Fresh off a 19-point comeback against the University of Mary Marauders, Winona State University rallied together for one final game of the 2025 regular season against Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU). A rivalry reason for the Sledge, the trophy given to the winner of this series since 2015. The purple had won seven straight matchups since the Mustangs won the first sledge match in 2015. Before the matchup, the Warriors had not lost a contest at Maxwell Field all year. They had the opportunity to encapsulate a winning record for the first time since 2022 season, and what better time to do it than on Senior Day.
Connor Haggerty, the sack leader for Winona State this season, discussed the impact this game has on him.
“In the final game, what I want the most is for the fellow seniors and I to have a great game to leave our mark on a positive note,” Haggerty said.
A beautiful afternoon for football started with a slow burn first quarter. Winona State won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. Taiden Thomas, defensive end for the Warriors, clobbered Tryg Auten for a seven-yard loss on a jet sweep from the first play of scrimmage, which forced a three-and-out. Jake Schultz muffed the first punt of the game, setting up the Mustangs with prime field position. Griffin Wiegel, who was honored before the game for the Warriors, popped Mustang receiver Jake Anderson on fourth down to force a fumble. Possessions later, the Mustangs drove 80 yards to punch the first score of the game, off a 14-yard receiving touchdown from running back Jacob Honstetter. Mason Carver whiffed the extra point to the right to give SMSU a 6-0 lead to end the first.
Although Winona State’s offense whispered in the original 15 minutes, Jackson Flottmeyer connected on trick play to Joe Sikma for a 52-yard bomb at the SMSU four-yard-line. Freshman running back Jahmani Muhammad cashes in on a rushing touchdown on the next play. A missed Warrior extra point leads the game knotted at 6-6. After a quick turnover on downs for the Mustangs, Sikma catch another deep pass from Flottmeyer for a 38-yard score. Flottmeyer had one more score in the second quarter, cashing in on a seven-yard touchdown to finish the next Warrior offensive series. Winona State jumped ahead for the first half 20-6 against SMSU.
Looking to continue their dominant second quarter, the Warriors got caught in a pinch after Southwest kicked a surprise onside to start the second half of action. They traveled all the way to the Warriors 12-yard-line. On fourth down with three yards to gain, Caleb Jannsen stuffed Honstetter for a tackle for loss. Special teams assisted with the Warriors efforts, as Carver lost a high snap, leading to him kicking the football out of bounds at the SMSU three-yard-line. An absolute catastrophe for the Mustangs. Flottmeyer found tight end James Durst for the score to close out the penultimate quarter, with Winona State leading SMSU 27-6.
With the Warriors in control for the first three periods, it was a waiting game for the last seconds to roll at Maxwell. Evan Swanstrom nailed a season-high 34-yard field goal to extend the Warriors lead to 24 points. Haggerty recovered a fumble from Mustang quarterback Drew Kluender at the halfway point of the fourth quarter. That would be the knockout blow for Winona State to close out the season with a dominate 30-6 victory against SMSU.
For the eighth straight victory against the Mustangs, the Warriors keep the Sledge in their homefield. They also complete a perfect stretch at Maxwell Field for the first time since 2022. Jahmani Muhammad earned the MVP of the Sledge game for the Warriors off 23 carries for 142 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Muhammad discussed his growth throughout the season for the Warriors.
“I don’t look at it as being confident I look at it as to be expected. I’ve put the work in in the offseason and during practice, so I have a high expectation of myself to be a top back.”
Joe Sikma finished his final game for the purple with a career-high 118 receiving yards on four receptions, including a 38-yard touchdown for the second score of the game. Winona State finishes the 2025 football season with a 6-5 overall record and a 6-4 conference record in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
