after the extra point.

On the ensuing kick off, however, Davidson got his revenge. This time, the Mayville State returner took the kick back 82 yards, past the Iowa Wesleyan coverage and in to the end zone.

After the missed Mayville extra point attempt kept Iowa Wesleyan up 7-6, another special teams play sparked the Tigers. Kelan Dove returned the kickoff 32 yards to near midfield, at the Iowa Wesleyan 47.

Esquivel and the Tiger offense marched right down the field to score again, this time on a 1-yard run by Hunter. With 10 minutes left in the first quarter, it was already 14-6 Iowa Wesleyan.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, that’s all they would get.

The Mayville State defense held Iowa Wesleyan scoreless for the last 50 minutes of the game. That gave the Comet offense plenty of time to stage a comeback.

Mayville State tied the game on a 36-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion. in the second quarter. They took the lead on a 31-yard passing touchdown less than one minute into the third quarter and never looked back.

In total, Mayville State scored four touchdowns in the second half, including a 30-yard pick-six late in the third quarter and an 88-yard touchdown run to break it open just 21 seconds into the fourth.

Mayville State also closed the game out on a 35-0 run.

Esquivel went 8-for-15 for 113 yards and one touchdown in the loss. Tiger backup Hagen Weaver was 10-for-16 for 119 yards and two interceptions, and Dimitri Rodriguez went 8-for-13 for 71 yards and one pick.

Hunter finished the game with eight catches for 47 yards and one touchdown, while also scoring once on the ground. Jaden Harris caught three passes fro 71 yards, and Diego Early caught three for 60.

The Tiger defense was led by Major Niccum’s 12 tackles. Grequenceo Coger had 10 tackles. Jeremiah Pauling and Joseph Pace each picked off one pass.

The Tigers finished the season 2-9 overall and 1-5 in conference play. Head coach MD Daniel’s first full season came with the school’s first homecoming win since 2017, and the first North Star Athletic Conference win in Tiger history.

Iowa Wesleyan should have plenty to build on over the offseason. The Tigers have just four seniors on the entire roster and were led all year by their vast majority of freshmen and sophomores.