Sagan Osborne – Dickinson State Sports & Marketing Information Director
Jamestown, N.D. – Dickinson State claimed its 10th straight North Star Athletic Association title Saturday, edging out Jamestown 35-30 in a gritty road game. The Blue Hawks, now 7-1 overall and 6-0 in the NSAA, withstood a big fourth-quarter rally from the Jimmies to remain unbeaten in conference play, extending their NSAA win streak to 39 games.
"I was very proud of our players for securing a conference championship," said Head Coach Pete Stanton. "Offensively we played a great game and were able to move the ball well. Special teams and defense were a different story. We played poorly on special teams, giving up field position multiple times and it was one of our poorer performances in a long time on defense. But credit Jamestown College as they played well on offense. It was another big win though and we will learn from it and keep getting better." The win was the 16th straight win over Jamestown for Dickinson State as the Jimmies prepare to move to NCAA Division II next season.
DSU got rolling early, with quarterback Will Madler capping off a six-play, 64-yard opening drive with a 12-yard touchdown strike to Semaj Clark. Jamestown responded with a touchdown of its own on the following drive, but DSU's offense didn't relent. Braden Zuroff, leading the Blue Hawks' rushing attack, punched in a three-yard score early in the second quarter, followed by a three-yard touchdown from Darion Brown to make it 21-7 midway through the second. Jamestown answered just before the half, narrowing the lead to 21-14.
The Blue Hawks controlled the ground game in the win, racking up 250 rushing yards to Jamestown's 71. Brown led with 87 yards on eight carries, and Zuroff chipped in with 78 yards on 11 carries.
In the third quarter, Jamestown tied things up with a 24-yard touchdown run, but DSU responded with a 12-play drive, with Madler connecting with Gage Gilbert on a short three-yard touchdown to reclaim the lead at 28-21.
Jamestown added a field goal early in the fourth quarter to close the gap to 28-24.
DSU struck back with a quick 61-yard drive, capped off by a 10-yard touchdown run by Madler. Jamestown mounted one last effort, pulling within five with under two minutes left, but the Blue Hawk defense held firm to secure the win.
Madler completed 16 of 29 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Clark led in receiving with six catches for 81 yards, while Gilbert added 50 yards and a touchdown. Neither team committed a turnover in the contest.
With their 10th consecutive NSAA title, the Blue Hawks capped off a decade-long conference reign and have now clinched the conferences bid into the NAIA national tournament.