Iowa Wesleyan wastes Westminster

FULTON, Mo. — The Iowa Wesleyan football team went into Fulton on a mission on Saturday afternoon, and the Tigers walked out with their first win of the season.

Iowa Wesleyan pummeled Westminster, putting up 28 second-half points in a 41-6 blowout. That ended a four-game losing streak for the program and sweetened a sour beginning to the season, in which the team had lost two nail-biters.

The Tigers put up 13 points in the first quarter, both on touchdown passes by Zach Chevalier. Chevalier found Jamarion Ferguson on a 22-yard strike with 6:27 left in the quarter. On the next Blue Jays possession, Tyler Ball returned a punt down to the 23, and Chevalier hit Ball on a 23-yard touchdown pass on the next play.

The Tigers led 13-0 at the half, and 20-0 at the end of the third quarter, as Askia Moses scampered in for an eight-yard touchdown run on the Tigers’ first drive of the second half.

Iowa Wesleyan continued to pour it on in the fourth quarter, as Chevalier started the period off with a 1-yard touchdown rush to help bring the game to 27-0. Westminster finally got on the board a few drives later, scoring on a 10-yard touchdown pass. to cut the advantage to 27-6.

The Tigers used the ground game to score their final two touchdowns of the game. Moses scored on a six-yard rush, and Stafford Lewis ran one in from 16 yards out.

Chevalier only completed 13 passes on the day, but they went for 221 yards and two touchdowns. Westminster was able to pick him off three times.

Moses had a monster game on the ground, rushing for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Asaivien McWilliams led the receivers with two catches for 41 yards, and both Damien Tanelus and Terrell Holt caught one pass for 34 yards.

The Tiger defense was merciless. Iowa Wesleyan had four sacks on the day, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions.

Major Niccum led the Tigers in tackles, with 14. That included 1.5 sacks. Moses Eason finished with seven tackles and a sack. Demitrius Boyd and Joseph Lozano each had six tackles and one sack, and Malik Hobert collected six tackles of his own.

Jakim Brock had the team’s only forced fumble of the game, and also picked off a pass. Joseph Pace had an interception that was run back 29 yards. Deacon Steadman, Gavin DePedro and Amarion Williams each had one fumble recovery.

The Tigers are now 2-1, and they will return home next week to close out non-conference play against Finlandia University. The visiting Lions will enter the game 0-2, having been outscored 97-14 in their first two contests.