The Winona State Warriors football team defeated the Northern State Wolves on Saturday, 42-32 at the Verizon Wireless Stadium.

No less than two minutes into the first quarter, Rayon Simmons put the first points on the board for the Warriors.

John Teigland ran into the end zone for Winona State’s second touchdown of the night, giving the Warriors a 14-0 advantage in the second.

The second quarter proved to be tough for Winona State’s defense as the Wolves offense, especially quarterback Jared Jacobson, fought their way back onto the scoreboard.

“We knew that this team was going to come out strong but I would say they were tougher than I anticipated,” said Simmons. “We are working right now on coming out strong and explosive. Our offense is so strong that I expect us to score every time we touch the ball.”

“I knew they were going to be a scrappy and offensive team. We’re just beat up a little bit this week,” said head coach Tom Sawyer. “We were dealing with a triple threat quarterback and he had a strong defense on him.”

“He (Jacobson) was really tough to defend,” said Morgan Weaver. “We never knew if he was going to blitz or scramble and we just couldn’t grasp a read on him. It surprised us a little bit.”

The Warriors responded with a touchdown by Tyler Speer with just 11 seconds left before half.

“At half we talked about gaining back the momentum we started out with because we were taken aback a little bit by the toughness they were playing with,” said Weaver. “This past week of practice was all about trying to keep that momentum so we needed to regain that coming back out.”

After the first possession of the game, the Wolves’ Jacobson ran in for a 39-yard touchdown.

Simmons and Alex Jensen assisted to gain back a comfortable 35-19 lead.

Simmons appeared to be hurt in the third quarter but explained that he sidelined for a play for cautionary reasons.

“I just wanted to stay healthy for the rest of the game and I was losing some momentum.”

Pressure came with just less than five minutes remaining in the game as the Wolves pulled within ten.

“I was a little frustrated with our defense overall tonight,” said Sawyer. “We had some sacks on us and were out for a 20 yard game. We didn’t have the coverage we really needed tonight and they gave us a fight until the end.”

Chichi Ojika finished the game with the winning touchdown from a 34-yard handoff.

“Overall, we played a pretty good football game tonight,” said Sawyer. “There is room for improvement in our discipline because all the penalties that were called, especially in the first half should have never happened.”

Simmons carried 32 times throughout the night for a total of 177 yards.

This was the sixth time Simmons rushed for at least 175 yards in a game.

His two rushing touchdowns gave him 45 for his collegiate career, making him the third- most touchdowns by a Winona State Warrior.

He is just 47 yards away from besting Kevin Curtin’s all-time rushing record.

“Rayon gets stronger and stronger each quarter he plays and he really shines in the fourth,” said Sawyer. “He didn’t have a lot of giddy up in the beginning and I think that’s because we put a lot of young guys out there in the offensive line.”

“Rayon has been a great back for years and everyone in the league knows that,” said Northern State head coach, Tom Dosch. “His quickness and overall ability make him a pretty special player and without a doubt he is one of the best backs in the league.”

“He’s just a work horse and getting closer and closer to that record. I just hope that he achieves it soon so we can stop talking about it!” said Sawyer.

Teigland had a total of 136 yards and completed 15-of-29 passes.

“John really allows everyone to be a playmaker today and I always know I can count on him for making those important plays,” said Simmons.

Teigland allowed receptions from nine different Warriors throughout the night.

“John just wasn’t as sharp as he usually is though he made some key plays,” said Sawyer. “ He had some happy feet and there was pressure on him with all the new guys we put in especially with the true freshman and the redshirt freshman. Today wasn’t his best game but we can’t expect perfection every single time even though we would hope for it.”

Jacobson, the Wolves standout quarterback finished the game with 314 yards total, accounting for four touchdowns.

Anthony Frisby ended the night with a sack, Darby Lindy gained an interception and Ryan Williams led the Warriors defense with eight tackles while Chris Norgaard had seven.

Total, Winona State rushed for 229 yards and offense had 423 yards.

“The little things are what make up a football game and separate it from a loss and a win,” said Dosch. “Each play is as important as the one before and the one after. Tonight the Warriors made mistakes but they made it count where they needed to and pulled off beating us. They’re a really good quality team.”

The Warriors record now stands 2-1 and will be on the road next weekend taking on the University of Mary on Saturday with a 2:30 kickoff.

To get more inside scoop with head coach Tom Sawyer himself, join him every Thursday during the season at the Riverport Hotel at noon.

To get more information about Winona State football visit www.winonastatewarriors.com.

Contact Erin at [email protected]