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Mark McKenzie (NewsDakota.com)…With a new quarterback under center, the Jimmies opened the new season with a thrilling 23-20 overtime win at South Dakota Tech in Rapid City on Saturday, as Senior wideout Josh Ewalt, from Miles City,Montana, latched onto a tipped ball for a seven yard score to end the game.
With All-Conference QB Mike Beehler gone due to graduation, Brad Lint, from Roseburg, Oregon stepped in and was impressive in his debut. The Senior finished 14-28 with three touchdown passes, and he orchestrated two big drives late in the game. The Jimmies coughed up a 14-0 lead, and watched the Hardrockers score 17 unanswered points, including a 13 yard td run with 2:26 to go.
Ewalt returned the kickoff to the Jimmie 38. Lint drove Jamestown to the Tech 10 yard line, and Sophomore kicker, Ryan Benke, nailed a 27 yard FG with :11 second remaining to force overtime. The former Blue Jay has some big shoes to fill, with the loss of all-conference performer Nate Nygaard, who transferred out after his Junior season. Benke was 2-2 on pat’s, and looked just fine in his Jimmie debut.
Jamestown struck for six on it’s second possesion of the season, as Lint found Junior reciever Matt Wilson, from Yelm, Washington, on a 25 yard TD pass with 5:47 remaining in the first quarter. The Jimmies padded the lead to 14, when Lint hooked up with wideout Casey Hausauer, Senior from Beulah, North Dakota, on a 29 yard strike with 10:13 left in the second quarter.
It appeared Jamestown would take a two touchdown spread into the locker room, but thats when turnovers began to set in. After a Jimmie fumble, Tech was able to get a seven yard td run with 1:49 left in the second quarter, to slice the defieit to 14-7 at the break.
Jamestown fumbled on it’s first possesion of the second half, but Tech kicker Andy Smith missed a 25 yard field goal. The mistakes wouldn’t end there, as the Rockers came up with an interception and another fumble recovery in the third quarter, but Mine’s failed to put any points on the board.
A short punt set up a 23 yard field goal by Smith with 6:47 to go, and that cut the Jimmie lead to 14-10, and that set the stage for the wild final two and a half minutes. The Rockers got the ball first to start overtime, and Smith split the uprights with a 36 yard field goal.
The Jimmie offense took over at the 20 yard line, and after a first down, Lint, under pressure, watched his pass, that was tipped, flutter into the arms of Ewalt from sevens yards out on a third down and two play, and the celebration was on.
The Jimmie defense did a great job on standout Jamie Dale, holding the star running back to 21 yards. Dale had -5 yards rushing at halftime. Meantime, Jamestown had great success running the ball, with 202 yards gained, 89 for Junior Lance Johansen of Devils Lake, North Dakota, and 75 for Matt Mitthaugen, Junior from Fergus Falls, Minnesota.
Jamestown had 386 yards of offense on 75 plays, and Tech hald only 241 yards of offense, 127 on the ground, on 66 plays. The Jimmie “D” held the Rockers to 11 first down, and the Jimmie offense picked up 17 first downs. Zach Gjovig, from Crosby, North Dakota, led the Jimmies in tackles with nine.
Jamestown will have two weeks off to prepare for it’s home opener versus Wisconsin, Stout, a D-III opponent. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 10th at Rollie Greeno Field, with Mark McKenzie and Bill Nold on the coverage.