Game Leaders
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Time of Poss.
WAUWATOSA, Wis. (WLCSports.com) - Wisconsin Lutheran College tied a program record for wins in a season following a 27-17 Senior Day and Lutheran Bowl victory over Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference foe Concordia Wisconsin on Saturday at Raabe Stadium.
The Warriors (7-3, 6-2 NACC), who last won seven games in a season in 2014, reclaimed the Luther Cup trophy for the first time since 2021 by snapping the Falcons' four-game winning streak.
CUW took the opening kickoff and went 73 yards on nine plays, its longest drive of the game, ending in a Pierre Summers III three-yard touchdown run. Five plays into WLC's first drive, freshman Liam Heiges (Appleton, Wis.) scampered 27 yards for a touchdown to knot the score at 7-7, which stood until the end of the first quarter.
Senior Arnulfo Ortega (Laredo, Texas) drilled a 35-yard field goal on Wisconsin Lutheran's next possession for a 10-7 lead just over a minute into the second quarter. A 37-yard field goal from Logan Navis followed by a 66-yard blocked field goal return by Gio Nowotarski put Concordia Wisconsin in front 17-10 past the midway mark of the second quarter. Ortega, the program's all-time scoring leader with 207 points, knocked in a 26-yard field goal as the first half clock expired for a 17-13 deficit.
The Warriors' opening drive of the second half chewed up nearly half of the third quarter clock. Junior Bryce Barbian (Cudahy, Wis.) capped it off with a five-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Emmitt Hawkins (Cudahy, Wis.), who tied the single season record with his 14th touchdown reception of the season. WLC led 20-17 heading into the fourth quarter.
Heiges plunged across the goal line for a one-yard touchdown run four minutes into the fourth quarter to extend Wisconsin Lutheran's lead to 10 points at 27-17. Senior Connor Martin (Chino, Calif.) picked off his seventh career pass on the Falcons' next drive, and the Warriors forced their second turnover on downs of the half to seal the win.
WLC outgained CUW 394-213 in total offense and held an overwhelming advantage in time of possession, 42:19-17:41. Barbian completed 28 of 33 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown. Heiges, who had a career-high 33 rushing attempts, finished with 176 yards and two scores. Junior Jamil Gordon (San Marcos, Texas) set the single season receptions record with 73 after matching his single-game high of 12 catches for 76 yards.
Senior Savon Goodwin (New Orleans, La.), who finishes third all-time with 319 tackles, and junior Nathan Nevad (Merritt Island, Fla.) had six stops apiece, including one sack for Wisconsin Lutheran. Nevad and senior Mitchel Smarzinski (Kimberly, Wis.) each forced a fumble.
Pierre Summers III had 88 rushing yards and a touchdown for Concordia Wisconsin, which was held nearly 50 yards below its season rushing average. Justice Kaneta collected a game-high 18 tackles.
The Warriors, who finished 7-3 overall and 6-2 in the NACC, solidified sole possession of third place in the conference standings.