WAUWATOSA, Wis. (WLCSports.com) – Wisconsin Lutheran College built a seven-point halftime lead, but Concordia Wisconsin rallied after a pair of lengthy weather delays to hand the Warriors a 27-20 loss in their Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference opener on Homecoming Saturday at Raabe Stadium.
The Warriors (0-3, 0-1 NACC) struck first in the second quarter when senior quarterback
Nate Griffeth (Brighton, Colo.) broke free for a 41-yard touchdown run just 0:38 seconds into the period, though the extra point attempt was blocked. The Falcons (2-1, 1-0 NACC) answered less than a minute later on a 52-yard scoring strike from quarterback Roman Funk to Jack Bradley. WLC later regained the lead on sophomore
Liam Heiges' (Appleton, Wis.) 20-yard touchdown run, but CUW countered with Funk's five-yard touchdown pass to Nick Crowell. Wisconsin Lutheran's final points of the night came late in the half when Heiges capped a seven-play drive with a 12-yard touchdown run, and a successful two-point conversion gave the Warriors a 20-13 advantage at the break.
In the third quarter, Funk tied the game at 20-20 with a 68-yard touchdown connection to Jason Leonard. After a scoreless stretch, Concordia Wisconsin delivered the decisive blow in the closing minute of the fourth quarter, as Funk found Kam'Ron Pierre for a 20-yard touchdown with 0:56 seconds remaining to complete the comeback.
Griffeth led WLC through the air, completing 17 of 27 passes for 116 yards with one interception. Heiges paced Wisconsin Lutheran on the ground with 22 carries for 109 yards and two touchdowns, while Griffeth added 28 rushing yards and a score. Senior
Drew Mears (Appleton, Wis.) was the Warriors' top target, hauling in three receptions for 57 yards. Defensively, sophomore
Sam Ehlke (Jackson, Wis.) and graduate
Nathan Nevad (Merritt Island, Fla.) each recorded seven tackles, with Ehlke adding an interception. Senior
Connor Martin (Chino, Calif.) also picked off a pair of passes.
For the Falcons, Funk completed 20 of 34 passes for 345 yards and four touchdowns, despite three interceptions. He also led CUW in rushing with 41 yards. Bradley caught five passes for 115 yards and a touchdown, and Leonard contributed three receptions for 88 yards and a score. Defensively, Duncan Ireland III tallied a game-high eight tackles for Concordia Wisconsin, and Logan Dable added two sacks.
The Warriors host Concordia Chicago (2-1, 0-1 NACC) next Saturday at 1 p.m. for Heroes Day in the midst of a three-game homestand at Raabe Stadium. Live coverage links can be found at WLCSports.com.
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