!SNIW NRETSEW AWOI: Reivers End 'Neewollah' Weekend In Indy With Blowout Win

INDEPENDENCE, KS

Iowa Western (6-1) blitzed Independence (3-4) out of the gate and never eased off, cruising to a 40–6 win that pushes the Reivers all-time mark versus the Pirates to a still perfect, 9–0.

IWCC set the tone immediately, marching 71-yards in eight plays, capped off by Quarterback Malachi Marshall's third rushing touchdown of the season. Less than four minutes later, Daniel Swinney knifed up the middle for a 36-yard score and a 14-0 lead. Swinney's rush was nearly half the total of 74-yard, five play drive and brought him within one score of former Reiver Kai Locksley's mark of 20 career rushing touchdowns. Iowa Western took another possession with an abnormal onside kick recovery and followed with a choreographed, multi-dimensional reverse run that led to a Jamari Ford 11-yard score and a 21-0 lead. 

The avalanche continued in the second quarter. Marshall found Jaivyn Moore from 16 yards to make it 28–0 and Gus Bashore followed with a 27-yard field goal. The Reivers wrapped up the first half scoring when Marshall threaded a 13-yard strike to Tre Brown with 1:48 left for a 38–0 cushion at the break.

Marshall closed out his 7th start with 198 yards on 12-19 passing and his 17th and 18th scoring tosses of the season. Brown was his top target, stacking six receptions for 93 yards and his second score of the season. Moore caught his seventh score of the season on a pair of catches. it was a collective effort out of the running attack with the backfield spreading the workload. Swinney continued his climb atop the all-time charts with eight carries for 55 yards, while Ford added 26 yards and a touchdown on five carries and Makelle Taylor rolled up 46 yards on just six carries. Jack Stevens was heavily involved as well, the sophomore from Tiffin, Iowa caught his first two passes of the season and his first rush of the season.

The 'Darkside' defense logged 13 more tackles for loss and six sacks, repeatedly collapsing the pocket and stalling drives before they started. Blake Hawkins led a relentless rush with two and a half sacks and Andy Burburija and Brady Kerperin each added another. Tim Roberson's first-quarter interception at midfield halted the lone Independence push, and while Travis Hines II produced the back-breaking takeaway in the third. Dax Noles flipped the field with two punt returns for 37 yards, including his longest return of the season.

Independence finally got on the scoreboard with 7:54 remaining on a 14-yard Nathan Neal pass to Mekhi Penix, but even that sequence tilted Reivers: the two-point try was intercepted, and corner Javonte Walker, playing in his first action of the season, sprinted 97 yards the other way for a defensive PAT to restore the final 34-point margin. The Reivers held the Pirates to minus-5 rushing yards on 27 attempts and limited them to 130 passing yards on 15-of-34 with two interceptions. Independence managed just 2.0 yards per play, going 4-for-17 on third down. The majority of Independence's 16 first downs were a result of Iowa Western penalties.

#11th ranked Garden City comes to town next as the Reivers will play three of the final four games at home. While Iowa Western leads the all-time series with the Broncbusters, the team is only 2-2 at Titan Stadium, a mark they'll need to see improve to stay in the NJCAA Playoff hunt in the regular season's final month.

The game is set for a 1:00 pm kickoff from Titan Stadium. 

All the action can be heard, free of charge, on the Reiver Sports Network. The game, with Jake Ryan, Russ Nelsen, Josh Odson, and Tony Boone on the call, can also be found on Iowa Western's 100,000-watt FM radio station, 89.7 The River. The RSN Countdown to Kickoff begins at 12:30 PM from Titan Stadium.

The FREE tailgate (sponsored by Barley's) for fans begins approximately two hours before kickoff in the parking lot at Lewis Central, however the annual LC Craft Fair is set for Saturday, parking in the main high school lot will be at a premium early in the day.

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