Lanier drills go-ahead field goal, Simpson finishes season 6-4

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Simpson College football team survived a wild back-and-forth battle on the road, edging Nebraska Wesleyan 23-22 to finish fourth in the American Rivers Conference and post its first winning season since 2018.

The Storm (6-4, 5-3 A-R-C) jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter but trailed 19-14 entering the fourth after the Prairie Wolves (1-9, 1-7 A-R-C) scored 19 unanswered points. Cole Staska's second touchdown of the day gave Simpson a brief lead at 20-19 with 9:29 remaining, but Nebraska Wesleyan responded with a 45-yard field goal to go up 22-20 with 3:36 left.

The Storm answered again down the stretch, with a 28-yard catch by Noah Cracraft helping fuel the drive that set up Aiden Lanier's 25-yard go-ahead field goal with 44 seconds remaining. On the game's final play, CJ Hangartner sealed the win with a sack on Nebraska Wesleyan's desperate Hail Mary attempt.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Simpson jumped out to an early 14-0 lead thanks to a five-yard rushing score from Demarico Young and a 33-yard touchdown catch from Cole Staska.
• Nebraska Wesleyan responded late in the second quarter, scoring twice to cut Simpson's lead to 14-13 at halftime.
• The Prairie Wolves opened the second half with a long 15-play drive for a touchdown, taking a 19-14 lead they would hold through the end of the quarter.
• Simpson regained the lead midway through the fourth on an eight-yard touchdown pass from Jayden Thoreson to Staska, following a 44-yard run from Young. The Storm went for two but could not convert, leading 20-19 with 9:29 to go. 
• Nebraska Wesleyan kicked a 45-yard field goal with 3:36 left to go ahead 22-20. Simpson answered with a 28-yard reception by Noah Cracraft, setting up Aiden Lanier's 25-yard go-ahead field goal with 44 seconds left.
• The Prairie Wolves gained one first down but was forced to attempt a Hail Mary from their own 48 after a penalty. CJ Hangartner sealed the win with a sack, giving Simpson a 23-22 road victory.

STORM STANDOUTS

• Jayden Thoreson: 17-30, 154 yards, 2 TD
• Cole Staska: 6 rec, 72 yards, 2 TD
• Noah Cracraft: 5 rec, 50 yards
• Demarico Young, 22 att, 158 yards, 1 TD
• Adonis McKenzie: 13 tackles
• Christian Lee: 11 tackles
• Noah Noland: 9 tackles (1.0 TFL)
• CJ Hangartner: 5 tackles (2.5 TFL), 2 sacks
• Aiden Lanier: 25-yard FG
• Tanner Philpott: 4 punts, 185 yards, long of 78

NOTES

• Simpson finishes the year with six wins, the most since recorded seven in 2018. The Storm claimed fourth place in A-R-C standings with their 5-3 conference record. 
• The Storm went 5-0 on the road this season, notching their first undefeated road record since 1997 (regular season games only).
• Cole Staska got just what he needed to become the ninth player in team history to reach 2,000 career receiving yards. He finished the game with five receptions for 72 yards, ending his career with 2,000 yards and 18 touchdowns (ninth all-time).
• Demarico Young's 158-yard performance pushed him over 1,000 yards on the season. He finishes the year as the A-R-C's leading rusher and becomes the first Simpson running back to surpass 1,000 yards since Cam Bunting in 2018.
• Despite not scoring in today's game, Noah Cracraft ends the season with a league-high 11 touchdowns. He will enter his third season ranked fourth all-time in career receiving touchdowns (25).
• Freshman Noah Noland completes his season with 127 tackles, ranking first in the conference in both total tackles and solo stops (68). His 127 tackles are the third-most in a single season in Simpson history and the highest since Jarod Young tallied 130 in 1995.
• CJ Hangartner finishes his career ranked second all-time in career tackles for loss (38.0), fifth in career forced fumbles (5), and sixth in career sacks (16.0).
• Jayden Thoreson concludes his freshman year with a 69.2 completion rate, breaking the program's single season record set last year by J Jensen III (66.1). His 151.7 passing efficiency ranks fourth-best in Simpson single-season history and is the highest since Mike Donnenwerth posted 161.0 in 2002.
• Aiden Lanier ends his sophomore campaign having converted 27 PATs and 11 of 14 field goals. His 60 total kicking points rank seventh all-time and are the most since Drew Jensen had 62 in 2017. His 11 field goals tied Jensen's school record for most made field goals in a season. 
• Tanner Philpott tied his career-long punt at 78 yards, which ranks second all-time in team history.