Comeback effort comes up short at Briar Cliff

SIOUX CITY, Iowa - Waldorf stormed back to take a fourth quarter on the road Saturday at Briar Cliff in a football GPAC matchup. The Chargers though scored two late touchdowns to hand Waldorf a 35-28 setback.

After a scoreless first quarter, both teams combined for four touchdowns in the second quarter. Briar Cliff scored the first two to make it 14-0. Bryce Jones scored on an eight-yard touchdown pass from Louis Williams. The score was a culmination of an 11-play, 76-yard drive. Briar Cliff scored again in the final minute of the first half to take a 21-6 lead.

Waldorf did the only scoring in the third quarter to make it a tight game. Rocky Ketchum scored from a yard out to pull Waldorf within 21-12. Late in the quarter, a Keegan Handal interception set the Warriors in great field position at the Briar Cliff 30. Two plays into the drive, Chris Walter hit Jorge Rivera for a 23-yard scoring strike. The Avian Pesina two-point conversion pulled Waldorf within a single point at 21-20.

The Warriors added their third straight touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. Walter found Jones for a 14-yard touchdown reception that gave Waldorf a 28-21 lead. Briar Cliff took the ensuing kickoff 75 yards down to the Waldorf 15. They scored the tying touchdown two plays later with 6:49 remaining. Later Waldorf blocked a 39-yard field goal attempt to keep the score tied. The Chargers recovered a fumble deep in Waldorf territory with 1:30 left. BCU quarterback Luke DeLange hit Luke Davies in the corner of the end zone with 36 seconds left to give the Chargers a 35-28. They would intercept a Waldorf pass on the ensuing drive to clinch the victory.

Walter threw for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Rivera had a great receiving game with six grabs for 119 yards. Keegan Handal had two interceptions on defense to go along with seven tackles. 

Waldorf (0-8, 0-7 in GPAC) returns home to face Dakota Wesleyan next Saturday.